Meeting Dilip D' Souza - Author, Activist, Free Spirit and a Gentleman

I met Dilip quite by chance a couple of years ago. He was in town to deliver a TED talk. My friend Anita Nair was in town to deliver a talk at the same event. She had an event to promote her book ‘Cut Like Wound’ as well. I was in conversation with her at the event and it was there that I met Dilip. The rest of the city had gone to a more high profile event with Amitav Ghosh or Gurcharan Das or someone else, so it was more like a bunch of friends that got together that day. Dilip formally launched the book that day and we stayed in touch since.

Dilip and Me

At the recent Non-Fiction festival in Mumbai we were both on a panel discussing cricket writing. That evening Miskil and I spent a delightful evening at his home in Bandra, bang opposite Sachin Tendulkar's house (Dilip's 'Final Test' is a critical evaluation of the Little Master's last test match), with his family.His other books include Branded by Law (about India's denotified tribes), Narmada Dammed (politics of development), Roadrunner (an Indian quest in America), The Curious Case of Binayak Sen and now, The Final Test.

For someone who is so unassuming Dilip is a much accomplished man with many awards to his credit (too many to mention here) and does many wonderful things. A BITS Pilani alumnus and an MS Computer Science from Brown University He writes mainly on social and political causes. Currently he writes a column for Mint on Mathematics and for other publications on sports and several other topics. Dilip is also described as an activist on his Wikipedia page - he is a member of the Managing Committee of Citizens for Peace in Mumbai, has worked with People's Union for Civil Liberties, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Ekta, was a member of Pakistan-India People's Forum, was on editorial board of the Consumer Guidance Society of India etc  He also supports Ummeed, an organisation that is engaged in child development - and as part of their fund raising walks the beaches in Goa - 55 kms a day every year.

Dilip was at the University of Hyderabad this week delivering a 3 day workshop on writing to the students of the Department of Mass Communications. On the last day of the workshop I stole him away for a few moments to speak to my students at the Department of Dance. It was an interesting question and answer session – why did you choose to write after a degree from BITS Pilani and Brown University and a lucrative career in software, how do you balance writing and money, how should we go about with our careers. Dilip told them that its about the journey. Though he is not trained as a writer he was drawn to it and enjoys the process. He’d like to be on the road if he wants to achieve something in this field.

We spent that evening at home chatting about this and that (including old girl friends and cricket). The next day I asked him if I could formally do an interview. Dilip graciously agreed.

Me: What is your average day like?

D: I try to wake up by 530 or 6 in the morning and get in an hour of work. Then the usual hustle and bustle as we get the kids ready to go to school. Then I get back to work again from 9 am to 12 am. Lunch. Back to work again from 2 pm to 5 pm. Some days I go to the Bandra Gym to play tennis. By now the kids are back home and hopefully before I hit the bed I try and get another hour of work.

Me: What are your hobbies? How else do you spend your time?

D: I read. Anything really. Non-fiction. Crime books. I enjoy reading Dennis Lehane the author of ‘Mystic River’. I am currently reading ‘The Song of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller. I enjoy listening to music. Older rock and roll and a few select Hindi songs. I love ‘Roop Tera Mastana’ and ‘Jaaneman Jaaneman’ which I remember singing with Vibha once. I have lots of music at home but don’t get time to listen to it. I was learning the piano and stopped. Want to start again. Want to explore jazz. I enjoy watching the odd film – the rare Bollywood film and more frequently Hollywood films. Then there is tennis and I am constantly on Twitter.

Me: Do you think your writing career is panning out that way you want it to?

D: Yes and No. I feel I’ve got to a stage where there is an audience that will accept what I write. But what's unsettling me right now is that I am not settling down to write my next book. I am not comfortable with that. I have written a novel – unfinished. I wrote 50000 words and then I got distracted and lost momentum. Need to get back to it.

Me: How has your progression been as a writer?

D: When I read my older pieces I see a naivety about it. But now I think I have become more nuanced. I feel when I read my older pieces that I was more angry. Now, I am angry but I can still put it across gently and in a better way.

Me: Do you think you found your voice?
D: Over the years I feel more like I found my voice. For long I think I copied the way my Dad wrote. But I think I write the way people speak so when people compliment me and say "I wish I could write like you etc" it feels good.

Me: How do you think you write?

D: I think I write clearly. With logic and reason. It's more about clarity. Style should serve the purpose.

Me: What advise would you give to any youngster on writing?

