Branding Gyan from Javed Akhtar

A while ago, I had picked up a book on Javed Saheb by Nasreen Munni Kabeer(the writer who has penned a biography of SRK as well). This one's on conversations on Hindi Cinema with Javed Akhtar.

Now, Javed Saheb as we all know is among the finest script writers, a fine lyricist. But according to me he is also a first rate planner. Over the years, he has displayed his intuitive understanding of the nuances of branded communication, especially during his script-writing days with Salim Khan. And is adept at integrating people, places, concepts, brands, celebrities in memorable concoctions. After all with Salim Khan, Javed Saheb was instrumental in building one of India's biggest brand - the Angry Young Amitabh.

Am recapping some gems which I had gleaned from this book...I would recommend this book to all. It is simple and yet has a fine texture of thoughts...

1. "There is one more state in the country, and that is Hindi Cinema. Just like Punjabi culture and Rajasthani culture may differ but we understand the diference, their cultures are not from a different planet. In the same way, Hindi cinema's culture is quite different from Indian culture, but it's not alien to us; we understand it. The nearest example for a non-Indian to understand is the Western in Hollywood."

2. Sample his thoughts on the brand personality of Vijay from Deewar!
"The only way that people who have been hurt very badly save themselves is by hiding their emotions. If they show them, it would hurt even more. So they develop a kind of hard crust, but behind that hard crust they are soft people.

3. On the brand - Deewar
"It is very difficult for Vijay to express his love for Parveen Babi. It is equally difficult for him to express his love for his brother or mother. There is a storm raging within him so he has closed the doors. That is how such characters feel safe. They build a Deewar between themselves and their emotions!

4. And on that most famous of dialogues - 'Mere pass ma hai'"Perhaps Ravi( Shashi Kapoor's) dialogue would not have worked quite as well without Vijay's monologue that preceded the punchline. You have to orchestrate a scene. If you try to bombard the listener's sensibility all the time, his sensibility will be so battered that when you want him to feel something he'll be too tired."

Memory fails me. Will add more to the list above...soon.