After Badhaai Ho, I got five stories on pregnancy: Film writer Akshat Ghildial

MUMBAI : Akshat Ghildial, writer of the National Award-winning film Badhaai Ho and the recently released film Badhaai Do, is basking in the success of the latter.

Recently, at a RoundTable of Khul Ke, a brand new platform that is touted to elevate meaningful conversations, Akshat spoke about writing films that attempt to break gender stereotypes and about his upcoming projects. He is working on the much-awaited Indian adaptation of The Intern. The film stars Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan. He is also busy with Siddhant Chaturvedi starrer Yudhra.

While both Badhaai Ho and Badhaai Do have contributed to conversations around female agency and queer stories, Akshat Ghildial shared that he tells stories if they are engaging, irrespective of the social message. Speaking on writing two consecutive films on socially relevant issues, Akshat promptly replied, "It is very easy to get pigeonholed in the industry. After Badhaai Ho, I got five stories on pregnancy! I went straight to my wife and asked her why I am getting stories only related to pregnancy. I am not a gynaecologist. It left me flummoxed, because for me, Badhaai Ho was about a family dealing with the embarrassment of late pregnancy. I do not want to be writing the same genres, and I am making a conscious effort to explore more."

Akshat has been a part of the industry for over seven years. He started his career in advertising, which paved the way for film writing, but his transition wasn’t easy. He grew up loving cinema. As a child, he watched Bollywood as well as Hollywood films. Kaala Patthar and Godfather are his favourites. However, he is an introvert, and it took him some time to muster the confidence to be able to narrate his own scripts and learn the tricks of the trade.

Every person who enters the industry has taken inspiration from something or someone. For Akshat, it was the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. As he watched Kaala Patthar on repeat as a kid, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in the film industry. Speaking on adapting the international film The Intern, which stars his idol, Akshat shared, “It’s like a dream come true and a real honour to be writing for the legend. Honestly, it is a little unnerving, but we are all professionals trying to give our best.’’

He added, "I honestly thought the adaptation was less work, but it isn’t. The Intern is a relationship drama between a senior professional, who joins a company as an intern, and his CEO, who is in a shaky position both professionally and personally. The script is still under work, as we need to adapt it to appeal to the Indian sensibilities. That doesn’t mean cosmetic changes but changing it inside out while keeping the spirit alive.”

Akshat currently has his hands full with a mixed bag of films. Apart from The Intern, he is also busy writing the dialogues for Yudhra along with Farhan Akhtar, who is producing the upcoming film under his banner, Excel Entertainment. The romantic action thriller stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Malavika Mohanan and is directed by Ravi Udyawar. He is also writing the dialogues for a horror show and a spy thriller.

Good luck, Akshat!

Source: Khul Ke