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Women in India and Pakistan face the same glass ceiling: Ishita Moitra on Noor

Women in India and Pakistan face the same glass ceiling: Ishita Moitra on Noor

The dialogue writer reveals the challenges involved in adapting Saba Imtiaz’s novel Karachi, You’re Killing Me for India
10 Jun, 2016

Saba Imtiaz’s 2014 debut novel Karachi, You’re Killing Me! is a sharp and satirical account of what it takes to be a female journalist in Pakistan. The novel has been adapted as the Hindi movie Noor, which is set in Mumbai, has been directed by Sunhil Sippy (Snip!), and stars Sonakshi Sinha as the eponymous lead.

The dialogue writer for the project, the able Ishita Moitra, is also working on another book-to-movie adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s Half Girlfriend.

Ishita Mohra is currently also working on the screen adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's novel, Half Girlfriend
Ishita Mohra is currently also working on the screen adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's novel, Half Girlfriend

Moitra’s filmography includes the screenplay and dialogue for Always Kabhi Kabhie (2011) and the dialogue for Mere Dad Ki Maruti (2013), Ragini MMS 2 (2014) and the upcoming caper Bank Chor. She spoke to Scroll.in about adapting a Karachi novel to an Indian sensibility.

How different is Noor from ‘Karachi, You’re Killing Me!’?

I won’t be able to get into the details of the plot, of course, except that this film is set in Mumbai and the director Sunhil Sippy, who is known besides his films and ad films for his stunning and gritty black and white images of Mumbai, has used his keen aesthetic to give it a sharp and unique Mumbai voice.

‘Karachi, You’re Killing Me!’ deviates from a typical romcom to romance set against a trying political backdrop. What will be the approach of Noor?

We have tried to keep the dialogue very real and, well, “non-dialoguey”. It should sound as spoken as possible. There is also an added Mumbai flavour to keep it rooted to the present context of the screenplay.

The novel also challenges several stereotypes about Pakistani women. How does a Hindi adaptation incorporate this aspect of the novel?

In many ways, women in India and Pakistan face the same glass ceiling. The beauty of Saba Imtiaz’s novel is this fact that the story has wings. It soars across the border without much difficulty. Like Karachi, Mumbai too is a city of contradictions.

You may live in a swanky building in a posh society, but you might face a water shortage. Where does the Third World end and the First World begin? And does the constant criss-crossing and intersection of both worlds make us less empathetic to the pain and suffering of others?

How does dialogue writing work vis-a-vis the screenplay? Is it a collaborative process?

Dialogue writing is a very instinctive process, but filmmaking on the whole is very collaborative. So it’s a bit like a relay race. When the director is creatively happy with the screenplay, he sends it to the dialogue writer so that she may take over. And then the dialogue draft is sent back to the director for any feedback that he may have.

How different is the process when writing dialogue for a cinematic adaptation of a book?

When dealing with books such as Half Girlfriend and Karachi, You’re Killing Me!, which have both met with a huge degree of success, the idea is to retain as much of a flavour of the book as possible so that fans of the book aren’t disappointed.

However, just by virtue of the books being in English and the films being in Hindi, the films too have their individuality in terms of tone. As the characters evolve from book to film, they also acquire new dimensions and quirks, however their heart remains the same.

Since the time of Nora Ephron, romcom writers have been lazily designated as women. How do you navigate that stereotype?

Well, I am the dialogue writer for Half Girlfriend as well, which is a rom-com based on a bestselling novel written by a man. Writers like Richard Curtis and Richard Linklater continue to fuel our collective ideas of romantic love. So I really don’t think this is about gender. I think it’s about getting the right writer for the right script.


This article, originally published at Scroll.in, has been reproduced with permission.

Comments

CALCUTTA MAN Jun 10, 2016 11:23am
Glass ceilings are everywhere (for women). Google Indra Nooyi's take on the issue vis-a-vis the US. But things are changing in India. Women are bank chairpersons (State Bank of India in the public sector, ICICI Bank in the private sector...till recently, another public sector bank, Allahabad Bank, had a woman at the top post)... Umpteen pvt sector companies have women CEOs.
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Maryam Jun 10, 2016 01:01pm
I myself am a working woman and you can take my word on it, the working environment is Pakistan is much better pleasant comfortable for Pakistan and working women are facilitated appreciated and encouraged at some levels even more than men. That is my experience and that of my friends colleagues and family members. I don't feel the same level of respect and ease for my Indian counterparts.
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Someone Jun 10, 2016 02:01pm
Chanda Kochhar has a different view on this as the CEO of the largest private bank in India. What exactly is this view based on, any study with numbers?
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Shyam Jun 10, 2016 04:31pm
Please dont talk nonsense. in India except for one community all women are progressing very fast. My mother wore sari and needed approval to go out of house. My wife wears jeans, has a bank account, vehicle, decides herself what do. It is a revolution
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Agha Ata Jun 10, 2016 06:55pm
Women can easily break that glass ceiling with the heel of their sandals, but it is better if they make a man do that for them. I am sure they can do that, too. :>)
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someone_else Jun 11, 2016 09:13am
@Maryam Have you worked in India?? Probably not.
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Saeed Jun 11, 2016 12:22pm
@Maryam Stop trying to portray such a rosy picture .I live in Karachi and the environment for working women are not so great as you are claiming .You claimed "people encourage women....." .Is this a joke ?
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