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'Kiran and I were having a meeting for an upcoming film. If we sit in a meeting, we have to keep our phones on silent mode.
After the meeting, we were tired and left the meeting and ran straight home. When we reached the car and switched on our mobile, we saw a pile of congratulatory messages. The call history was also full of missed calls. Then we came to know that 'Laapata Ladies' has got the official entry from India in the Oscars. In the first two minutes, we did not even realize that our film has actually been selected to be sent to the Oscars.
This is what writer Sneha Desai said, who is talking to us so happily as if her lifelong dream has come true.
The film 'Missing Ladies' will represent India at the 97th Academy Awards 2025. Aamir Khan's ex-wife Kiran Rao has directed this film, while Sneha Desai is the writer of this film.
During a conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, Sneha Desai talked about getting Oscar nomination-
'Got a placement after doing MBA, but I chose drama'
Sneha said, my father was a businessman and mother a housewife. After doing MBA in Marketing Management, I got an on-campus placement from a Bangalore-based company right out of college. But I had no intention of doing a corporate job.
At that time I was already doing a drama. I was also engaged, so the family also had no problem. So I refused to take placement and decided to turn to theatre. Initially I started my career by acting in Gujarati drama.
Sneha with Kiran Rao and Ravi Kishan on the sets of Missing Ladies.
Wrote the first play and got the state award
Sneha said, 'Working with Gujarati theatre meant that you had to work 25 days a month. There was a show almost every day. After marriage, when I had a son, I was not able to spend time with my son and home. This bothered me a lot. But I also loved plays, so to stay connected with it, I started writing.
In the beginning, I played a bit with pen and paper, met all my writer friends. I shared my ideas with them. Just like this, I wrote my first play Meera, which
I also won the Maharashtra State Sahitya Akademi Award. After this, I wrote the dramas 'Black Out' and 'Code Mantra'. They were also liked a lot. Then from here I continued writing.
Question: Did you have any experience of writing before this?
answer- No, not at all, there was no planning for this. I started writing suddenly. People started liking it. Then I also wrote TV serials. I expanded my scope of thinking even more. Then one day I got an offer for a film. I did some acting in it. I have also worked in films like 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar' and 'Maharaj'.
I played the role of Vandanaben in Jayeshbhai Jordaar and Karshandas Mulji's sister-in-law in Maharaj. If I look at my life today, it won't be wrong to say that God's planning was better than my planning.
Question- How did writing start in Bollywood?
answer- I was writing all these serials and got an offer from Aamir Khan Production House to make the film Maharaj. Aamir Khan's son Junaid was going to start his acting career with this film. During this time Aamir asked me to write the story of Missing Ladies. Actually this story was written by Biplab Goswami and I was asked to write it according to today's times. The shooting of Maharaj was going on and in the meantime I started working on the story of Missing Ladies. However, Maharaj took time to release and by then Missing Ladies was released, so this became my first film. I am happy that my first film reached the Oscars.
Question- Tell us about the character of the film?
answer- The character of Manjumai was added quite suddenly in the film. People liked this character the most and the entire credit for that character goes to Kiran Maam, because the character of Manjumai was not in the story. The character of Phool was of a very innocent and delicate girl. Whereas Jaya's character was very lively. Meanwhile, it was thought that there should be a character between these two, who knows more about the ups and downs in life. That is why the character of Manjumai was introduced in the film.
Question- Actor-director Anant Mahadevan had said that the film was stolen from 'Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol'
answer- There is no need to comment on this matter. Our production also did not give any response, because whoever has seen their films 'Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol' and 'Laapata Ladies' would have understood the difference. Both the films are completely different. There is no similarity. Rabindranath Tagore's story 'Nauka Doobi' also talks about changing wives. The entire film is not made just by that one thing. Therefore, we did not think it right to give any response on this matter.
Question- How did you feel when you got the film?
answer- At that time Aamir sir gave me the script and when I read the script, I was shocked at first. I got such a good script with so much potential, for some time I could not believe it. But then when I started writing the film, I got full support from Aamir sir and Kiran ma'am. They also had constant input on how to take the story forward. How to narrate the scene.
Question: How much benefit will we get from Aamir Khan's experience?
answer- Kiran ma'am was always present on the set. But there were many stages when we did not understand what to do. At that time we used to go to Aamir sir and take suggestions from him. Whenever we went to him, he would listen to us completely. Then he would tell us accordingly. It was a lot of fun working with Aamir sir and Kiran ma'am. There can be no better dream debut than 'Laapata Ladies'.
Question: How was the relationship between you and Aamir on the set?
answer- Aamir sir knows many Gujaratis. He acted backstage in 'Khelaiyya'. Years later, I played the heroine in the same drama. So we used to talk a lot. He respects theatre, any art, artistes a lot. Aamir sir is very excited about everything, so he keeps asking everyone something or the other on the set. Like how is the show going in the drama now? How is the sale of the drama going? How do you travel? How do people work there? He wants to know everything.
Question: How did you adapt yourself from drama to TV serials and then to films?
answer- The difference in writing is 100%. There is a lot of difference between the three mediums. Dramas are quite long. In serials and films, everything is visualised, so you have to focus only on the dialogues. So you have to write short and sweet.
Question: The writer gets less credit for the film, what is your opinion on this?
answer- Not at all, because people see the actor throughout the film, so people get to know him quickly. If he is with the director during promotions, then the director also gets weightage. But writers are behind the stage, so people don't know them. But when a film is being made, the writer is given the most respect on the set.