D: That 1)  Anything you write is about telling a story so find that story first 2) Look after the details 3) Flesh out the characters, observe people for little ticks that make your characters believable 4)  Provide a sense of place i.e. tell us about the place 5) Make connections, when thoughts come to you at tangents use them. Don’t dismiss them.

Me: Who are your favorite authors?

D: Jon Krakauer (Into the Wild), Pico Iyer, Dennis Lehane. And I absolutely love John McEnroe’s autobiography.

Me: And among Indian authors?

D: Naresh Fernandes (Taj Mahal Foxtrot, City Adrift), Suketu Mehta, Arundathi Roy

Me: Do you think there is a gap between foreign writers and Indian writers?

D: I don’t think there is a gap.

We ran out of time then so we wound up. But it was great talking to Dilip. We promised to catch up the next time I was in Mumbai and do a reality tour of Dharavi slums. That sounds interesting. In fact many things that Dilip does sound interesting like his campaigning for Ummeed and one gets the feeling that just by walking beside him and about him you will experience life at a whole new plane. Its an angle I like and admire. There is also a sense of balance about it all as he goes about it - his fine sense of humour and his firm, nonjudgmental and critical eye surely goes a long way into making it all fit into the same frame and coexist. So its easy to talk of my own superficial experiences with life and know he will listen with no judgment while I know that if I do scratch the surface of the subject matter of any of his books we would need days to even get to the heart of the matter be it denotified tribes or Narmada Bachao or Binayak Sen or Sachin Tendulkar or Mathematics or John McEnroe or Jazz music. Explosive stuff. I know nothing about most of the above. I will save that all for another interview (my excuse to ask stupid questions really!

Thanks Dilip. See you soon.

Interview - A Perspective On How The Youth See Things

While at Bangalore last month I spotted Shikha and her friends talking earnestly to one another and realised that here was an opportunity I was looking for. For a long time I have been wanting to peek into the minds of the youth and try to understand their hopes and aspirations, fears and burdens. I knew that like most youngsters their age Shikha and her friends were at the crossroads too, having to decide, having to grow up and carry as most do, unrealistic expectations society and parents have from the young these days. There is pressure no doubt, but there is also the prospect of delicious change, freedom. Much has changed from twenty years ago.

Yours truly with the young ladies - Pragya, Meher and Shikha (and Anjali who joined us)

I wanted to see what they made out of the whole situation and asked Shikha if she would consent for an interview. She did better. She invited two of her friends, Meher Kaliyadan and Pragya Sahni to join the discussion. Pragya was delayed so we started without her.

Shikha is studying in her 12th and is sure she wants to pursue humanities, teach perhaps. Meher is preparing for CLAT, her law entrance, having completed her 12th. Pragya is preparing for her medical entrance.

1) In a world that is increasingly materialistic and spoilt for choice how does one cope?
A) Meher said that she thought it was all transient in a way. She tends to look less materially at things as of now and considers herself more of an ascetic. Not that she is averse to luxury. But luxury by itself is no motivation for her she said.

Shikha was of the opinion that chasing material things as a goal appears pointless. She'd rather do things and experience them rather than do things to gain material comforts.

2) What does success mean?

Meher said it was more about how society looked at her as a person than about her earnings etc. The respect she earned from society would be a good indicator she said. It would be more about how much she could help people and do something to contribute to change.

Her image of success was of being in a place where she could help the ones who really needed help. As deep down as child trafficking, prostitution etc.

Shikha said that to her success was about being happy. About being in the moment. About enjoying what she is doing. She doesn't think money is everything as some may define success as. She is not being unrealistically idealistic she says and wants to be ideally at a stage where she can support herself and be independent. Success is equal to happiness. Is about doing what she wanted to do.

Her visual of success was of being in a people-related area. Being with and helping people.

3) Is being financially independent important?
Meher said it would be important to secure herself financially. More as a state of mind, where she would be emotionally secure. Where her financial independence gives her the freedom to earn her own self-respect and not be relegated to being a hypocrite. But being financially independent would still make her a person who is open to suggestions, be someone who is not judging

Shikha sees herself as financially independent. No two ways about that.

4) Do you feel a pressure, subtle or otherwise, of choices, of growing up? How do they view society, the country?

Meher said she thought the pressure was imposed on them by society. But then she says it could well be a figment of imagination. But she does feel pressure subtly, not directly perhaps. Finds it disturbing. Poverty, illiteracy, lack of amenities, filth. She feels that the government is non-existent.

