LIFT MY SPELL, NEW YEAR
During my month long absence from not posting anything here, I have come to fully comprehend that I desperately need lots of luck for my screenplays that were shelved going in to production anytime soon. Those shelved screenplays which I thought was getting dusted off are sadly, well… getting shelved again.
So what’s all the fuss? What’s going on? I was so hoping that start of next year would be lucky for my shelved screenplays since Fatthaah announced principal photography of LEYKARUNAIN (TEARS IN BLOOD) to begin in early January. Just as I was about to crack in to a full blown smile, unfortunately I have to put that smile on hold, at least for another four to five months. After Fatthaah returned from his much needed family vacation in Singapore, I was informed by him that due to some funding issues, he had to postpone principal photography until mid June. Looks like I am doomed to stay with this shelf curse.
But it’s never the end of the word. On the brighter side of things, SAZAA (PUNISHMENT) is officially scheduled to release on March 29th next year. Director Munavvaru is working 24/7 on the final cut so that he can give a print to Ikram for music. Color grading has been completed by Ted at his Eternal Pictures Studio. Munavvaru has already planned his marketing campaign which kicks start from first week of January. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Let’s hope SAZAA is my princess enchanting to lift my shelf curse.
What’s my status on writing MIKOE BAPPA BAEY BAEY (COME MY BABY’S FATHER)? Though it’s disappointingly disappointing, I have made some good progress. How? I have managed to rev up the drama in a way beyond I first imagined in my structure. Last week, I woke up from my sleep at four in the morning, all sweaty and heavy in the head. The magic happened. I re-imagined my screenplay in my sleep. I came down to my laptop immediately and started typing what turned out be silently interesting. I am assuming that the opening of this screenplay when filmed would run no less than five minutes without any dialogues. I have managed to create an intense drama leading up to the point where I am almost done with the first act which carries the story in to the second act very neatly. In the process I have written six interesting scenes in full thirteen pages. Hope I don’t stay stuck at page thirteen for too long. That numeral sounds superstitious.
So why the inconsistency in my writing lately? It’s deliberate. I have taken time off from writing reel life. Now I am busy writing my own real life where I, who plays a playwright and with my queen, together we are arranging our kingdom for the arrival of the ‘special one’. Jose Mourinho? I hope not.
Unofficially, I am getting reports that a draft screenplay, I don’t want to name the title for professional reasons, which was written for a studio which again I don’t want to name for professional reasons, is getting ready to go in front of the camera. Hearing that news made me very unsettling and curious even.
When I submitted the screenplay, I clearly told the head of this studio that it was a draft and once they have a read and based on their feedback, I would complete the final screenplay. That was almost a year ago. Now I want to know wether they are producing my draft or they have re-written it based on the structure of my draft. If so, I just want to know if they have borrowed any much from my structure. If all my thoughts turn true, then it’s very unprofessional but I’d like to believe that this studio is one of the professional production studios actively working in Dhivehi film industry and they would remain professional in this matter.
Speaking of this issue reminds me that last time I posted my thoughts on a similar issue like this, things rolled in to a snowball.
Before I finish this post though on a sad note, this will be my last for this year. I say happy 2011 to all my friends and lets hope next year brings good health, happiness and more movies to silverscreen. And also my curse gets lifted.
Cheers!
Mahdi Ahmed 
Leave a Reply