Sumit Arora has penned some of the most talked about shows and films in recent times. He is known to have written dialogues for The Family Man and Stree among others. He started off by writing for television shows and then went on to work on films. He has recently written the popular series Dahaad. His upcoming project as a writer is Guns & Gulaabs. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive chat.
While OTT has introduced long-form storytelling, it also gives writers an opportunity to explore every character. When asked his thoughts on the same, Sumit shares, “Not specifically about Dahaad, but generally saying that the process to write a long-form and a two hour film is entirely different. The storytelling has to serve the plot, even the characters become tools to the plot. In the series, it is never about just one thing, but it also delves into the characters and their backstories.”
He adds, “In Dahaad, we delved into everyone’s personal life too besides the core idea. Even how Sonakshi’s (Sinha) mother forces her to get married. The show’s main theme is catching the serial killer. Even the audience that goes to cinemas to explore one particular story, differs when it comes to OTT.”
OTT is considered as a writer’s medium. When asked his take on the current scenario, he says, “OTT has a lot to do with writing. Even in the last few years, films as a medium realised good writing as a driving force. People wouldn’t have heard the word content 10-12 years ago but now it has become a thing. In today’s time, if you don’t have good content, no star can save the project. It is impossible to hold the audience for eight to nine hours on anything else if there is no content.”
Vijay Varma’s character in Dahaad is based on a real life character. When naked that as a writer, what goes in to bring authenticity, Sumit explains, “Every character is a byproduct of the time in which it grows up, the background it had. Vijay’s character is the product of his time. As writers, you can’t be immune with the times we are living in.”
Sumit’s next project is Guns & Gulaabs is a crime comedy but he remains tight-lipped when asked to spill some beans over it. “The platform will soon release its teaser and trailer. It is created by genius duo Raj & DK. It is an exciting project and I can’t wait for the world to see it,” he concludes.
