Weekend Exclusive | I make films on ideas that I feel strongly about: Piyush Jha

A film director, screenwriter, novelist, ad man, Piyush Jha wears many hats. He is most known for his acclaimed films like, Sikandar, King of Bollywood and Chalo America. His movie Sikandar released in 2009 was well received and was selected for the International Film Festival, Dubai. Piyush started his career in the advertising industry with Grey Worldwide, and he later joined  Mudra Communications.  

 

Recently, Jha came into the limelight with his three series ‘crime-thriller’ novels based on crime in Mumbai. When filmmaker Piyush Jha decided to try his hand at writing crime fiction, he had braced himself for rejection letters from every publisher he approached. “All of us have heard stories of debutant writers struggling for years before anyone even touches their work. So I thought of playing it safe and sent my manuscript to not one but three publishers at the same time,” Jha said. However, he was pleasantly surprised when all three agreed to publish his book title Mumbaistan which released in August 2012. 

 

A collection of three novellas set in Mumbai, the book also caught the attention of producer Ekta Kapoor who bought its filmmaking rights.

 

Jha, who published ‘Mumbaistan’ with Rupa & Co, also managed to cut a three-book deal with the publisher. “The other two books are also ready and will be released one after the other,” the first-time author said. He wrote all the three books in a year. Jha attributes the interest in his work to the fact that there are not many crime fiction writers in India. “The publishing industry in the country is booming, but there is a dearth of writers in popular genres like crime fiction and thrillers,” he said. A self-confessed crime fiction fanatic, Jha says it is easy using Mumbai as the backdrop for his novels. “The city is full of bizarre and interesting stories waiting to be told,” he says. He adds that the book encompasses Mumbai's “high octane and relentless energy” and is written as a “page turner.”

 

“As a Mumbaikar, I am always on the go. So it is only natural that my writing style is not languorous," Jha says, admitting that he does have “islands of solitude in his head” which he escapes to once in a while.

 

In conversation with Adgully, Piyush Jha spoke about his films, script writing and his three series debut novel ‘Mumbaistan’ which has been in the news recently.  This is what he had to say:

Adgully: Firstly, this is your debut novel. What was your ' moment' to take up writing?

 

Piyush Jha: Actually, I have always been writing. I wrote the scripts for my films and before that I wrote scripts for Ad films. But, last year, somewhere in the middle of working on a script, I had an idea. I realized that I didn't want to start developing that idea as a film script (since I was already working on one) so I wrote it out as a story that worked well as a Novella. Encouraged by my wife, I wrote more and the result was Mumbaistan.  

 

 

Piyush Jha: The single thought in my head was to write as I would like to read. I am a voracious reader and like crime-fiction thrillers best. Many a time I have picked up a crime-thriller and have  been disappointed when it did not live up to my expectations . I decided that I would write in a way that if I was to read my own book, I would not be disappointed.

 

 

Piyush Jha: I make films on ideas that I feel strongly about. I am by nature, experimental. My idea is to make the kind of films which have a body of work that breaks new ground. The fact that I am becoming a novelist bears testimony to the fact that I like to try out new things and go where others fear to tread.

 

 

Piyush Jha: Well, like I said I was working on a script that was to become a film. For reasons beyond my control that film didn't pan out in the way that I would have liked it to, at the same time I got signed up for a 3 book deal, so I decide to take time off and write the three books, launch the first i.e Mumbaistan, and then make my next film. So now that Mumbaistan is out, look out filmworld, here I come!

 

 

Piyush Jha: The need to tell my stories in different ways on different platforms has been at the center of this need to break new ground.  With each turn I learn more and grow more and get more interested in life rather than getting bored with it. Each time the thrill of the first time is adrenalin to me. I'll keep evolving. At least that's the hope. 

 

 

Piyush Jha: Two more crime-thriller novels are coming up next year. ‘Mumbaistan -2’ is being discussed and I will have to write this soon. And of course, ‘Mumbaistan – The Movie’ is on the anvil.

 

 

Piyush Jha: Crime and Comedy are my favourite genres. I've made two films that are comedies, one is a drama-cum-suspense-thriller  and now I've written a full-blown crime-thriller novel, and there are two more to come.