Writing for comedy cannot be learned; it has to come inbuilt in a person. The first thing to understand is that characters cannot be created. They are present everywhere around you. The key to success is not trying to write a character through imagination. Trust me, the most difficult part is to generate comedy daily. The important attribute is to observe well and absorb whatever you see and then adapt it into different situations. You can get an idea by seeing a fight on the road; you can think of something when you visit a market place.
Talking about me, I started my career in the year 1995. To tell you, even though I am today renowned for my comic writing, I started off with a drama and not a comedy show.
However, it took me some time to realize that writing is in my blood!! I started as the Assistant Director and have assisted some good directors. But one fine day, I realized that
It is not my cup of tea. I felt I enjoyed writing more, as even when I was assisting as director, I used to sit with the writing team to learn nuances.
My writing career started when I started writing for Filmfare Awards. Remember the very popular Shahrukh Khan – Saif Ali Khan banter as hosts of Filmfare Awards… They were written by me. It got so popular, but it hardly gave me fame as the lines were spoken by celebrities. This made me dissatisfied.
In the year 2004, I embarked on my journey as writer in the true sense. I have been fortunate that all my shows were hits. My first show was Shobhna Desai’s Thodi Khushi Thodi Gham. After that, a series of shows like Jabb Love Hua, Zaara and many other got popular. I got the honour of writing for the first countdown show, Superhit Muqabla.
In the show Zaara, there was a small comic track which got appreciated by one and all. And this gave me the fame of writing for comedy shows. My first comedy show was F.I.R which came in the year 2006. It stood tall for 9 long years, a feat in itself. The show was so very popular that I as a writer won many awards. Then came Lapataganj another hit show which was praised.
To tell you, I have completed the feat of writing for 6000 episodes of comedy for SAB TV, an achievement which none of the actors have. This is a record in itself and I will soon find a place in the Limca Book of Records for this feat in the next edition. Taarak Meha Ka Ooltah Chashmah which is the longest running comedy show does not have a writer who has managed to achieve this feat.
Yes, even after all these achievements, I carry the heavy heart of not getting opportunities in different genres. But I am happy that David Dhavan gave me my big break in the movie Do Knot Disturb. In fact, when Davidji called me, I really felt someone was pulling my leg and talked to him in a very casual manner that he got really angry. But when I met him, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. My next movie writing experience came when Remo DSouza asked me to write for his dance based movie ABCD. The movie was so popular that it gave me my worth. I proved to one and all that I could write something away from the genre of comedy.
But on TV, not many have realized this fact. Many people have asked me if it’s my short coming that I write only comedy… For all those, I wrote few lines and I present it here.
Gham ka pata nahipar khushi dikhti hai
Gham ka pata nahi par khushi dikhti hai
Har taraf khareedaron ki bheed khadi dikhti hai
Har taraf khareedaron ki bheed khadi dikhti hai
Ab dil ka haal bala kalam kya likhe
Ab dil ka haal bala kalam kya likhe
Ab toh jo bikta hai wohi kalam likhti hai
Ab toh jo bikta hai wohi kalam likhti hai!!
Trust me, I have no regrets in life. My career has given me lot of awards and acclaims. I am now writing a show which is not a comedy show, in Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai. It is doing so popular… I feel happy writing a story for an era I have lived in.
People ask me which are the places you usually opt to sit and write… To tell you honestly, I can write at any place… There have been times when I have sat on the railway platforms, writing as I waited for the train. I have written in the beautiful locales of Switzerland too. When I write, my focus is completely on work. I don’t care about where I am.
I am presently working on few projects on TV. Also, work is on for my own production house, Amit Aaryan Productions. I am writing few concepts for my banner, and yes, I am making comedy shows only…. (smiles).
