Ravi Verma - Sudeep Sharma and Vishal Bhardwaj Are Both Among the Best Writers in India (Bollywood Scriptwriter)

I search for my ideas as a journalist and write like a scriptwriter. If you find loopholes in society, establishment, family, or friendship, you will find your inspiration to write.

1. Can you tell us about your background and journey as a scriptwriter and how you developed your passion for storytelling and scriptwriting across various media platforms?

I began my journey with cinema in my childhood. My friend and I used to discuss the dialogue from the movie "DEEWAR" regularly, which is where I developed a love for cinema. That's why I pursued a master's degree in mass communication, as I read that many directors and writers had done the same course. During my time at university, I read many books on scriptwriting and watched numerous masterclasses on the subject. This led me to decide that I wanted to become a writer.

2. Who is your favorite scriptwriter and why?

"I don't have any favorites, but I can tell you which screenwriters I admire the most in India. Juhi Chaturvedi, who wrote the screenplays for "Piku" and "Vicky Donor," creates characters that stay with you. I also like Varun Grover, who writes well-crafted screenplays. I have read his screenplay for "Masaan" many times. Sudeep Sharma and Vishal Bhardwaj are both among the best writers in India. I always read their scripts to learn the craft.

Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi write commercial satire scripts so well. Here is a list of writers whom I admire the most: Niren Bhat, Aaron Sorkin, Stephen King, and Paul Schrader."

3. Is it a financially stable career?

It is a stable career if you are good at your work. It's like people asking you what you have for them. If you have five scripts in five different genres or you write scripts by their demand, it is a stable career. Otherwise, it's not. My suggestion would be to first establish yourself and then start your dream project.

4. Can you share a memorable project or scriptwriting experience that challenged you creatively and allowed you to grow as a scriptwriter?

Every project is memorable for me. I remember writing an audio drama for Radio Mirchi, even though I had never written for audio before. Eventually, I learned the craft and wrote the show.

5. During your time at The Blunt, you worked on web series, comedy sketches, and listicle videos. Could you share your process for translating client briefs and branding into scripts that resonate with the target audience?

O, I love to work on client briefs and under deadline pressure. In fact, if there is no deadline, I can't write. At Blunt, I wrote one web series and worked on numerous ideas. For me, sketch and listicle writing are my comfort zones. I can write very easily.

The process is to listen and read client briefs on repeat mode. Search your memories and life experiences. Do they resonate with the client brief? If yes, start writing without judging yourself. Then rewrite...rewrite until the client likes it.

6. Where does your inspiration lie?

Deadlines and inspiration are important to me. I'm not joking when I say that without a deadline, it's very tough for me to write. Also, I read a lot.

I pursued my master's degree in mass communication, where I studied journalism. I search for my ideas as a journalist and write like a scriptwriter. If you find loopholes in society, establishment, family, or friendship, you will find your inspiration to write.

7. Writing an audio drama and thriller series for "Radio Mirchi" must have presented unique challenges. How do you keep listeners hooked and entertained through captivating plots and dialogues in audio storytelling?

For Radio Mirchi, I used to listen to a lot of audio drama and learn from the craft. For listeners, I don't focus on that. I'm just honest with my story. If the story is good, people will listen to it.

I just focus on my theme and characters, and let the story write itself.

Bio-

I am a passionate and experienced scriptwriter who has worked on various projects across different media platforms. As a scriptwriter at The Blunt, I developed web series, comedy sketches, and listicle videos for brand integration. I have a knack for writing engaging and humorous scripts that align with the client and brand brief. Some of my work includes audio drama series for Radio Mirchi, which also trended as a TOP 3 series in the Mirchi App.

I have also created a Bible Pitch Deck for the SWA competition 2023

Interviewed and Edited by - Arunangshu Chatterjee