PRATIK THAKARE (QUESTIONNAIRE SUBMISSION)

POSTMAN – FOR WRITERS

A. Why does the protagonist take such a long journey through judiciary, spanning decades, when he could
have easily withdrawn? What do you think he actually wants?

- According to my understanding of the script, it seems like the option of withdrawing the case
(accepting the theft which he never committed) never existed in Umakant’s mind. In the first half of
the script, he is unaware of the wretched, slow-poison like world that Indian judiciary is. Hence, he is
hopeful that since he has done nothing wrong, justice will prevail and all will be well.
- But once he gets caught up in the vicious circle of judiciary, Umakant – being a righteous and hard-
working man, truly wants to clear his name and restore the image that he had in the society (also,
amongst his colleagues). Deep inside, he wants to go back to the life he had in 1983 - when he was
given the award of ‘Best Postman of the Year’ during Kanpur GPO Annual Day Celebrations. It is this
moment in his life, where he was full of self-worth and looked forward to achieve more.
- After being torn apart due to false accusation of theft, Umakant, throughout the story, is chasing the
dream of recovering his lost pride and self-respect that demands him to take the long-painful journey
through the judiciary system. This can be inferred from the scene, where the guy who previously
worked with Umakant in applying posters, takes him to the factory to get him new job. He leaves the
factory, realizing that unless he clears his name, he will always be looked at as a thief even if he
somehow managed to get another job.
- Adding to that, he might be aware of the fact that even if he tried to withdraw the case by accepting
the false blame, he would not be able to give that life to his family that he wanted to and had promised
them. This is especially evident from the scene – where Umakant speaks about his future plans to his
wife Madhvi as they look at the plot by the lake.

B. A criticism of the existing script from a writer’s perspective, mentioning what all is not working at all, or
can be far better... in terms of structure, logic and drama.

I gave two reads to the script (one thorough and one for making notes). In my opinion:
- The script can be more streamlined and committed to Umakant’s story. In the 142 pages of the script,
there are some scenes and moments that only explain the story but do not aid in strengthening audience’s
empathy for the protagonist (i.e. Umakant).
For example: Umakant sees Madhvi washing utensils while she is pregnant. It makes him cry. Though, he
doesn’t act. He never seems to interact with his kids and sometimes comes across as self-indulgent character
only focused on the court case. A moment where he tries to console his family, aware of the misery that they
are going through will make Umakant a more sensitive character; someone who is aware that there is more
to being head-of-the-family than just being the bread-earner.
- Secondary characters can be made more detailed and rounded. (There are many scenes where
secondary characters drive the scene and protagonist is either absent or not driving the scene). Hence,
characters like the postmaster, Ramakant (brother), Madan Jain (Advocate) can be etched out further.
For example: the scene after Umakant wins the award, Postmaster in a bar resolves to do something to screw
Umakant (where he says: Ab toh kuch karna padega). Instead, there can be an extended scene at the award
ceremony, where a senior official tauntingly asks the postmaster to work harder and motivate himself and his
other employees to pull up their socks. He has been in the office for so many years and even then, it is due to
young Umakant, that his branch has received some award. This can be a better trigger point for Postmaster
to trap Umakant in false case.
- The use of montages to take the story forward in time (since the story spans over a long time) can be
removed in some places. The overuse of montage to show passage of time might cause the script to lose some
steam as it reaches the climax.
For example: There comes a montage where after his first visit from the court, Umakant is given a glass of
water by his wife. This montage ultimately reveals that his mother has passed away. Instead, there can be a
scene at railway station, where Umakant has come to receive his brother who has come from Mumbai for
their mother’s terahvi/chauthi. As they travel to the house, the fact that many court dates have passed without
any conclusion can be revealed. They don’t straightaway acknowledge the fact that the mother is no more but
as they reach closer to house, something can trigger an emotional moment between the brothers, now that
there is no elder left in the house.

In addition to that, drama in many places felt bit stereotypical. A neighbour taking Umakant to see a girl for
marriage, Umakant’s relationship with his mother. The conventional scenes can be dealt with situational irony
to make the overall script fresh and different.

C. Which is the worst written scene/ series of 2-3 scenes in the existing draft? Can you give a better written
version?

I have already mentioned a few alternatives to existing scenes in response to previous questions. Some of
them being:
- The scene where Postmaster decides to screw Umakant.
- The montage where we realize Umakant’s mother is dead.

Apart from that, the worst written scene(s) according to me would be:
- The scene where Madhvi goes to police station and is harassed by the police officer. (Instead, the
scene can actually be twisted. Umakant after being badly beaten by the police officer is then consoled by a
constable. In what seems like a good-cop-bad-cop troupe, the constable then mentions that Umakant’s wife
came by. Inspector Saheb wanted to help, but she didn’t want help. If she won’t let Inspector Saheb help, how
will Umakant get out of here.) This way, instead of going into a stereotype scene, the tormenting impact of
having one’s wife harassed can be seen on Umakant’s face, thus making his plight more evident for the
audience.
- The scene where Umakant’s kids eat from the trash bin and struggle as a dog barks aggressively and
threatens them. (Not a badly written scene, but it feels a little too on-the-face. The kids can be shown
following the vehicle which is about to dump the extra food. Then as they approach the food, a dog reaches
there before them. Being little kids, they get scared of the dog and that can be enough.)

D. If we are to work together, would you be able to dedicate 2 months of your time? In Mumbai?

Yes, I would be willing to dedicate two months of my time in Mumbai for the project. I am looking to work on
script writing, collaborate with writers and learn simultaneously. I hope to be part of interesting project and
am willing to immerse myself in the writing and rewriting to make genuinely interesting ideas into good
scripts.
I have answered the above questions genuinely, only intending to reflect how I approach script writing and
not to pass any judgement on other’s work. I hope that you find something worthwhile and we work together
soon.

Regards.