“I was a Science student and use to think that becoming a Writer was very easy, though realised later, I was totally wrong” – Mayur Puri

“I was a science student and use to think that becoming a writer was very easy, though realised later, I was totally wrong” – Mayur Puri

Mayur Puri is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist, actor and filmmaker. He wrote songs, screenplays and dialogues in various capacities for more than 70 films including Om Shanti Om  Happy New Year, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Kick, Gangster, ABCD: Any Body Can Dance, ABCD: Any Body Can Dance 2, R..Rajkumar, Blue, Himmatwala, Race 2, Double Dhamaal, Prince and many more.

He has penned the Hindi translation of big-ticket Hollywood films like The Lion King, Mowgli – Legend of the Jungle, Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Men Tell No Tales and Thor Ragnarok  to name a few.

Sari ke Fall Sa (R Rajkumar), Selfie and Chicken Song (Bajrangi Bhaijaan), Bezubaan (ABCD), Bheegi Bheegi (Gangster), Allah Duhai Hia (Race 2) and many more are his songs as a lyricist.

Q.You started in Bollywood with the biggest banner – Yashraj Films and have been in the industry for more than 20 years. How has been your journey so far?

It is exactly 20 years in Mumbai. Prior to this, I worked in Ahmedabad for 5 to 6 years, where I did commercials, corporate films and television. In the year 1999, I came to Mumbai and started working with the biggest banner in Bollywood- Yashraj Films, and did three films with Sanjay Gadhvi- Tere Liye (as chief assistant director), Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (as Screen writer) and Dhoom (as associate director). There were many ups and downs because people think that life is like a train track journey- which will just keep going -straight. I have also been on that train journey and still I am but did not know that life is not a straight track, but a roller coaster ride. I have been winding a lot, because sometimes I became a lyricist, writer, filmmaker, associate director than sometimes I did theatre. It is a proper roller coaster and not all the times have been enjoyable, but it has been a lovely journey and I am very thankful.

Q. When You started out, did you ever think you will work with the biggest stars of Bollywood?

Honestly, I did. In the standard 11^th, I decided what I want to become. I was a science student and use to think that becoming a writer was very easy, though realised later, I was totally wrong. For me, the first thing was respect and figured out- who is the decision maker, as I wanted to be that guy. I thought to be the director, but than I was like director does whatever is written on the script, so, I decided becoming a writer.

Also, I have been a very big fan of Shahrukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan Sir and they have always been like a family to me. I used to stay in a small town- 500km away from Mumbai but I never felt that I am not from a film family, though I realised it later when I came here, but initially, as a fan, I never felt that distance from them. There are people who say that I never thought of becoming this but me, in the first place thought, this is who and what I want to become! I came here in the year 1999 and was in the Yashraj Studios in 2000 and worked every day with Yash Chopra Sir and others. My parents could not believe it and they called me every week and would say, “Beta Yash ji khush hai na tujhse”, as they thought how will I manage all the work.

Q. You once mentioned, you did not stay for long on any of the job or assignment. Did it happen in this industry too?

No, it did not happen here and why I couldn’t do others more than six months was because I couldn’t find it challenging, I’ve done many jobs before. I was a vegetable vendor and I’ve worked at five-star hotel and NGO’s but whenever I left those jobs I got a call that come back, you were very good at it. But I didn’t find anything challenging and this industry gives you challenges every day. I never get bored because there is always something new to come up with or wake up for. And I never know that it’s been 20 years. I still feel that I’m 20 years old and I’ve just come here and for me these 20 years have passed in a blink.

Q. Jungle Book, Avengers – end game, Lion King, Thor, Incredibles 2, Mowgli and many more. You are the most sought-after guy for the Hindi translation of Hollywood films. How did it happen?

I have a very good relationship with Disney as I wrote ABCD and ABCD 2 for them. They knew, I am hardworking, my thought process is also organized, and my work is good, maybe because of that they thought I would be good for The Jungle Book, but there was a problem that I take lot of money, than Siddharth Roy Ji and I spoke about this he told me to watch the movie once and take the final decision. I watched it and it was a fabulous movie but it was lot of risk in translation because I had never done this type of work, I had not doubted myself,  but then too, it felt risk, as I did not want to do it word by word translation. I wanted to it my way, without losing the essence of the scene. I started making some notes on what and how I will do it and sent it to Mr Roy. He was quite okay with it and I guaranteed of a good film that you won’t get into any loss in the film. He believed me and we started working. Unbelievably the film did the total business of INR 390 crores with INR 90 crores from Hindi version alone. The whole industry was surprised and after that, with God’s grace I have done 14 films in these 4 years. I am working so much, round the clock and have been improving. I enjoyed writing Lion King and it was an amazing experience. Content localization is very important in this industry and it is important to have as many localized contents as possible, as In India with so many languages, the opportunities are vast. 

