MG Satya (46) who scripted the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Swades, is back to what he does best: write stories for the big screen. Two of his stories have been bought by producers and one Tamil film is to take off shortly. Another story of his is being considered by Yogaraj Bhat, the director of the super hit Kannada film of 2007: ‘Mungaru Male’.
After 11 years of making TV commercials, Satya has now decided to go back to making films and TV serials. “When I went bankrupt in 1996, I started doing ad films and corporate films,” recalls Satya. “Now I want to get back to fiction work and films in particular.” Satya will be collaborating with other production houses and co-producing films in Kannada, Hindi and Tamil.
What do you think of the entertainment scene in Bangalore?
Entertaiment in Bangalore is becoming impersonal. It is becoming very good for the people who can showcase their talent in Kannada through TV channels, public performances and private parties. There is limited scope for youth to showcase their talent in Hindi or English in all forms of art because all non-Kannada channels are not investing money back in Karnataka inspite of huge TRPs and FMCG buying power. IT and BT firms are not investing money in culture like other business houses. It’s time they invest in sponsoring theatre and music festivals through reputable professionals in performing arts both in Kannada and English forms.
What more can be done to make it even better?
The government should allot lands across the state for clubs that are meant for everybody. There should be all-purpose theatre halls built and maintained by business houses. There should be dedicated lands for building cinema halls run by locals from respective districts.
What’s your idea of entertainment?
Entertainment to me also includes sports and food joints apart from cinema and theatre. 2000 years ago, places of worship used to sponsor arts and science. Then came the kings and later the governments. Now we have corporates and big FMCG brands and to a small extent, the government. That is the reason I am suggesting that everybody including a poor farmer should have a club that suits his whim and fancy in his Taluka. His children will bloom there.
What’s the best tool that Bangalore gives you as a story writer?
From time to time new characters emerge from respective soil. Bangalore offered me NRI as villain who gets converted in my tele-film Vapasi in 1994 which became Swades in 2001 which created Little Gandhi out of Shah Rukh Khan. Bangalore gives ample opportunity to write, publish and create screen plays. The sad news is English journalism is slowly moving away from publishing short stories.
If there were three entertainment places in Bangalore that you would recommend, what would they be?
Ranga Shankara, music schools of all kinds, the various social and sports clubs, coffee shops, beer joints and multiplexes. For me, Koshy’s is also a place of entertainment. It’s because entertainment is meaningless if like-minded people don’t turn up in the respective places.
Given a chance, what film would you make?
I am not a great writer. All I do is just keep writing where language is not important but the narration and treatment is. I have always written about an outsider (protagonist) coming into the story which disturbs both the insider and the outsider and creates unseen hurdles to fulfill the dream (end). Apart from what I have already written, my knee jerk story would surround the dream of primary school teachers getting Rs 50000 a month, police constables getting Rs 30000 a month, where all the schools in India teach the same syllabus irrespective of CBSE, ICSE or SSLC, with no barrier on the medium of instruction. This would also put an end to all transferable jobs.
Which are your all-time favourite films?
B V Karanth’s Chomana Dudi, Gulzar’s Hu Tu Tu, Ashutosh’s Lagaan, Shankar’s Indian, Kasaravalli’s Hasina, Kanagal’s Nagara Haavu, Mahesh Bhat’s Saaransh, Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Na HO and Girish Karnad’s Once Upon A Time. Among English films, there’s Sound of Music, As Good As It Gets and Life is Beautiful. All these films offered perfect entertainment in addition to real time villains in the form of our own minds and the people who co-exist with us. Conversion happens seamlessly.
(This interview appeared in South Movie Scenes, a monthly film mag where I am one of the editorial board members)