Meet the man who scripted Chak De's success

IN THE WRITE SPACE: Jaideep Sahni, the former IT consultant started his film career with Jungle.

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Mumbai: He's the man behind some of the most interesting films in Bollywood in recent times – Jaideep Sahni, the writer who is also responsible for tweaking the formula at Yashraj Films.

With their films turning out to be damp squibs at the box-office and critics having a field day thrashing them, Yashraj Films had been under a dark cloud for a long time. But then came Chak De India, the film that didn’t follow the typical Yashraj formula and still got a thumbs up from every quarter – critics and the audience.

And the man behind this turnaround story is Sahni, who spent three years researching and scripting the film.

“It’s about the hockey community, the non-cricket athletes. If it’s anything I wish there was a way to forward all those congratulatory messages to all of them. It’s not about us, it’s about them,” Sahni said.

The former IT consultant took a detour into advertising and then started his film career with Jungle. He then went on to deliver some box office hits like Company, Bunty Aur Babli and Khosla Ka Ghosla.

A small newspaper article on women's hockey made him curious enough to explore their story in Chak De India and now it’s time for life to imitate art.

“Yesterday, I called Mamta who is the Captain of the Indian Hockey Team because when I spent time in the camps, I didn’t tell them who I am. I just told them that I am a student doing thesis on hockey. So, when I called her ringtone was Chak De and rest of the girls have the same tune. She told me that when ‘we are in bathroom, we speak your bathroom lines and when we are on the field, we speak your field lines. And we have also divided all the characters among ourselves’,” Sahni said.

However, he honestly admits that he is still looking for the formula to great scripts.

“We just earn our living by telling stories and writing songs. And once in a while if we can get a chance to reflect or talk about something that happens around us, it makes the experience worthwhile. It’s just a balancing act. The truth is that nobody really knows anything. We just try our best,” Sahni said.

Jaideep’s next release is Madhuri Dixit's comeback film Aaja Nachle and audiences and critics alike will be looking out for that one too.

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