Vijay Krishna Acharya, aka Victor, is a scriptwriter with a vision. "My aim, while writing comedy, is to strike a balance between serious and comic elements without sounding preachy," he says. Seems like this English Literature graduate from Kanpur has actually put to use all the 'techniques of comedy' he learnt as a college student.
Victor has directed and penned the scripts of popular shows like Just Mohabbat, Life Nahin Hai Laddoo, Sonpari and Shaka Laka Boom Boom among others. Yet he says, he watches Hindi shows just for "academic reasons".
Victor believes there are two ways of looking at life and oneself - with seriousness or in jest. That's the exact difference between soaps and sitcoms. "If I could help I'd insert a comic situation into a soap and change its entire form," he tells indiantelevision.com's Nitya Kaushik in an interview:
What attracted you to the business of script writing? I came to Mumbai in 1992. My first assignment here was to assist scriptwriter Kundan Shah on Bollywood movie Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. Since then there has been no looking back. |
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What are the essential requisites of a good writer? Writer F Scott Fitzgerald had once said, "You don't write to say something; You write, when you have something to say." I am a staunch believer of those words. A writer needs to have the power of observation - a view of the world. And yes, he must be willing to share this view with others. |
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You said you started out with assisting Kundan Shah on 'Kabhi Haan…' Why did you shift from films to TV then? |
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Which was you first independent show? |
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But has the Indian audience learnt to understand and appreciate spoofs yet? For instance, if you observe closely, what keeps us going when a bus is late and people are fretting in the queue at a bus-stop, under the hot afternoon sun? It's a one-liner that somebody in the queue cracks - something like, "Lagta hai, aaj driver so gaya" (seems like the driver gone to sleep today). We do have a sense of humour, even if it's just out of necessity. The point is: Indians are not so good at laughing at themselves. Instead they laugh at institutions, a set-up, or even at other stereotypes. That's the feature that a good comedy writer should tap into. |
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According to you what is good comedy? On television, there was Doordarshan's Yeh Jo hai Zindagi. It was a true-blue sitcom. Later on, however, the quality of comedy in Indian TV began deteriorating. Good, lighthearted shows made way for larger-than-life drama. Today, when I feel like watching a satisfying sitcom, I see Star World shows like Singfield or Friends. But, I'd like to point out that a comedy like Zaban Sambhal Ke, a remake of Mind Your Language, has ticked among the thinking audience. The humour in the show arises not out of situations but out of stereotypes. This again is evidence that Indians can't laugh at their follies but at others. I also attribute the success of the show to main actor Pankaj Kapoor and his histrionics. |
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What do you think of themes borrowed from their foreign counterparts? How often have you done it? |
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How do you rate your other shows? My spoofs include Ramkhilavan CM and Family, Public Hai Sab Jaanti Hai and Krishna Sharma CA which later metamorphosed into Krishna Arjun. |
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How - and how well - are writers paid? |
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Have you tried any other genre? Yes, I write drama for TV but that's just for pocket money (laughs). It's easiest to write soaps. |
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Why is drama more successful on TV? Is there channel interference in a writer's arena? It is known that plots change with TRPs. So, how does it affect you? Anyway, even if the channel interferes, it is only with the idea of making a show successful. Therefore, the interface has to be on equal footing. While a writer can't be subservient, a fresh perspective has to be looked at. However, the final decision should be taken by the people making the software. |
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What is your long-term goal? |
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Where do script writers stand in the TV industry? |