Best Drama
Screenplay
The above picture
has been seen quite a few times during this awards show, why?
Because great drama
has been the dominating factor in this years filmography, in fact the genre
divide here just doesn't seem to be working in breaking notions of great films
being lesser than drama not only that but the idea that Hindi cinema's greatest
works entail romance and comedy was sadly broken.
It's not to say we
haven't had great films of the lighter variety, but drama especially the kind
that caters to a specific genre of drama has excelled.
At the end of the
day, every film is dramatic of any nature.
To celebrate that
drama, let us first see what previous winner look like;
HIndie Award for
Best Screenplay: Hansal Mehta and Apurva Asrani for Shahid, 2014
HIndie Award for
Best Screenplay [Drama]: Anurag Kashyap for Ugly, 2015
HIndie Award for
Best Screenplay [Drama]: Sharat Katariya and Kanu Behl for Titli, 2016
This is an
intriguing list, the first screenplay winner which also shared Best Picture
with Lunchbox is one of those first honest biopics that opened the floodgates
for the genre. Sadly biopics haven't gained the same form of traction to win
one in the next two years which saw films win because of their fascinating
examination of milieu's and the characters that make them up; to simplify the
last two are dreary but dry crime films.
Anyways the one thing to note is that Apurva Asrani is already a former
winner for a Hansal Mehta film, can he score number 2?
This year is an
interesting mix of the above and more.
But there are also
those that failed to crack the top five, here they are;
Neerja-A tight and
taut screenplay that suffers from slight flab, but the inner heroism of the
films protagonists is played up well in helping tethering the narrative well
towards some inspiring direction.
Bollywood
Diaries-Examining the absolute damning obsessions of cinema lovers and the
passions of performance, Diaries works well around three stories that sadly
feel halved rather than those that could be complete and a better dissection on
the love of film.
Raman Raghav
2.0-Deconstructing the very devil itself in one of the most slickly constructed
plots with some expected Kashyap grime and black humour. The allegory to Ram
and Ravaan and the haunting dichotomy as well as similarity between them is an
exciting theme that adds flavour to the script. Sadly the characters don't seem
cut out for this.
Pink-Despite the
fact that Pink fails to address some deeper rooted questions of consent and
simplifies the concept with a convenient ending. Yet the film definitely has
highs most importantly its plot working to open up the conversation on
patriarchy and more importantly consent.
Udta Punjab-Though
the film seems tame in comparison and has both a rushed third act yet drabs on
for long in it's second act, not to mention some sketchily written characters
[among them sadly Kareena Kapoors], the film has the perfect dose of black humour
and dark drama that picks up thanks to a thrilling hyperlink narrative and some
powerful dialogues.
As for the others,
here are the nominees...
Anu Menon, James
Ruzicka and Atika Chauhan for Waiting
A fine yet
surprisingly easy reflection on grief and hope, Waiting could have not comes at
a more pertinent time for me personally.
Building of an
intriguing plotline of a young woman grieving her husbands accident in another
city [an unknown one to boot]; Tara, unable to handle these pressures meets
Shiv, a man who has been taking care of his comatose wife for a long time.
What is essentially
an examination about the ways of dealing with grief in a realistic manner while
also making a commentary on hospital administration, mostly turns to being a
breezy character study and the differences of the two protagonists generation
gap as well as their personality clashes and touches.
Inherently not as
depressing as it could have been, the film renews an easy subdued sense of hope
and that is the scripts most beautiful aspect.
Apurva Asrani and Ishani Banerjee for Aligarh
Aptly titled Aligarh
rather than the subject of the film; Siras, the film's screenplay is tied by
its organically build world of a constricting small town and the mentality that
compresses individuals in its all seeing milieu.
It's a start towards
building then, two distinct arcs revolving around dual protagonists of a
different nature. Both characters are wonderfully sketched out, where Deepu is
written with such a unique blank slate, he becomes the perfect representation
for the audience discovering the myriad of dynamics in the sensitive Prof.
Ramchandra Siras and his plight.
The way the film
examines homosexuality but more importantly the idea of love itself is poetic
and the script makes it into a detailed examination of all sides of the
equation but at the end it is love that triumphs beyond barriers, borders and
status. This makes Aligarh more than a winning biopic, but a humanitarian
endeavor.
