Varun Tandon has ‘loved films’ for as long as I can remember. They were a source of pure joy for him. ‘I watched all kinds of movies and found them very entertaining. For me, any film was a good film because it was after all a film. I remember not disliking any movie until I was about 14 or 15.’
But as much Varun loved films, he loved narrating stories even more. Growing up, owing to the long powercuts, Varun would sit in the veranda for long hours, and his parents would tell him stories. Then in return they would ask him to narrate them stories too. And the long car rides from boarding school (He went to Mayo in Ajmer) to back were also filled with stories. ‘Looking back, I can say my love for watching movies combined with my passion for stories made me fall in love with filmmaking.’
A passion that got him the National Award for his debut short film, Syaahi and now taking him around the world again with another short film called Thursday Special. He talks to us about the journey…
What inspired your National-Award winning film, Syaahi?
Syaahi was definitely one of the most special filmmaking experiences for me. With Syaahi, I wanted to explore how sometimes seemingly small events from childhood can have a big impact on a child, and ultimately push them to grow up much beyond their years. It was a very personal film and working with child actors and shooting it in Uttarakhand was a special experience. I really happy to have made that film and it was a bonus that it got so much love from people across the globe. We won a National Award and it was a special moment to celebrate with my parents. I still get such warm messages from people who recently discover the film on YouTube.
What are the themes that you gravitate towards?
Themes is not a conscious decision I make when I start writing. I don't think, "This is a theme I want to explore." Instead, I do a lot of free writing. Free writing is the first step in my scriptwriting process. I write without thinking much and let ideas flow from the subconscious.
I jot down whatever comes to mind and later figure out why I wrote those ideas. If an idea sticks with me for months or even a year, and I'm still excited about it, then I explore it further. The themes depend on what stage of life I'm in and my emotional state at that time.
What is your creative process while writing a story?
I start writing with mostly two methods, choosing between them how I like. First method is, if an idea comes to me, I write it as a short story. Then, I ask myself if it's interesting enough to read. I keep rewriting and editing it until I'm satisfied. I almost feel that story should be good enough to be published on its own. The second method I use is the freewriting method. This involves taking a topic and writing whatever comes to my mind without stopping. There are no barriers; I don't worry about spellings or handwriting. After a few days, I review what I've written, and some interesting ideas emerge from what I have written.
In both these methods, if I continue to be excited with an idea over a period of them then I flesh it into a screenplay.
What was the starting point for Thursday Special?
The journey of my script for Thursday Special was quite an adventurous one. It all started in 2017 when I got the idea. I was hooked right away and began writing a 10-page short story. At first, I didn't think about turning it into a screenplay because writing a story and a screenplay are very different. In 2018, I decided to adapt my short story into a screenplay. It was harder than I thought because many parts of it were written as prose and were non-narrative. I wrote multiple drafts and kept working on it, knowing it could be better. After writing 3-4 drafts, I realized I needed another perspective. So, I requested my sister Krati Tandon to come onboard as a co-writer. She bought a fresh perspective to the script.
Together, we worked on the script until 2019 and were finally happy with it. We planned to shoot in 2020, but COVID happened. Since filming was delayed due to restrictions, we kept further refining the script at every opportunity.
It was a long journey that started with a simple one-line idea in my head, became a 10-page short story, and finally turned into a screenplay.
Also, about the cast? What was the process there?
Casting for the film took a long time. We had a specific look in mind for both the actors, and they had to be great actors too. Our budget was limited, making it even harder for us.
For the male actor, we struggled to find the right look, someone who fit our vision. Thanks to our casting director, Amna Mishra, we found Ramakant Dayama. When she suggested him, we knew he was perfect for the lead role. He loved the script and agreed to do it immediately.
Casting the female part was even more challenging. We just couldn’t arrive at option we were excited about. Again, we had a very specific look in mind. We had reached a dead end until Sarika Singh, an actor from my short film Syaahi, suggested the name of Anubha Fatehpuria.
Anubha ji read the script and totally got what we were trying to do. She was an amazing choice for us.
In the end, it took time, but we were thrilled with both our actors.
What do you want the audience to take away from it?
We've made this film from our hearts, and I hope people engage with it emotionally. Each person might take something different from it, that's very personal and that’s the beauty of art.
Short films prepare you for the bigger picture that are feature films…
Short films do help you get ready for making longer length movies. They build your filmmaking muscle, from tight schedules to working with a small crew to the lengthy post production process. Short filmmaking has also taught me the value of patience and consistent hard work. Having made a few short films, I do feel they have honed my skills. But ultimately filmmaking to me is about having a story to tell, and having burning desire to tell it. So yes, I will surely make a feature when I have that burning desire to tell a particular story. Right now, I am exploring a few ideas, and I am
excited to get back to writing again after a lengthy post production schedule on my short film.
What does storytelling mean to you?
To me, storytelling is simple. It's just like how I felt about them as a child. Good storytelling to me is being engaged by a story and having an emotional response to it. This response could be laughter, fear, sadness, or any human emotion. It's even better if people remember it.
Words Hansika Lohani
Date 17.07.2024
Photography Ankit Goel
