Mahdi Ahmed

Here’s a quick recap on NULIBUNAS… Once upon a time, not less than seven years ago, I wrote an adapted screenplay called HIYY KEEKKURAANEE based on Hindi film, DHIL KYA KARE for now dissolved company EMA PRODUCTIONS. In reality, I wrote the screenplay for my long time friend, SHIYAZ. The project was assigned to him by EMA when their ace director failed to begin the production to an almost scene-to-scene translation of the Hindi film. I adapted my screenplay to an island to make the production easier and few other pivotal story changes were also made. TRIVIA NOTE: Two other studios also began filming their own versions on the same Hindi film and both productions were discontinued.

I finished the adaptation long before the dead line. But few days later, the project was terminated and sadly, I wasn’t paid.

Fast forward to end of the third quarter of 2006, veteran actor, DHARAA RASHEED and his Indian yaar approached me to write a 13 episode serial they were going to produce. They wanted me to write with in a week to which I declined, this time. But I mentioned them of the shelved HIYY KEEKKURAANEE screenplay. They agreed on converting it in to a serial.

I started work the very next day and finished the whole 13 episodes in less than a week. I named the serial NULIBUNAS… with hefty changes, a funny yet a powerfully dramatic back-story and a very twisted ending. Probably, I was feeling very Shayamalan-esque at the time. Maybe Hitchckokian is the right word here because NULIBUNAS… doesn’t have any supernatural elements. Sorry M. Night but you are one of my favorites.

Again, NULIBUNAS… faced the same production-getting-delayed curse. And once again, I was not paid. 

Meanwhile, MOVIE PEOPLE wanted a 13 episode serial. I told them of NULIBUNAS… which was by then getting too delayed going behind the camera and pre-production work was completely ceased. I called up RASHEED to inform that I was going to make a deal with MOVIE PEOPLE. He agreed.

I handed the script to MOVIE PEOPLE. Days turned in to weeks and weeks in to months. They finally decided to… decline.

Upon hearing that MOVIE PEOPLE have rejected and I have a 13 episode serial, yes these news travel fast, actress NIUMA called up showing interest in the script. I gave her the first seven episodes for a read. Thought the curse was due to the script being an adaptation. A day later she called me and said she liked the script and had no resemblance whatsoever to the Hindi film. But… you already know what happened afterwards. Is this script really under a very bad spell?  Apparently, TVM to whom NIUMA was planning to sell the production were not taking serials based on films. So there! The curse finally revealed but not lifted.

Cut back to October 2007, I was about to shelve NULIBUNAS… for good, when actress ZEENATH was interested in; yes you guessed right, a 13 episode serial. So I gave her the whole script. Unlike others before her, she first submitted the script to TVM so that they can decide on how much I have borrowed from the Hindi film. Few weeks later ZEENATH informed me that TVM has given green light. She’s also going ahead with the production. Lets hope the curse is really lifted but I am keeping my fingers crossed. Shooting NULIBUNAS… begins on 25th of this month.