Q. What has been your biggest learning?

Every script has given me a biggest learning because every film has a message like DDLJ – come fall in love, Ghayal – the wounded who tore the world apart and so on. But every act has only one message that is “Do not be judgmental.” and I think that is only my biggest learning. But even after learning and experiencing, you should always have a thought that I don’t know everything, I have learnt something but not everything, and that thought tells you not to be judgmental and I believe in that. Don’t be judgmental- people change and so does you mindset about them. 

Q. Did you struggle or face failure? Any incident which made you a better person.

My one big struggle and one big failure is known to the whole world. I did this film called Tell Me Oh Khuda, which I was going to direct, and it did not happen the way, it was suppose to. But I don’t take it as a negative influence in my life. I think, it made me a better soul and a stronger person. We completed 70+ days shoot, so 90% of the film was shot and suddenly, was told that I am not working properly, it happened all sudden and I don’t blame anyone for this little rude moment. But from this incident, I learnt that being true and honest is not enough, you also must learn to be communicative and pleasant to people, and that’s where I was mistaken. I should have been more communicative and respectful to the people who want me to be communicative and respectful. 

Q. Ek Chutki Sindoor ki Keemat Tum Kya Jaano Ramesh Babu’ and many more -amazing dialogues of ‘Om Shanti Om’. What you have to say about it?

I give all the credit to two people for the dialogues of Om Shanti Om – one is Farah Khan because yes I wrote the dialogues but those dialogues were the character’s beliefs and the character is made by Farah. Second is my mother and my family-  they are very filmy, they use all the heavy words and say all the heavy dialogues when they speak and  it’s all the filmy Bollywood atmosphere. I feel that these two are to be given actual credit for Om Shanti Om and  I was just present at the right place at the right time. That time it was all dramatic things people wanted to see, but now, they want reality on every point. The world has become more practical about things and now we have to write dialogues and script on the basis of the reality check. 

Q. You also mentor budding talent. How it all started?

I am associated with Anupam Kher JI’s academy. The curriculum is very interesting and is one of the affordable platforms for becoming a writer, in-fact, one of the most commercially feasible courses in the world where you get to learn writing and also get a chance to work with studio executives.

This all started in 2009 in Goa, where I was shooting for a film. The professor of Goa university Dilip Ji told me that in Goa, people are very keen to learn screenwriting and the other processes of filmmaking. So, I started and did several workshops there and found it very interesting. I started doing mentorship like – going to institutes giving lectures doing one day workshop, but I never did it too seriously to give all my time to it. But, people started calling me to start a course and wanted me to teach. so I thought and discussed it with friend and he told me do all the teaching after you retire, but I did not want to teach when I was irrelevant wanted to share my learnings when I’m relevant, so that I can share and teach whatever I am working through right now. So,  this is the primary reason for it and my relationship with the association is also good and I teach whatever I want to as per my knowledge and experience. 

Q. Were there objections from family, when you started?

It’s a very interesting and debatable issue. Me becoming a writer was determined because I used to write since a very young age, poetry, plays, etc. They were not happy when I left science stream and joined arts. I wasn’t getting peace in the chemistry lab and doing physics was again not interesting. It took me 6 years to leave it. They were not happy when I came to Mumbai but slowly I started growing and today, my family is very proud of me.

Q. You directed one short film Firdaus, it did quite good. Would you like to direct feature length films in future?

Yes, I made it independently without any producer or studio. Fortunately it did very well and has received 17 awards, which is huge for an Indian short film .It got very good response in Europe and America also and the film is only two people talking into a room but then also, it keeps you glued.

Firdaus in Urdu is called 7 heaven the last heaven but it doesn’t have any Islamic thing or language it’s just like if you behave like this, you’ll got to Firdaus. Next I will make 33 Meters from Nirvana Which is about Hindu and Buddhist literature and the other is about Christianity faith. So hopefully, I will do all three parts of this series it has just been 2 years so there are 3 left and I look forward to it. 

As a writer I am very established but still I am open to all the offers I get. I am looking forward to direct now.

Q. How do you think industry should has evolved. What more need to be done?

I think Indian screen is poised. We need many more screens, at least fifteen thousand screens on approximate average. There should be affordable cinema for common people and I think this young generation will do that. Technology and mindset have evolved, but still I think, there’s no alternative to watching movies in theatre.

Q. Any advice for budding talent.

The best thing about this generation is they don’t have any burden of the old generation, they don’t care about what has been done in the past, they have an idea of how industry and films should and they don’t care about what ideas were used previously. If guided properly this generation will work amazingly well.