Saji Gul wrote the hit drama ‘O Rangreza’, but has been writing for a lot longer than we have known him. His writing style is very peculiar, yet gripping. He is one of the truly progressive writers who empower women with a voice that is unapologetic and undeterring. Daily Times caught up with this talented writer and author to talk about more of his life and times.
What was your early life like?
I was born in a family with no art background. My father was officer an officer in WAPDA. There was a loss of a baby sister younger than me which moved me emotionally quite at a young age. I have a squint in my right eye by birth – it created a lot of social adjustment problems for me as a child. I couldn’t, as a child, understand what was wrong with me. I think this issue gave me a deeper, emotional perspective of life. Learning how to deal with something completely out of my control. My interest in childhood and disease is visible in my stories. I also am very pro-feminist and I guess it’s because of my early experiences. I have seen women go through terrible experiences. Especially when it comes to divorce. That shaped me a lot as a writer to be a pro-feminist.
What have been your early influences?
My father, inspired by his bedtime stories about Prophets which I used to re-narrate to my peers. Black Beauty was the first novel I read as a child. Fairytales fantasy and dreams played a crucial part in development of my taste. My sister went to NCA when I was eight. And that was the very first time I decided to become an artist. I used to visit NCA a lot. I never liked my school due to lack of co-curricular activities. I just wanted it to be over soon. I was completely focused on getting in NCA.
Tell us about some of the struggles you faced during the time you were trying to do what you really wanted to?
I tried to make a movie when I was twelve by hiring the wedding coverage camera and cast the neighbourhood kids. The outcome was quite hilarious. It was actually in NCA that I got the opportunity to explore my talents. I found Alif Adaab Theatre (still running) with the interest of promoting Urdu literature which was lacking in NCA Amateur Theatre circuit. I read a lot of Manto and other great Urdu writers for adaptations for our performances. I read and learnt a lot of theatre techniques that are experimented with around the globe like shadow and black light. I faced a lot of difficulties after I left NCA, had to face a lot of struggles. I did ‘Tamasha Ghar’ with Sarmad Khoosat which was a great experience but I later joined PTV Islamabad – and it was a very bad experience for me. It damaged me emotionally. That period of seven or eight years was like intellectual drought. I got diabetes, by the time I left. I came to Karachi and worked in advertising but wasn’t interested much in it either. But in 2012, I wrote my first play ‘Sannaata’ which aired on ARY and that was when I finally began to find my footing. Even though I had been working since I was eighteen years old.
Are there any notable success and achievements that you’d like to mention?
For four years I won the best director award and Saadat Hasan Manto Award at NCA. My program for kids ‘Kids Court’ won the Juror’s Award at Asia Pacific Awards.
Tell us about your current and future projects.
‘Ilteja’ and ‘O Rangreza’ have recently ended. Baadshah Begum is under production. ‘Ibn e Hawwa’ is also another drama which is going to be about misogyny. Another grand serial upcoming is ‘Baali Jatti’, which is about folk theatre and women from rural background and how these women stand before all-male audiences and carved their space.
Any message you’d like to give to your fanbases/audiences?
What you see is what tells you who you are. If you complain that content is bad or terrible – then you need to start watching what is good and quality work and what is ‘different’. That’s how things will change. Audiences generate the ratings. So for us, as creative individuals, we are directed by audiences. And it hurts me or many of us as creators that we sometimes have to let go of things which are creative or intelligent because we are told that the audiences will not watch such and such pieces. So we need to mature as audiences so we can improve the quality of our television and productions.
Published in Daily Times, April 4th 2018.