Confessions of an Epic Indian

Important Update, 28 Jan 2008: Since this post, major new developments have occurred. The Ramayana film is now underway. It’s still too early to give specific details, and truth be told, even I don’t have them yet, as the producers say they’re still negotiating with cast and crew. But the big news is that it’s happening. Read more about it in this Q&A with me.

There’s been some speculation about whether or not my Ramayana series is being adapted to film. I’m so totally out of circulation with media and film folk that I only just learned that people in the field are apparently convinced that there is a major film adaptation in the offing, and some even have names and famous people attached to the ‘project’ in their minds.

Well, I wish it were true, but it isn’t.

What is true is that I’ve had several major offers to buy the film rights to my Ramayana series over the past year or so.

The first offer, to be strictly accurate, came from a producer named David Hamilton, who has produced several films directed by Deepa Mehta. This was actually several years ago, back in 2003. At that time I was represented, very badly I must add, by an American literary agent. She brusquely told off Mr Hamilton, and assumed he was some wannabe–I was quite upset at the time when I heard about it, since I greatly admire Deepa Mehta’s work and I would have gladly been interested in discussing the possibility of her adapting my books to film. But the damage had apparently been done and neither the agent nor I ever heard from Hamilton again.

After that, there was a lull of a few years. Mainly because, I feel, my books are nearly impossible to adapt to film. The sheer amount of detail I use in my writing, especially visual detail, means that my novels read almost like films in your head. That’s just the way I write. Some people mistakenly assume that it makes them easier to adapt, but in fact the opposite is true. The best films are adapted from simple, literary stories, usually short stories, with very little detail and not much complexity. That allows the director and the rest of the film talent to contribute to the project’s execution, instead of trying to live up to any expectations of seeing the author’s richly detailed world captured on film.

So it was with some surprise that I reacted to an offer that came my way last November 2006. It was from a major Hollywood studio, Warner Bros., and a substantial offer at that. Negotiations followed, predicated not only on my attempting to secure the best financial deal possible, but also to ensure that if I did sell the rights to Warner, they would respect the cultural artifacts at the core of the story. After all, this is the Ramayana we’re talking about, not just a novel by me. Sums quite dizzying were bandied about. Creative control was promised–in fact, Warner were quite keen to have me aboard as a consultant and scriptwriter. Negotiations went on for several weeks, with the lawyers nitpicking clauses and sub-clauses–and I nitpicking even more minutely than the lawyers. After all, this was more than just about film rights and money–it was an entire nation’s mythology at stake. Finally, I was satisfied that Warner would do justice to the books as well as the culture at the core of the story, and was almost ready to sign on the dotted line and accept a very substantial cheque for the option, subject to some technical phrases being altered in the final draft contract.

Then came the real surprise: One, two, three….a total of six more offers rolled in even before I could sign with Warner. They were equally major and even more exciting in some ways. One was from Sir Ben Kingsley, one of the actors I admire most on the international film scene. He did me the honour of speaking to me on the phone more than once, and corresponding by email, and I was thrilled to bits to hear him praising my work and the books so highly. I was even more astonished when he told me he’d been showing the books to several prominent ‘friends’, all of whom were major box office stars and great actors to boot. He truly had a great vision for the films, one that was even more faithful and caring than the way Warner promised to approach it.

The other parties were also equally excited and adoring of the books, and more than willing to match the terms I was already being offered. By this time, the figures were amazingly high, I must tell you. And we were talking about a series of films that would probably be the most ambitious film series ever attempted, even in Hollywood. What was more, the films would be shot entirely in India, at my insistence, would feature only Indian actors (not necessarily stars, but actors most suited for the role, even if that meant casting total newcomers) in the Indian roles (Rama, Sita, Lakshman, Dasaratha, Kausalya, etc) and foreign actors only in the non-Indian and/or non-human roles (Ravana, Supanakha, the various rakshasas and asuras, etc). The script would be faithful to the books but more importantly, would be respectful of the core story and characters, and be very careful not to portray any of them in a potentially offensive or disrespectful light.

At this point, things got quite crazy. It was virtually a bidding war of sorts, with me at the center of it all. Warner was quite agitated by now, not having taken me seriously earlier when I told them I had other offers (they probably thought I was just trying to up the money) and suddenly finding themselves way past the curve. I think this was possibly the fault of their lawyers, who inadvertently didn’t take me seriously when I told them I had other offers, and still refused to change the minor technical clauses I was objecting to in the final draft contract; on the other hand, I don’t blame even the lawyers. After all, they were repping one of the biggest studios in the world, while I was just a middle-range Indian author who didn’t even do publicity!

