Archive for the ‘Scripts’ Category

Mahindra ties up with Sundance Institute for Screenwriters Lab. Applications invited

Posted: January 20, 2011 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, News, Scripts, writing
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Mumbai Mantra, the film division of Mahindra Group, seems to be in a defunct state currently.  But it seems there is a genuine attempt to reinvent the division now and so they have tied up with the Sundance Film Institue.

It all sounds good but am bit skeptical about it. Earlier Mahindra tried to do the same here,  started a screenwriters lab and selected 12 scripts for mentoring.  Anjum rajabali, Sriram Raghavan and Anurag Kashyap were mentoring the scripts and one of us was part of the lab. They spent money on script development but didn’t venture out to shoot a single feature from the 12 final scripts. Well, the good thing is , they have returned the scripts to the writers now, and without any conditions attached or exercising any buy-back option. Hopefully this time it will work out in a better way. Read on for more deatils…

WHAT : The collaboration will see the establishment of the Mumbai Mantra|Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab which shall become an annual event in India, and the Sundance Institute|Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award will be awarded annually at the Sundance Film Festival. Sundance Screenwriters Lab has been mentoring scripts since last few years and many landmark films have come out of the lab.

HOW : Four filmmakers from around the world will receive a grant, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival for industry meetings, mentoring from Institute staff and creative advisors, participation in a Feature Film Program Lab, and year-round support. This initiative will extend over a three-year period, benefiting 12 awardees. Beginning in 2012, one out of the four directors will be an Indian.

WHEN : Recipients of the 2011 Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Film Making Award will be announced January 25.

And there is more. From 2012, the inaugural Mumbai Mantra|Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab will provide an opportunity for six-to-eight filmmakers from India to develop their works under the guidance of accomplished Creative Advisors.

DATE : Hard copies of application materials must be post marked by June 1, 2011.

CRITERIA : 1. All Indian nationals as well as Indians, living overseas people of Indian origin and mixed Indian parentage are eligible to apply.

2. Only those who are working on their first or second feature film project shall be eligible. However, they may have worked on documentaries, shorts, advertising films in the past.

LANGUAGE : The screenplay can be for a film in any Indian language including English. However, the synopsis and the first 5 pages that you should send by June 1, 2011 must be translated in English.

Application Form: Click here for the official website of Mahindra’s Mumbai Mantra and you can download the application form from there.

he inaugural Mumbai Mantra|Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab will provide an opportunity for six-to-eight filmmakers from India to develop their works under the guidance of accomplished Creative Advisors in an environment that encourages storytelling at the highest level.

Best of 2010 – The script of Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan

Posted: January 18, 2011 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, Scripts, Special, Story / Plot / Synopsis, writing
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Those of you who religiously follow the movement of film scripts in blogosphere, must be aware that the script of QT’s Inglourious Basterds was out almost a year before its release. And that’s not a rare case. There are blogs and websites dedicated to script reviews/news/sales. And since last few years they have the Black List too.

Compare this to the script scenario here. Writers/directors guard it as if it’s life and death scenario. Almost scared to give it out to anyone to read. The fear of bad (or honest) feedback  is too much to bear! If only someone can explain it to them that you cant hang your film on your drawing room walls like you treat your paintings! Plus, there is no concept of professional readers.

Even after the film has released, there is no way to source the script online. So we are trying to change the scenario with a small intiative. Asking directors of all the best reviewed films of 2010 to share their scripts with us. Its purely for non-commercial and educational purpose.

The first in the series is the script of Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan – the much loved and one of the best reviewed films of 2010. You can read it and download it too. We have attached three drafts – shooting script (in Roman Hindi ), the second one is slightly polished draft ( In English – 2004/2005) and the last one is the very first raw draft ( In English – 2003 ).

We will soon be putting out the script of Goal too. It’s also written by him and has always baffled us that how can a filmmaker go so wrong with a sports genre film! Till then, enjoy Udaan.

Shooting draft –

Slightly polished draft –

First raw draft –

PS – We are also trying to source the scripts of LSD, Peepli Live, Ishqiya, Do Dooni Chaar, Phas Gaye Re Obama, Striker, Band Bajaa Baarat, Tere Bin Laden and more. If you have the script and want to share it with our readers, do write to us at moifightclub@gmail.com. This is stritcly for non-commercial purpose.

