Nightmare in Dream (London Dreams)

What is a Screenplay?

Screenplay is one of the most difficult of arts. It takes years of experience (or inborn talent) to be able to understand the art of writing a screenplay. Recently, I learnt the art of writing screenplay, all over again when I watched London Nightmare….er….Dreams. I must share those invaluable tips with all of you.

Tip Number 1.

You must have a great thought to work on. Not just a thought/story, but a great thought/story. That is because even if you mess it up completely at screenplay level, you will still have some life left in the story. Beg, borrow or steal but get a great thought.

Tip Number 2.

Always borrow a shocking scene from some other writer’s book. Do not bother if the scene or idea that you are borrowing is from an action film or ‘one man army’ film and you are making a musical or romantic or inspirational. Just add that scene. If it worked in that film, it will work here too. So what if the character that has lived for his music, gets hysterical and opens his belt to thrash himself. Focus is the key word here. The great Beethoven, I here used to put his head under water for focus, so why can’t Arjun use a belt?

Tip Number 3.

As in all beautiful screenplays, talk about your climax in one of the opening scenes. Let the audience know where you are heading. But don’t end your film there. Take the audience by surprise (boredom). Take them beyond it, add monologues, preaching’s, and justify it by saying ‘jahan se kahani shuru hui hai wahin khatam honi chahiye’.

Tip Number 4.

Let characters do their thing. Don’t ask questions as to why they are doing, just let them do it. For instance, one of Ajay Devgan’s friend’s goes out of his way to create chaos in Salman Khan’s life, like a professional, like a character out of Godfather. Justify it by saying it was the need of the story. Who cares about the character? You have already put all your efforts in carving out the characters of Salman and Ajay.

Tip Number 5.

Let there be confrontation, so what if it starts when the film is nearing its end? You can end the confrontation in one or two meaningless scenes.

Tip Number 6.

Always have a father, who would enter when the writer wants him to, not when the script demands. Also have a girl, in shorts etc to drag the hero into a world of drugs, so what if she has the expressions of a dead gangster? Keep these characters handy to use them when your script is going nowhere.

Tip Number 7.

It goes on and on and on and on…

But I must admit that I was hooked onto the movie till interval and had developed high expectations from it while buying my coffee and nuggets. But the coffee spilled on my shirt, the nuggets fell on my lap and my dreams of watching a god film flew away from my eyes onto the distant sky. But I am disheartened yet, I am stil looking forward to Ajab Prem ki Gajab Kahani…I hope it doesn’t turn out to be ‘gajab ki film ki ajab si kahani’. God Bless.

Note: Please leave your comments, if any here in my blog. Thanks. Kep Writing. Kep Reading. Keep Smiling.

Happy Birthday Nupur. God Bless You that you make movies, not nightmares…Enjoy