Anyway, by the time the dust cleared, I had decided to go with Sir Ben Kingsley and another producer, Simone Sheffield who normally co-produces with Sir Ben, alongwith a consortium of backers brought together by Simone and Sir Ben. I shook hands with their representative in Mumbai and everything was settled.

Then, I suppose, what happened next was what happens routinely in Hollywood affairs. The NRI representing Sir Ben Kingsley, who was merely supposed to contact me, inform me of Sir Ben’s extreme keenness to buy the rights, and put me in touch with Sir Ben, suddenly did a volte-face. He split with Sir Ben, citing odd excuses that seemed quite lame, and said he would be signing contracts directly with me. I was apprehensive. Hell, I was uncomfortable! Why should I sign with an unknown NRI businessman when I had settled terms with Sir Ben Kingsley? But apparently the NRI was here in Mumbai and able to do the deal with me, including the crucial ‘put your money where your mouth is’ part, whereas for various practical reasons it would take Sir Ben some time to do the same. Even so, I wasn’t convinced. The NRI assured me that he was only seeking to carry through Sir Ben’s vision.

Finally, we reached an accomodation. I agreed to sign with the NRI on condition that he went back to the USA and patched things up with Sir Ben and Simone. He agreed to this, and I even spoke to both Sir Ben and Simone and smoothed the way. Everything was settled. We signed an option contract–which only permits the party to develop and plan a film project based on my books, not to actually get the rights or to start production. This is usual in film adaptations of books.

But some time later, I was dismayed to learn that the NRI had failed to patch things up with Sir Ben and Simone, and was seeking to produce the film on his own. He spent many months desperately trying to convince me of his capabilities and even insisted that I write the screenplay because he felt that nobody else could do justice to the books. I was doubtful but I honoured my agreement with him.

As things turned out though, it never worked out. As of this writing, the NRI hasn’t been able to come to exercise the option and actually purchase the rights the books. In due course, the option agreement I signed with him will lapse, of course, and I’ll be able to resell the option–and the rights–to another party if I so wish. Frankly, I still think that Sir Ben would be the best option, and if he still wanted to make the film, I would gladly give it to him.

But that’s the way the film biz works. A writer has little control at this stage except to say ‘Okay, take the option’ and later, ‘Okay, take the rights’ and cash the cheque he’s given. The NRI in question hasn’t been in touch with me for months now, and seems to have forgotten even about my being ‘the best choice’ to write the screenplay. I think that’s understandable. A screenplay is only useful if you have a film!

And as of now, there’s no film.

There is huge interest in Hollywood in a film adaptation of my Ramayana series. This I know for a fact from several sources–the offers haven’t stopped rolling in, by the way, in fact, they’ve only increased. I know for a fact that at least two major studios and several producers are willing to invest anything from $80 million to $200 million per film for either three films based on six books, or even six films based on six books. Major stars are very keen to play various roles. Big-name directors are enthusiastic about helming the project. So money isn’t a problem. Talent isn’t a problem. But as anyone who knows the movie business should know, money and talent are not the only things that make movies.

So for now, I’m still waiting to see what happens next. The ball is up in the air. I suspect that the NRI who took the option is running around frantically, trying desperately to keep up with the sheer momentum of the interest in the project, and to make the right decisions. Not easy for someone who has never dealt with the film world before, that too at a multi-million dollar scale. I’m also hoping that he will realize this is too big for him and come to his senses, maybe even put the project back in the hands of seasoned professionals who know what they’re doing. Better still, go back to Sir Ben Kingsley and Simone Sheffield, who, I’m sure, would do a great job of the films. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. If you would love to see my Ramayana adapted well to film, then I suggest you do the same.

I even discussed a few names from my dream cast list with Sir Ben and Simone and just for your entertainment, I’m posting it below. Some of the names are actually aware of the books (some have even read them and loved them) and have expressed a great interest in starring in the film. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which ones! I also welcome your suggestions for casting, if and when the project takes off. Feel free to post your casting and other suggestions on the Readerswrite Page.

YOUNG RAMA - Unknown Indian actor
RAMA - Unknown Indian actor, or possibly Abhishek Bachchan
DASARATHA - Amitabh Bachchan
KAUSALYA - Jaya Bachchan
SITA - Aishwarya Rai, or unknown Indian actress
LAKSHMAN - Unknown Indian actor
RAVANA - Daniel Craig
OR
RAVANA - Shah Rukh Khan
SUPANAKHA - Nicole Kidman
VIBHISHANA - Sir Ben Kingsley
OR
VISHWAMITRA - Sir Ben Kingsley