Pavan Kirpalani, Pooja
Ladha Surti and Arun Sukumar for Phobia
On the surface
Phobia is a taut and tightly scripted horror movie situated around one location
[practically one scene] and the examination of fear based on a unique premise
of a woman suffering from Agoraphobia.
Yet there's more
than meets the eye.
A film that begins
with the anonymous and ambiguos rape of its central character, we're not sure
if it even happened turns into a maddening psychological horror that seeks to
dissect the ideas of consent as well as the very fears perpetrated by rape culture
and the eventual examination of external elements regarding these fears.
So here you have a
film with Mehek's sister who can no longer sustain her sisters madness because
she fears for her own son as well with Mehek around, woman is the enemy of
womankind in many ways especially woman with a higher status [one who is a
mother, the "most important" role of a woman].
Then there is the
fact that any issue of a woman is categorized as madness, examples of the
quirky women around Mehek's new dreary society. From the octogenarian just
roaming the halls to the young hyper girl that befriends Mehek and plays
detective with her. But the truth is far more intriguing.
Other smaller things
work well to add rich detail to the narrative, with Mehek's best male friend
playing the quintessential "nice guy" with all the crazy nuances
including the vital fact that there are no nice guys and making a statement on
desperate creeps all round.
The film makes a
point on sexual dynamics and a lot more but doesn't feel forced rather
formulating an exciting genre piece from the script. Deep and desirable both.
Soumendra Padhi for Budhia Singh Born To Run
A fierce sports film
that pulls no punches.
Budhia Singh Born to
Run is about the athletic titular gem of a five year old found in Odissa by an
orphanage operator Biranchi Das, who discovers in him the talent as an athlete
and wishes to get him to the Olympics. Being a child however Das does face difficulties
in this task, as does Budhia who is moulded in the same beliefs.
The beauty of the
script is in how it works wonders by balancing Das's relentless ambition into a
success driving motive and also judging whether what he does is right or wrong
for the betterment of the young boy. It's a hard hitting narrative sold on this
no holds barred examination of success and the moral quandary involved around
it, especially when intense athletics and a child is considered.
A lot was said about
India's not so succesful Olympics campaign this time around and why India is
ineffective in building champions. Yet Budhia Singh could have been one and the
only man that saw that was Biranchi Das. Was he right or wrong in his pursuit?
His methods?
Maybe, maybe not.
But even then this
complex celebration is a screenplay not just worth the see, but worth the read.
[Had it only been
just as cinematic-ally succinct]
Leena Yadav and Supratik
Sen for Parched
The title doesn't
only refer to the dry lands of Rajasthan or the barren Lajjo, but also the
dusty and colorless and of course dry lives of the protagonists no matter how
much color there may be on the surface. It's about the constant dreariness and
staleness brought forth by the shackles of a patriarchal society.
A society that
demands everything of you, chews you up and spits you right back out. In fact
the literal barren lands, the ones deserted like the old fort; provide more
freedom and freshness for these protagonists.
Dividing the story
between three arcs eventually might seem like a stretch but instead Yadav turns
it into an experiential examination and celebration more so than anything of
women kind in all their beauty and more.
It's in their
conversation then that the fruit of the film is felt, the juiciness of dialogue
as presented by Supratik Sen is a mastery on how to engage as well as remain
authentic to milieu and character. Speaking of which, each character has a
distinctive voice and style specifically the trio of women.
Each arc of the
character is rich in detail, not only examining an aspect of women even through
the lens of men; from sexuality, to motherhood, to loneliness but also finding
itself space in the script to make a commentary on deteriorating masculinity as
well as an upheaval of a community between tradition and modernity.
Finally the fact
that this tragic social commentary is mixed with a real dose of humor of all
kinds, especially taboo normally for these women with a smooth tone, makes for
an enjoyable ride.
Eventually what's
Parched script becomes is an excuse to learn and imbibe an India, a world that
is just a few miles away but is barely felt by most.
And the Winner is...
Leena Yadav and Supratik Sen for Parched!!!
And Parched wins a biggie, putting it in poll position for Best Picture with the others nipping at the heels especially a strong Phobia.
Up Next: Five walk in, one walks out...who will be the true captain, Best Director!
'Nuff Said,
Aneesh Raikundalia
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