Good adaption techniques essential for Screenplays

Though screenplay adaption have become very common nowadays, the real strength of an adapted text is when the writer is able to extract the essence of the text and characters into the screenplay, said Anjum Rajabali, the eminent screen writer. He was speaking at the seminar on ‘Screenplay adaptation’ conducted as part of the 19^th IFFK.

To understand and extract the essence of the text and characters, the writers needs to have a very good understanding about the adapting text and techniques of production. The writer should understand the internal conflicts and state of minds of the characters and he must also be able to transcribe the text into a script without losing the emotions. Viewers do not come to see, but to experience cinema. Hence, the writer needs to be very clear about the text and characters. Commercials or intervals have become a curse for the cinema as it leaves the film on cliff hanger. These breaks at times may tend to deviate from the actual story line, said Anjum Rajabali.