Salim Khan, along with partner Javed Akhtar, put Hindi cinema on the write track in the '70s and '80s with films like Zanjeer, Sholay andDeewar. Today, almost retired, he still appreciates a good screenplay and has instituted a tradition of giving away his own trophies to writers whose work has impressed him. After Neeraj Pandey's '
A Wednesday' and Shoojit Sircar's '
Vicky Donor', it's an "overwhelmed"Abhishek Kapoor's turn to be rewarded for '
Kai Po Che' with his Filmfare statuette that he won for
Deewar's screenplay. TOI used the opportunity to get the two writers talking scripts. He jokes saying that at the rate he is going, he'll soon run out of trophies. Excerpts:
READ: We had arrogance of clarity: Salim-JavedSalim saab, how would you have approached Kai Po Che if you were to write it? Salim Khan: I wouldn't have touched it. It was too risky, too communal a subject. Such films can easily get banned. Abhishek was walking on the edge. It was brave of him to make the film with newcomers. You didn't miss the stars because his writing and direction was so good.
Abhishek Kapoor: I approach people I admire, I'm not seduced by success. I work with good actors who I can trust with my script.
SK: When Javed (Akhtar) and I started out, we had no access to stars. It was only after 10 straight hits that they started enquiring about us.
AK: A star brings in a lot to the table but has a different agenda. Even if he likes the script it may not match his game plan. I wanted Ranbir Kapor for '
Kai Po Che' but I didn't take his refusal personally.
SK: When you are successful it's easy to convince people. When you fail,
ek bewakoof aadmi ko convince karne mein bahut time jaata hai.
READ: Sholay is mine: Salman KhanWhat were the challenges you two have faced as writers? SK: Money. I had to give reasons like rent and electricity bills to get my modest dues. '
Haathi Mere Saathi' fetched us just Rs 10,000 which had to be divided between Javed and I. '
Sita Aur Gita' we wrote for Rs 750 a month. Today I own just this apartment (in Galaxy, Bandstand). Had I been in Hollywood, I'd have bought an island by now.
AK: Nothing much has changed. Our money problems still force us to sign contracts we may not wish to.
SK: But the money is better now?
AK: Studios have deeper pockets and some writers are benefitting. But there is a vacuum, no one has been able to fill your shoes.
Abhishek, would you ever consider rewriting Sholay? AK: I can't imagine touching '
Sholay'. When you remake a film, you want to enhance it, not just contemporize it. I'd want to admire '
Sholay' from far and keep learning from it.
SK: In the 70s, we were told it was too long but we didn't edit a single frame. When the film released and didn't do well initially, people said Amjad Khan was miscast as Gabbar and Amitabh shouldn't have died. Ramesh Sippy even went to re-shoot Amitabh's death scene though I made my disapproval clear. But soon the collections picked up.
It was a blockbuster and had a record 5-year run at Minerva... SK: We had put an ad predicting it would do a business of Rs 1 crore in the Eastern circuit. People laughed at us but it went on to do much more. Yes, it ran for five years at Minerva. The theatre owners had a contract with a Russian company that every year they had to release at least one of their films. For five years, they didn't because '
Sholay' was drawing full houses. Eventually, they removed '
Sholay', to accommodate the Russians. But. it was back in a few days.
AK: I could write a thesis of every scene. It's an amazing film!
READ: 'Sholay' an all time greatest movie: Salman KhanHow much has the writing in cinema changed today? SK: Every department has changed. Raj Kapoor would record a song with more than 100 musicians, today you need just four. Acting too has changed, the audience is more restless. Writers have to pack everything within two hours. Heroes have also become more macho.
Pehlenobody had a good physique. They couldn't even run properly as most of them had a paunch. Today, having a good body is a must-have requirement.
AK: A lot has changed in the way heroes are portrayed. But I don't write for heroes, I write for characters.
Did you hit a roadblock with any scene? SK: In '
Shakti', where Dilip
saab (Kumar) is sitting in front of Raakhee's dead body. Amitabh comes and places his hand on his dad's knee and they look at each other We struggled to get the right words, then settled for silence.
AK: The end in '
Kai Po Che'. In the novel, '
The 3 Mistakes of My Life', Isshan does not die. I thought he should, since he was the purest soul and people would leave the hall sad. The film was about the Gujarat riots and at the end of the day, I wanted them to feel a sense of loss.
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