I asked if she could find a way to change it, what would she do.
She said she could be kind to others. Kindness breeds kindness. Cannot agree with her more.

Shikha was bothered by the images of poverty, illiteracy, unhappiness, She sees money being involved everywhere, greed, chronic dissatisfaction in society.

Finds the system corrupt. Overall finds the situation rather hopeless.

At her individual level she feels that she can change things by avoiding participating in corruption, By standing up.

5) Did you experience corruption?

Meher talked about how she was to join a reputed Law institute in Pune and could not because there was a large donation involved. In cash of course. What is it if that is not a bribe she asks. She gets upset when autowallahs overcharge, when grocers give chocolates instead of change.

Shikha experienced the same. She added traffic cops to the list too.

6) How do you view the youth? The pluses and minuses.

Meher found youth to be exuberant, energetic, wanting to do things, achieve, outshine, go beyond societal boundaries. On the other hand, on negatives, she finds them too shallow, indifferent, materialistic, egoistic, arrogant, stuck in the rat race.

Shikha felt that the youth wants to achieve, has great ideas and opinions, has energy. On the negatives she finds too many stereotypes, easily judgmental, competition and exam related in academics with little understanding of the subject. She feels they are too closed minded.

7) Is there a burden to prove yourself?
Meher said there was. CLAT would be a test. But on the other hand it is more about myself too. My own self respect, my independence. I do it for myself.

Do you feel like you have the freedom to choose or that you have to appease and gain approval I asked.
Meher:  Do I feel completely myself. No, I feel like I am being 70% someone else.

Shikha found the burden too. Don't want to do things everyone wants to do.

Do I feel completely myself? Not really. Approval is important to me I realise. I need to listen more.

Pragya who was studying for her medical entrance joined us then. She wants to crack the  entrance. She is certain she does not want to do engineering. I feel guilty I am not putting in enough effort sometimes she says.

8) Your role models in society, at home?
Meher said her grandfather was a huge role model for her. Not so much about what he acquired in his life but about his approach to life and commitment to work and people. She does not believe in finding role models outside her life and wants to be her own role model. She says she can find inspiration in any living thing that can commit an act of excellence or beauty. Sweepers, cats, dogs.

Shikha finds a great role model in her cousin Hari who exudes a sense of calm within, her father Rajesh because he is so positive and so simple and so focused and hardworking. She finds Mary Kom and Malala great role models from world figures

Pragya picked her Dad as her role model as he is principled, thoughtful and wants to be like him

9) What are your favorite top 3 movies?
Meher liked Pride and Prejudice, Silver Linings Playbook, Benjamin Button
Shikha picked 3 Idiots, Highway, Queen and all movies on Romedy Now
Pragya picked PS I love you, A Walk to Remember and Faltu

10) What are your favorite books / authors?
Meher picked Jane Austen, Jhumpa Lahiri, Chitra Divakurani Banerjee, LM Montgomery (Pride and Prejudice, In the woods, in her books)
Shikha picked the famous Indian writer Harimohan Paruvu, an eminently good choice I must add. She said she liked reading autobiographies more than fiction.
Pragya liked the Twilight series, the Chicken soup series and Physics

11) Do you see hope that you will achieve what you dream of today?
Meher said she believes she will bloom any which way, if she can bloom in adversity. Yes she says. She is certain.
Shikha was optimistic that her future will be whats she wants it to be, rosy. Yes again.
Pragya said that she was 100% sure it will happen. A resounding Yes.

Lovely. So our short interview ended on a nice, high and positive note. It felt like we discussed far more than I captured here because there was much discussion going on. Good energy, good insights, good clear heads. A sense of idealism which is what makes the youth so full of hope, of dreams of changing the world. It is this spark that needs to be kept alive and grown so their dreams come true, so they see a society they wish to live in and not merely buy our leftover dreams of a society that might not be the ideal one for them. The world has changed so much, is changing as we speak, and they have ridden the wave almost as it came in. Our fears need not restrain them, our experiences need not guide them. They must be able to choose fearlessly, clearly and find the support  to change the world from within the classroom, the courtroom, the hospital. I was pretty impressed by the quality of thought and replies and would have loved to continue for longer. There is a good balance between technology and tradition, old and new, optimism and cynicism, with the balance being in favour of the positive.

There is so much more I wanted to talk to them about. Some other time perhaps. But for now, it certainly looks like the future is on good hands. Thanks Shikha, Meher and Pragya for your time and for sharing your thoughts so honestly and earnestly with me.

