Satya Vyas has traveled from writer to scriptwriter. Now films are being made on his book. The web series ‘Grahan’ was also made on a book written by him. Recently he talked about his films in Navbharat Times’ Theater Club:
Satya Vyas is a well-known writer and scriptwriter. While the superhit web series ‘Grahan’ was made on the book ‘Chaurasi’ written by him, Aanand L Rai’s film ‘Nakhrewali’ is also based on the book ‘Dilli Darbar’ written by Satya Vyas. Many of his books have been made into films. Recently, in a conversation with ‘Navbharat Times’, Satya Vyas talked about everything from writing to scriptwriting. He also gave his stand on the controversy over writing credits in films:
A web series based on your book was released. What questions were in your mind when you got this offer?
After the release of my two-three books, I thought that now I should write something different from college stories. So I wrote a story Chaurasi which was based on riots. At that time I was working in Odisha. I got a call from Mumbai that we want to do a film on Delhi Darbar. He arranged for my coming there. Within two-three days I got the ticket and everything.
‘This is a big thing for a writer who is writing and also learning. I went there, then a meeting took place. It had a huge positive impact on me. Sometime after that, my book Chaurasi Chaurasi was selected in a film festival. After that we got a call from a big production house that we want to do a film on it. After this the path of screenwriting opened before me.
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– When a writer becomes a scriptwriter, it affects his writing as well. But you have handled both things very efficiently. tell me about this
The writer has to understand that writing and script writing are two completely different things. You are the only king in writing. There is no boundation of time between day and night. There is no one to stop you from writing what you have to do. Your editor can make five-ten percent corrections. But when a hundred people are involved in scriptwriting simultaneously, then your role is important from the time you write till the shooting. You have to get everything right right away. In scriptwriting, there are changes in your story, due to which many writers get angry.
I think a little differently about this matter. I ask you to explain to me why change is necessary, no matter how much you want to change. All these things should be dealt with in the beginning itself. The writer who understands this does very well.
– When you are writing a book, 100 percent credit is yours. But when we go into the field of scriptwriting, there is a lot of controversy over credit. Tell me about this.
Of course, there is a race for credit in the film industry. The viewpoint of the director and the writer are different. Like if I have to make a film on ‘Banaras Talkies’, then I have written it. I know how this incident happened. But if that story is given to a director, he will first think how what would have happened? And then will shoot. So when he thinks, some changes will occur in his mind. Now it comes to his mind that I have made changes in it, so I should get the credit for it.
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‘On top of that, Mumbai is such an expensive city that a writer faces a lot of difficulties just in surviving here. There are many writers who give away their stories in exchange for money. Even after the advent of internet, these things have started coming openly. Sometimes one has to be reminded about credit. The makers remain on the spot and if not reminded, they will get the work done.
– Which of your books are getting films or web series in the coming time? Apart from this, tell us about your future plans in screen writing.
A film on Delhi Darbar will be released next year. Also, a film on Kolkata is also going to be released. I have written the screenplay etc. for both.