B Jeyamohan, prominent writer and scriptwriter, said that the present generation of art filmmakers is no longer relying on literature to make films. They are making movies from other movies. “They are watching film festival movies and creating another movie out of it. So, there is a very common level of themes. I can see the loss in their films,” said Jeyamohan.
Jeyamohan, whose ambitious retelling of the Mahabharata in a series, Venmurasu, counts as one of the great works of Tamil literature, is equally famous for writing around 25 hit commercial films. On January 22, he delivered the Vijay Tendulkar Memorial Lecture as part of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) at PVR, The Pavillion.
It was as a part of the lecture, titled “Novel to Script”, that Jeyamohan spoke of the present, disturbing trend in filmmaking. “It is rare to see a fresh theme in modern art movies. Filmmakers are creating movies with regular politically correct themes of world movies. They are creating a fresh version of the same five or six themes. As a writer, I am extremely bored to see such films. If you want to create something fresh, you have to go to literature. There is a lot of good writing in Kannada, Marathi, Urdu, Bengali and Malayalam and Tamil literature,” said Jeyamohan.
Jeyamohan’s lecture, like a good film, kept the hall in a grip. He began with dry humour. “I’m skeptical of my linguistic abilities in English, particularly while I’m talking to Indian people,” he said. He is a Tamil writer but his mother tongue is Malayalam. “I write in both languages but my mind is actually made up of Tamil. So, while I’m talking English I am translating from Tamil automatically. It’s a tough thing,” he said.
Between talking films, he spoke on his parents’ suicide, his own experience travelling the country as a beggar. “I roamed the country as a beggar for two years. I witnessed a murder and from that, the novel Yelam Ulgam and the film Naan Kadaul were made,” he said.
Young filmmakers and a large number of students packed three-quarters of the seats, hanging on to the words of the legend who had been writing for films for two decades. “I wrote for big movies in Tamil and, maybe, I am one of the highly paid screenwriters in India. So, I am happy about it,” he said.
Over an hour, he took the hall into a deep dive of great works of literature—commercial and literary –and the films made on them for better or worse. He spoke about his long-term collaborator, Mani Ratnam, and how Kadal that he wrote turned into an expensive film and “was a disaster”. “Mani Ratnam was the producer of the film. He lost nearly Rs 20 crores. But, today, after 15 years, a lot of people, particularly intellectuals, are celebrating Kadal as a classic of Tamil cinema,” he said. This year, he is publishing the written version of that novel. The intense speech gave glimpses of the making of Ponniyin Selvan, the blockbuster made by Ratnam and adapted by Jeyamohan from a historical epic.
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The lecture ended with Jeyamohan giving a number of tips to the screenwriters and scriptwriters in the audience, including counter-intuitive ones like to never follow the storyline of a novel. “Because the story line of a novel is entirely different, never use the dialogues of a novel in the movie, and you should not follow the philosophical discourse of a novel in the movie” “A movie is not a medium of discourse. While watching a movie, you have no time to discuss that movie,” he said.
Talking to The Indian Express after the lecture, Jeyamohan dismissed the threat of AI. “I am writing for big movies. We are theorising big graphic scenes and digitally modified scenes. When AI was introduced, we began to use it. But, we discovered that AI can give you a standard that people are already accustomed to. You have to create something new, only then will people appreciate your film. So, we are not using AI except to create a storyboard,” he said.
Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life.
Professional Background
Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint.
Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series).
Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season:
1. Climate & Environment
"Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week.
"How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
"Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner.
2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage
"Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle.
"Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport.
"The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle.
3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc"
"Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema.
"Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups.
"How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor.
Signature Style
Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune.
X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More
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