The initial sessions of the workshop touched briefly upon an urgency to share, that sets the writer apart from the general populace. This sense of sharing formed the basic fabric with which the entire workshop was woven. While the material dealt with the basics of dramatic conflict and various tried and tested means to hold audience attention, there was a concerted effort to acknowledge alternate viewpoints and experiences. The largely non-didactic atmosphere was helpful in that it helped avoid the claustrophobia sometimes associated with a classroom setting.

The greatest benefit was the fact that seasoned industry professionals conducted the workshop and guest lectures. Film, if constrained heavily by what is on the page, can seem constructed and there can be no greater disservice to the credibility of the film. The multiple opinions furnished over the 6 days reinforced that a film is an aggregation of the nuanced artistry of various professionals and the writer’s job is to provide them with material worthy of elevation while not shackling his colleagues.

As the local cine enthusiasts’ mouth were watering at the menu of guest speakers in front of them, Vasanth Somaiya’s absence turned into an unexpected surprise – an extended Q&A with Kamal. When the time came, Kamal requested us to curtail ourselves to a movie that he wrote and directed. This, he said, was to avoid any nasty surprises when the questions started tumbling out. When someone in the audience threw out Hey Ram, he decided it would the most appropriate film for the participants to address their questions. Most of the questions were not new for avid analyzers of the film and the impromptu nature of the session was apparent in Kamal’s at-times-meandering replies. But a combination of questions on Marudhanayagam and his narrative style threw some light on an alternative screenplay technique he was employing in the film. The diary of a trilingual woman apparently formed the basis for the perspective from which Kamal saw the story of Muhammad Yusuf Khan – a trilingual himself (English, Thamizh and French). Kamal mentioned that Jean Claude Carriere wrote the French portions of the screenplay. As I said before, the urgency share to share was quite infectious!