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Gags have faces
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ALAKA SAHANI
Posted online: Monday , April 14, 2008 at 12:13:36Updated: Monday , April 14, 2008 at 12:13:36
Star hosts are funny but the writers of their scripts are funnier With due apologies to Shah Rukh Khan and his famed wisecracks, one can safely say his gags at live shows are not always his own. While the crowd acknowledges the humour with resounding applause, an elated bunch of writers take a silent bow—behind the scene. It isn't fair to single out the superstar—a darling of this breed of writers who have made a profession out of spicing up star-hosts' scripts. Saif Ali Khan's suavity, Karan Johar's quips, Sajid Khan spot-ons, Govinda's earthiness or Preity Zinta's effervescence fall back on these writers' gift of gab too. In return, the stars lend their famous countenance, comic timing and charming delivery to these humourists' witticisms. "Not just star appeal, celebrities often contribute with their inputs and suggestions, taking the gags a few notches higher. Shah Rukh or Saif often come up with their take and lines," says Junaid Alam, who doubles up as an RJ. The stars also bring in their brand of humour—Saif's humour is British, Karan Johar's subtle and Shah Rukh's very intelligent. Often the concept of the show determines the nature of writing. "The personality of stars too influences it to a great extent," says Kiran Kotrial. According to Alam, writers provide the foundation and the star hosts do the interior decoration. Once the draft of the script is ready, often brainstorming sessions follow with the star hosts, before locking the script. "The boldness of the hosts plays a huge role in deciding a gag," says Siddhartha Dey, who loves to write for SRK and dreams of doing so for Kareena Kapoor. The fodder for funny lines often comes by keeping a tab on the current events and Bollywood affairs—though one can't discount the natural flair and intuition of the writers. Staying abreast of political happenings helped Rajeev Nigam churn out gags for Movers & Shakers and Simply Shekhar. The same goes for Anukalp Goswami who first experimented with his comic skills in theatre. Most of these writers try their skills on other platforms like television and films. Television assignments remain the prime source of income while films are for creative satisfaction. Kotrial, who wrote the script for Ishq Vishq, has more than three films lined up. Currently busy with mock rehearsals of Salman Khan's reality show, The Power of Ten, he is doing four radio shows, apart from live shows. There's no denying that these writers are a force star hosts can't do without. Earlier, Archana Puran Singh used to write her own scripts. As she became busier, she started taking help from writers who complemented her style. "Brevity is the soul of humour. The lines should be crisp, and the punch has to come at the right time," says Singh.
The writer-host camaraderie often extends from screen to stage. To repeat the comic effect of Heyy Babyy, its director Sajid Khan asked the film's dialogue writer Milap Zaveri to script the portion at the last Star Screen Awards which revived chaste Hindi-speaking Parimal Tripathy character.
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