Last week-end, while the rest of Mumbai reeled under the impact of the monsoon, it was a different story at Whistling Woods. For  screen writing  enthusiasts, faculty and students alike, there was an outpouring of words from author, playwright, screenwriter and teacher, Richard Krevolin, renowned globally for his " Screenwriting From The Soul", " Pilot Your Life "and "How To Adapt Anything Into A Screenplay".
 The master of the art and craft of storytelling has been a consultant to filmmakers, screenwriters, playwrights as also to copywriters, creative executives, law firms, CEOs and Fortune 100 companies. Richard Krevolin  or "Prof. K"  as he chose to introduce himself, was at Whistling Woods, to share his vast expertise and experience through conducting  screenwriting classes for 15 years at the University of Southern California( USC) and colleges across the U.S. In a free-wheeling hour-long session, he was joined by journalist turned writer Mushtaq Sheikh whom he met for the first time, after 10 years of correspondence through email!  Mushtaq Sheikh is known  both for his well-researched books ( on the making of the film "Asoka", and on "Devdas" , among others), his work on the 2007 block-buster "Om Shanti Om"  and closer home, for several long running television serials .
Richard said that while he did not intend to state emphatically, "These are the rules of storytelling in Hollywood and you should abide by them", there is a universality of narrative structure. "There is a structural logic to storytelling, and that logic is universal. You can tell any story to anyone". He referred to the underlying human elements in the works of Shakespeare whose appeal has transcended all borders. Essentially every story is about an "engaging" character actively involved in overcoming tremendous obstacles to reach a goal that is considered desirable in the context of the audience as well". And, you have to understand the form before you break the form. He referred to artist Picasso, who having been trained in painting by his father, a Professor of Art, spent the rest of his long creative life, unlearning all  that he had been taught, and learned to see the world as a child.
Writers have a gift, an ability to confront issues that others are not capable of; its their job to discover that gift and share it with the rest of the world. But keep in mind, "It's not about you, get out of the way". Focus on the audience. And, when you manipulate language, if the audience feels manipulated, you have failed.
On the question of adaptation to film or television, of written works, a trend which is on the increase in Hollywood, he believed: "You do not have to be faithful to the story, rather to the essence of story telling; one can adapt from a comic book, a short story or even a stage play. What emerges is the "filmic" text, a visual world of moving pictures, in comparison to the original". Having said that, he pointed out:"Not all great works of literature, for example, 'Crime and Punishment' would necessarily make for good cinema. The simpler novels lend themselves better for adaptation to films".
Mushtaq spoke about his writing for television serials, where he said, "the home is the war-front". In television, he said, "what you write now, is shot, telecast and reacted to by thousands, instantly". And pays better than cinema", he said, amidst laughter.
An interesting point made by Richard was of "the state of the screenwriter, that of aesthetic arrest,... as the world outside, disappears". And there is "the solitude of spending one's life in a dark room, all by oneself". The writer for television on the other hand is "a social creature who loves the collaboration of others in the medium".