EXCLUSIVE! ‘Running Shaadi’ writer Navjot Gulati talks about films, humour and a ‘tragic’ life

After one crazy day, I caught up with this man on Facebook messenger. That might not sound like the perfect medium of communication. But after the crazy to crazier phone calls I have to entertain every day, virtual conversations seem so sane at times!

If you do not explore short films, I won’t judge you. Hence, let me introduce Navjot Gulati as the writer who wrote Taapsee Pannu and Amit Sadh’s ‘Running Shaadi’. Besides writing full-length feature films, however, Navjot takes keen interest in scouting through the short form of telling stories; i.e. storytelling.

Around a month back, I happened to watch ‘Ghumakkad’. The film is largely about traversing through and identifying what you like, and also about letting go of what only burdens you now. I concluded, Diksha Juneja will clearly end up being an expressive, versatile performer. My perpetual crush on Suhail Nayyar strengthened a bit.

But then I watched ‘Jai Mata Di’, and man, did I love it! The ‘Mother’s Day’ special film presented by Terribly Tiny Tales revolves around a unique ‘service’.

As I quiz him which one among writing a full-length film and writing a short film does he like more, Navjot answers, “For me, writing a 2 hour film comes naturally. This 10-minute story telling is tougher. And definitely more intriguing. Having said that, challenges are the same for both forms of storytelling. Same circus. Features are a Jumbo one. Shorts are like Rambo”.

Like many of his contemporaries, however, he doesn’t believe that digital media is here to eat up every other medium and their respective prospects. He would rather suggest, “Digital is not the future. It is the present. Future is better films so that people are compelled to go to cinemas.”

What intrigues me and probably would intrigue you too is this man’s inherent ability to add the humour quotient rightly, in almost every circumstance that he creates. He says he creates humour in fictions because he himself lives a pretty ‘tragic’ life. It helps him to see life with a ‘better perspective’. What kind of ‘tragic’, though?

“I’m seldom happy when not working. It is quite tragic I think. The day I have a life filled with love and that is happy, I’ll make dark films,” says the writer, who is presently with director Luv Ranjan’s production house Luv Films.

A life filled with love, and a dark film, both sound pretty tempting here!

As we both are set to sign off, I ask him about one real-life experience he’d like to write a film on.

“My second feature. It’s called ‘Ghosla’. Based on my family’s 2 year long stay in Mumbai with me. I have the story ready. I will write it next year and then hope to make it,” he says.

I forgot to ask him why his Facebook bio reads ‘Akela’. For next time, may be?

Ranjini Maitra

Journalist. Writer. Reader. Enthu cutlet. Mood-swing machine. Day dreamer. Sandwiched between ‘live life fully’ and ‘lose some weight’. Mantra of life: Love and love more.