Pushpa Impossible writer Shabia Walia: ‘I prefer writing for TV over OTT and films’

Karuna Pandey as Pushpa

One might assume that writing for television becomes monotonous after a while, but Shabia Walia refutes that strongly. The writer has been crafting TV scripts for over 30 years, and is still raring to go. She is currently working on Wagle Ki Duniya and Pushpa Impossible alongside Rajesh Joshi, with dialogues written by Sneha Desai and Tushar Ishwer. As Pushpa Impossible nears the 800-episode mark, Walia reflects on how writers are having their moment in the spotlight and the gender-neutral nature of the industry.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

Although television is called the writer's medium, they rarely get their due credit.
The industry has understood that if there's no good writing, there isn't a good show. So, increasingly, I have felt that the writers' time has come; the respect and credit due to them are being given along with the money. It takes a lot of years and some successes to finally [reach that space]. Many good producers, platforms and channels have begun to take notice. I believe writers are in a better space than they were a few years ago.

Shabia Walia

The Writers Guild of America had been on strike for a long time for fair wages and treatment. How are the writers in India treated?
The Screen Writers Association [SWA] is doing a very good job. It is also working to get us royalties. We've been told that we'll get royalties for whatever work we've done in the past decade, [which is] similar to [the practice] in America. The money will start coming in the next 18 to 24 months.

In TV, actors are the face of the story and hence, get that recognition, but people behind the camera are not even introduced. Comment.
I can fairly agree to that. A layman may not know me when I walk on the streets. But the other day, my daughter told her class teacher that her mother writes for Pushpa Impossible and Wagle Ki Duniya. The teacher was enamoured by that. The shows are our road to fame if they do well. Credible awards and social media also help. Now, writers have also become camera-friendly, so they do their own publicity.

Since the OTT boom, it's widely believed that TV content is regressive or over-the-top. Do you agree?
I haven't written any of those shows. When I started writing, I was conscious about the kind of shows I would write. Thankfully, the universe has listened to me and never given me a [regressive] show. Having said that, while it is a creative endeavour, it's also a business. We have so many platforms to watch shows. Once the supply becomes more than the demand, there is a competition to grab eyeballs. When the business becomes about grabbing eyeballs, [the storytelling] becomes louder. I don't think there's anything wrong or right with that. It's just a need of the business to stand out.

Have you written things to grab attention?
Fortunately, I've done a lot of work with Sab and Sony TV, which has always stayed in the real zone. But for instance, we wrote a story about a 42-year-old woman, who wants to study in a school. After she went to school and cleared her 10th standard, that story ended organically. So, it went on to other things. Of course, we've never got lizards and cockroaches in the show. In Pushpa, [it was over-the-top] when we showed her bringing down a huge businessman. You may question if that is possible in real life, to an Adani or Ambani. But that is to [placate] the audience. It is to make them believe that sometimes there may be things they cannot do, but a protagonist can. It's cathartic.

Do the daily grind and time crunch affect you?
I've written for films, OTT and TV, and the grammar for each is different. OTT and films give you time, but I still prefer writing for TV as it is a great medium. It reaches lakhs of people every day; you get feedback every day as ratings are coming on a daily basis. You can always correct [your mistakes] the next day. TV is forgiving and the viewers are loyal to you. Also, because of the volume of episodes, you end up making good money. I have refused a lot of OTT shows because of the amount of time they take to be showcased. If you have discipline and are consistent, it is possible to write for TV. It is much more rewarding in terms of feedback. Viewers remember TV shows. How well do people remember OTT shows?

Since you write for both Pushpa Impossible and Wagle Ki Duniya, how do you keep the content different?
Wagle... is largely episodic in nature. Another challenge is that in high-drama shows, you want to know what's going to happen next. With feel-good shows like Wagle, you know that the hero is going to win at the end of the day. Pushpa is linear and easy to write because you just have to continue from where you left off. The audience is also loyal. People watching episodic shows may not come back tomorrow.

Is television dominated by female or male writers?
I'd say it's 50-50. I don't think either gender is ruling the roost.