Writer-turned-filmmaker Aditya Kriplani speaks to SHAlINI SAKSENA why he chose his third book for a film & future plans
What is your bookTikli and laxmi Bomb all aboutIJ
It is a revolutionary story about two sex workers, who decide to attain autonomy in their profession by running a small part of the sex trade by women and for women. It tells you how women would run the world if they had the power at a very micro level.
Why a film on this bookIJ
When you write a book, it may be read by 10,000 people and then one forgets about. But a film has a wider reach. There is an elevated status as far as films are concerned and hence the movie.
Would you agree that in general women-oriented films don’t do wellIJ
If you see the success of women-oriented films, it has gone up in the last five years. You see Dangal; it has Aamir Khan but it is a woman’s story. So you are that one step away. Then you have films like Mary Kom that have made a lot of money.
Does it make it easy for you to make a film since you have written the bookIJ
It is a beautiful situation. By writing a book, I was able to go into the head of the character. The internal journey of the characters, here laxmi, I knew what happens to her from point A to Z. Then, why I wrote the script, the advantage is that I can identify a lot with the characters. This allows me to go away from what the book says and improvise which I would not be able to do if I was just a director and reading a script.
You said that the subject may seem be too far-fetched in reality...
I took up this subject because it is a very relevant subject today. It doesn’t have an Amitabh Bachchan or an Aamir Khan. It is a woman’s story and we want to take that a step further.
You don many hats — ad man, writer, filmmaker. Do you prefer a particular hatIJ
I would always want to be a writer. Filmmaking is fantastic since it has given me an opportunity to be a people’s person. I am an ambivert. As a writer, I am an introvert and create a world; as a filmmaker, I am an extrovert and make films.
You have won many awards for your ads. Why the switch to writingIJ
I was always writing when I was making ads. I had gone to FTII and have contributed to a number of mainstream feature films and documentaries as a script consultant, story and screenplay writer, and even assistant director. I was a creative head for five years with IDream Production and then moved to Percept Picture Company. From there on, I went on to make an ad for three minutes which won an award. Before this, we had never made an ad this long. I was also a part of Sustenance Campaign for the Samsung Note 4 for Malaysia as creative group head and made four webisodes of eight minutes each. Then there was the Cannes Silver 2013 and Gold Effies for lifebuoy Help a Child Reach 5; also won bronze at the Korean ad Stars 2013 for I love Mumbai-To Pee or Not to Pee campaign. long fiction always excited me and pushed the format even then.
How would you want the audience to see your filmIJ
I would want people to come and watch two women who are wild and that is amazing. There is no sadness in them and they can’t or won’t be pushed in a corner by the society. This is how people should see these women.
Reason why you chose a Bengali and Marathi actresses.
Chitrangada is a brilliant actor and so is Vibhavari, who has acted in Harishchandrachi Factory. We wanted to keep things as authentic as we could. We wanted to push for purity. Each brings her own brand of essence and the two have delivered what was expected of them.
What next — book or a filmIJ
Actually both. There is a third part to Front Seat, Back Seat which is Driver’s Seat. This book should be out soon. Then Front Seat will made into a film.