Ishita Moitra has writing credits for some of the most successful productions in Bollywood, like Four More Shots Please!, Shakuntala Devi, or The Test Case. But it is with the Karan Johar directorial Rocky and Rani Kii Prem Kahaani that she ventures into the biggest leagues in the industry. Moitra chats with TMS about her latest stint.
Excerpts:
You have worked with a number of big names, but this is your first time working with Karan Johar. How was the experience?
It was the most rewarding writing experience of my life. He is so generous and democratic and always open to new ideas. It’s a very stress-free environment where one can freely put forth their thoughts. He always puts the film first and has tremendous respect for all technicians, including writers, of course. We bonded over old Hindi films and songs and laughed a lot during our writing sessions.
Rocky and Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is a quintessential Indian family drama – a mix of modern and traditional. What were the key pointers while writing the Randhawa’s and the Chatterjee’s?
Rocky Aur Rani... is a film that has the construct of a traditional family drama, but within that, it has a very modern and rebellious core. I am from Delhi and have spent a lot of time in Amritsar as well, thanks to my father being an Army officer. So, I understand and speak both languages. Therefore, writing for both sets of characters came organically. On the face of it, you see the cultural archetypes, but you have to build the stereotypes in order to break them.
All your work has always included strong and bold women. Could you describe Rani Chatterjee played by Alia Bhatt?
Rani Chatterjee is fiesty, ambitious, opinionated. She is a girl who isn’t afraid of confrontation. She has her own voice. But she is also loving, kind, empathetic and utterly adorable. And above all, she is someone who always stands by what is right and fair. I am in awe of Alia’s talent and how she has managed to get under the very skin of Rani Chatterjee. Her level of commitment is something else. We had so many discussions about the character and Alia ultimately crushed it.
Did you have Ranveer Singh in mind while writing the character of Rocky Randhawa?
Yes, Karan had told me that Ranveer might play the part and we wrote the role keeping him in mind. And now that I have watched the film, I don’t think anyone else could have played the part. Ranveer is so wholesome and authentic. He is a chameleon and arguably, one of the best actors of our times. As Rocky, his irrepressible energy and flamboyance, his maddening charm, his vulnerability and at the same time, his machoness, are making audiences swoon all over.
Do you think that the writers’ contribution to the success or failure of the film in the Indian film industry is being given enough importance?
I feel that times are changing for writers. Dharma Productions, in particular, always gives writers due credit on every form of communication regarding the film and on every platform. In this film, every poster, every reel, every song and every promo has the writers tagged. I wish more people in the industry would follow suit. Without writers, there would be no film. And often, people forget this very basic fact.
A major demand of the writers striking in America is related to wages. Do you think the demands and the strike in the US is relevant to Bollywood?
I think we need to get our basics in place first. For instance, we still don’t have a Minimum Basic Contract in place which means no producer can pay any writer less than this amount for a story, screenplay or dialogue. Our writers are still fighting for their credits to appear in the opening. Many times dialogue writing credits are placed in the end, particularly, in OTT platforms. So many times, once the film is done, writers aren’t included in any of the events during publicity. So, we as an industry have a long way to go and many battles to fight of our own.