Scripting Memories

The writer of Balika Vadhu says its peoples warmth that makes a house a home.

I was 26 when I left my house in Jaipur and came to Mumbai. Thats when I realised that I had left behind something integral,a feeling that could not be replicated. I had left behind warmth a place from where I got life,peace,energy and relaxation. Leaving home was like leaving my mothers lap,where I felt most secure,most protected and yet free.

Whenever I go to Jaipur,where my parents live,I feel I have come home. Quite early in our life,we are taught the difference between a home and a house; between a ghar and a makaan. You can buy a house,but you make a home makaan khareede jaa sakte hain lekin ghar bante hain. Home is made by people with whom you are emotionally connected. I bought a house in Mumbai but it became a home only after I got married.

I work from home and its the source of my energy. My wife and son know that when Im writing,I need peace and quiet and they are sensitive enough to give me that space. I write in my study. Through my career in television,Ive focused on getting a deeply layered story. I dont think of a show in terms of tracks,but as one big story with each character driving it.

I think about my characters all the time,but I write only when the deadline is nearing. If not for the fear of the deadline,I would spend all my time with my family. I need to have some breathing space and a life outside my work. This is the reason why I hardly ever write more than two shows at a time,like Im doing with Balika Vadhu and Veera.

Ive learnt to write on the laptop but on days when I feel ki kuch nahin ho raha hai nothing is happening,I pick up a pen and paper. You connect more,remember the formation of a word and it gets imprinted on your mind. Computers are handy because they are neater and easier since we have to mail scripts to channels.

If you ask me which show feels most like home,Id say Balika Vadhu holds a special place for me. Thats because its in this show that Ive used the culture of my homeland. Even though Saat Phere was based in Rajasthan,Balika Vadhu is more personal. When I write Balika Vadhu,its like going home. The story of Balika Vadhu is inspired by my mother she got married at the age of 15. Anandi8217;s question in one of the early episodes what is marriage? were my mothers lines. In Balika Vadhu,every episode ends with a slogan summarising the theme,which my father writes.

Ive been in Mumbai for 26 years but have gone home on all Diwalis,except two. Its a beautiful tradition to return home at this time. Even in modern India,the concept of home remains the same its where your loved ones are. The feeling of relaxation the moment you unlock your house,the smile as soon as you step in and utter ghar aa gaye I have come homethat feeling,that smile hasnt changed.

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Over time,your home becomes a part of your personality. My Jaipur home or the old flat in Mumbai,where my wife and I spent about 12 years,feels more like home than the new house we live in now. That is because our roots are in those houses.

Even now,when I pass by my old school in Jaipur,I always turn to take a look at it. Uss ek nazar mein saara bachpan yaad aa jaata hai in that one look,all the memories of my childhood return to me. You can never forget home and its roads. Perhaps,thats why Jagiya in Balika Vadhu,even after becoming a big doctor in the city,yearned to come back home.

By purnendu shekhar