A lesson in screenplay writing - Jayant Dharmadhikari

Sudha Varde and Jayant!
I took the opportunity of picking the mind of one of India's quieter screenplay writers. One with a solid body of work including hits like Benaam, Rafoo Chakkar, Ankahee (National award winner 1984), Yeh to kamaal ho gaya, Main Intaquam Loonga, Raaste ka Pathar and several other Hindi, Marathi movies and plays. Jayant Dharmadhikari, my genial and good humored host, and a veritable wealth of information on screenplay writing, someone who worked with some wonderfully creative minds like Amol Palekar, Raj Khosla et al was at hand to share some of his thoughts.
But before we began, Jayant was kind enough to give me a copy of a screenplay he had adapted from a Kannada short story and asked me to read it. I did. It took me two days. It was a beautifully flowing love story of a young Muslim couple and how their lives twist and turn due to some misunderstandings. But, back to screenplay writing now!

Q. What is the basic idea behind good screenplay writing?
Jayant: It should engross the audience visually and draw the viewer into what unfolds before him/her. The viewer must get involved in the subject matter, whatever be the subject, and must be anxious to know how the story will end. At the end of it all, the viewer must feel satisfied that he has seen something good. Ideally, something to think about.

Q. How should I approach it in my mind when I write a screenplay?
Jayant: One must bear in mind that cinema is basically a visual medium supported by audio.

Q. What is the start point or the core of the screenplay?
Jayant: The writer must be very clear about what he wants to tell. Then the characters, situations, songs, dialogues and other things must drive the story around it. You should never move away from the core idea.

Q. How should I structure the screenplay?
Jayant: Like any basic story.It should have a clear beginning, middle and and end.

Q. Should I keep the viewer in mind when I write the screenplay?
Jayant: There are several view points on that. But as far as I am concerned, yes. The basic nature of the viewer must be tapped into. The viewer must identify with the person on screen, feel the victim, and sympathise with him or her.

Q. How should I develop the characters?
Jayant: The audience should have no confusion in understanding the character. The character should be consistent, well researched and believable. It has to be shown that he is believable, that he is feeling a certain way. This revelation of the character should be shown through well-plotted situations.

Q. How about dialogue writing? What should be borne in mind when writing dialogue?
Jayant: Ideally it should be kept to a minimum. Dialogue should support the story.
And when you use other aids such as flashbacks, you must bear in mind that it is an artificial thing for the audience. It should pass information only. Do not try and create emotions out of it how much ever you get tempted.

Q. How do you use music and songs? When should one use this in the screenplay?
Jayant: Music and songs must be used to create and enhance emotions. They should be used to enhance the situation. The key is to make the viewer 'feel' the intensity of the moment. For example I conceived the 'Maar diya jaye ya chod diya jaye' situation in 'Mera gaon mera desh' when Vinod Khanna, who played the dacoit, has Dharmender at his mercy and is about to kill him. Director Raj Khosla was not too happy with the idea of a song at that moment but the music directors Laxmikant Pyarelal saw some potential. There was considerable reluctance but when the line 'Maar diya jaye..' was thrown up, suddenly the whole room went electric. That was a classic moment and remains one in Hindi cinema.

Q. How do I connect the scenes? Should I keep anything in mind while writing scenes?
Jayant: The scenes should flow logically. The 1st scene should lead into the second and the second should lead into the third. Every scene in itself should have a beginning, middle and end, and that scene should flow into the next scene. As the story flows smoothly, the challenge for the screenplay writer is to ensure that the viewer should not be able to predict where it is heading.

Q. Do you use any other aids to enhance the depth of the story?
Jayant: Sometimes to add a layer to the story, we may have to introduce a new character just to set the context or to give a depth to the story. We used the Pathan character in 'Prem Kahani' played by Vinod Khanna which was originally not envisaged. But it turned out to be a good move because that character really connected with the viewer.

Q. Anything else for me to remember when writing screenplay?
Jayant: Remember its a visual medium always. Images move mentally and transform the story scene by scene. The viewer must always have the feeling about how this story will end.

Q. Your biggest learning from all these years of writing?
Jayant: My biggest learning came from Raj Khosla. While working on a movie I came back with a well thought out of scene that moved very logically and flowed easily. He heard me out and said 'It's very nice and logical, but you know, it has no 'ras'. That was the biggest learning for me. It should have that 'ras'. Ras hona chahiye!

Yes sir. Just like life should have! Thanks Jayant for your valuable time and all the learning. Now to write my screenplay I promise I will write one before January 2010!
Watch this space!