Paperback writer

With the scripts of Elizabeth and The Golden Age behind him, MICHAEL HIRST is sure he can satisfy the Indian audience with Tudors, his new HBO series.

Tudors is releasing in India. What are your expectations?
I firmly believe that the Indian audience will respond warmly to the show’s inherent melodrama. It was Shekhar Kapur (I wrote Elizabeth and The Golden Age) who actually taught me not to be afraid of melodrama. We Brits, with our stiff upper lips, tend to repress our deepest feelings — but great drama involves the release and examination of those feelings and emotions. “Melodrama” is almost a dirty word in my culture, but for me it was liberating to write about the emotional, spiritual and sensual lives of my characters. Set in the 16th century, the Tudors projects an obsession with dynastic rule. The scale and enormity of reaching out to such a vast populace is humbling.

Has the Indian film and television market, according to you, evolved over the years?
I don’t have much knowledge on the subject. However, judging by whatever little I know, I feel that the television and film market in India has opened up to the international market. There has been a coming together of the two and that’s very good.

You’ve even worked on Merchant-Ivory productions. Did you collaborate directly with Ismail Merchant? Could you tell us about your experiences of working with the two?
I have worked with Ismail and still remember him a lot. He was extremely passionate about his movies and was very humble and kind to the people who worked with him. He was also a fabulous cook and would make time to dish out an amazing meal whenever I visited him.

Indian cinema is gradually recognising the work of writers in films. However, progress is slow, and often screenwriters struggle for recognition. What’s the scenario globally?
I have asked myself this question so many times. When one writes for movies, there is very little recognition. But it’s different — thankfully — for writers in television, as the latter offers a lot of freedom. Movies are more of a director’s medium. Tudors, for example, has seen my involvement at every stage; from the casting of the characters to even deciding their costumes.

What or who influenced you to enter the world of entertainment?
My entry into the film fraternity was purely accidental. I always thought of being an academic. While I was pursuing my academics, I came across English film director Nicolas Roeg, who persuaded me to write movie scripts. At first I was quite hesitant, but that’s what Nicolas loved because, in a way, that innocence offered me a liberation that’s needed to write screenplays.

You’ve written scripted films like Elizabeth. When will you direct films?
I don’t think that’s going to happen. I am not interested in directing films. During the shooting of Elizabeth, we were walking across the three sets and Shekhar mentioned how he wasn’t afraid of managing the scale and grandeur of such a large production. I, on the other hand, had a completely different view because I would prefer my blank sheet of paper any day.