Yeh kaisa “Mausam” ka jadoo hai mitwa ? Here is our weather report

Posted: October 3, 2010 by moifightclub in cinema, film, reviews, Scripts, Special, Story / Plot / Synopsis, writing
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The weather was cloudy, again. And this time, it rained. We again headed to Juhu for some chaana zor garam. And again, it was Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. This time it was the script of Pankaj Kapur’s directorial debut Mausam. It stars Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor.

And those of you who are still wondering about the “again” factor, click here to read how we got lucky one day and put an open bet on Imran Khan’s famous dud – Luck. And if you  are curious to know the weather report this time, read on…

Looks like Pankaj Kapur’s aim is to tell an epic love story, which crosses the barriers of age, time, space, religion, countries and events. But the problem is, there is nothing epic about it. Its all about Harry and Aayat’s meeting, separation, meeting, separation, meeting, separation and finally, well, we all know how hindi films end.

And this meeting & separation of lovers happens all of a sudden, every time, once, twice, thrice and so on. The script is divided into four seasons, each like one chapter that tells us how the lovers meet to separate again. It starts with political undertones, and then, few more big national and international news incidents are added in every chapter to separate the lovers. The story starts in 1992 and ends in 2002. The impact of one big international incident is hilarious, its just in one scene. And there is NO need for it.

In the first season, the set up is quite elaborate, all about a marriage that has got nothing to do with the main story.  The story moves in sluggish pace and will test your patience. The second season is the one where the love story happens. And its all in Scotland. Why ? No clue. It could have been any other place, even in India. The lovers don’t get to meet because there is a communication gap. And may be, the distance helps in making the gap wider.  Season three keeps the lovers away from each other for some reason or another and then the finale in season four. One more big national incident and suddenly all is well. So, the drama is all about the communication gap and  after a point, we felt like we should just call up both Harry and Aayat and tell both of them about their whereabouts. No need to struggle to find each other. That was 70’s, sir!

If we can’t finish about 120pages at one go, it means there is something wrong with us or with the script. First 30 pages and we were snoring and how! And there are three songs in the first 30 pages. Jejus! Holy fuck! Its PANKAJ KAPUR – one of the best actors we have. Lets go back.

We tried again and finally managed to finish it. And re-read it. Its not bad, its just boring. May be, Pankaj Kapur should continue with acting or may be, he will prove us wrong and show us the big middle finger. But with Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor in the lead, it needs the talent of Wong Kar-Wai to make something interesting out of this script. And yes, lot of scenes have to go. Lots! Just go. They don’t make any sense and go nowhere though the story moves from Kashmir to Mallukot to Scotland to London to Udhampur to Ahmedabad.

And here is what we liked – The writer-director seems to be very clear about the ambience sound he wants and the way he wants. Almost every scene has decription of the same. Some of the romantic scenes in season two are interesting. There are options written for some of the scenes – either this way or that. And here is one scene from the script….

I/E.  TRAIN/TRAM.  SCOTLAND  – DAY

Harry and Aayat are seen standing in a train or tram, it is crowded.

AAYAT

Bua ab hamare saath rehti hain.

HARRY

Oh! I see. Kaise hain ?

AAYAT

Theek hai….aur tum ?

HARRY

Main bhi theek hun

AAYAT

( smiles a little or small laugh)

Nahi. I mean tum kahan rahe itne saal ?

HARRY

Kaha raha hun….(looks at her) Mallukot station se tumhari gadi ko jate dekha – ussi waqt air force mein selection ka khat mil gaya. bas phir training, uske baad commission, ab jahan jahan posting hoti hai vahin rehta hun.I mean in a way Mallukot choot sa gaya hai.

AAYAT

Mallukot what a lovely place na ?

HARRY

Yaad hai tumhe ?

AAYAT

Yes, of course.

There is a silent pause. They look at each other.

Show us the finger, sir! Show us. We are waiting and how!

The film is produced by Madhu Mantena, Reliance Religare (Sheetal Talwar) and Eros Entertainment. Madhu and Sheetal’s last masterpiece was Rann. And Eros have been delivering one dud after another. Their latest is Anjaana Anjaani. Click here and here to read what the makers have to say about this film.

Sirs, hope you do read scripts before you decide to produce a film. Hope you do know how to read a script. And hope you will be able to deliver. Good luck. And if you decided to produce the film because it has Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, well, its never too late to start praying. Jejus!

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