Varun Grover’s Interview
Show Notes
Link: https://youtu.be/OV_OstxUZ4c?si=ksEjdrVBO4C0gz3f
The conversation starts with the observation that certain scripted behavior is exhibited by people in the entertainment industry. If you put 12 unstable individuals together, chaos is bound to happen automatically.
A discussion on the nature of India’s film and media industry, where people understand that showing exaggerated emotions (like crying or fighting) can gain attention.
Reference to famous actors like Manoj Tiwari who protested over banning eggs but later fought over eating eggs, highlighting contradictions within the industry.
Insights on how creative people must learn detachment once their work is done, particularly for lyricists and writers, in order to mentally move on from the completed project.
Mention of how the symbol of struggle in the film industry has changed over time, from eating vada pav to sitting in coffee shops like Blue Tokai, auditioning for roles while sipping coffee and reading intellectual novels.
The shift in the background of struggling actors is noted, with many now coming from well-to-do families rather than those facing severe financial hardships.
A comparison is made between older struggles, such as sleeping on platforms, versus today’s struggles, which involve networking in upscale coffee shops.
Commentary on how even actors in reality shows like *Bigg Boss* are seen as part of a scripted setup, though people may not understand that real conflicts can naturally arise when random individuals are put together.
The role of reality TV in mirroring a competitive exam structure is discussed, making it relatable and acceptable to the middle class. It also emphasizes the importance of a contestant’s backstory and personal struggles.
A humorous take on how people often audition through subtle gestures in coffee shops, giving impromptu performances while hoping to be noticed by someone from the industry.
The conversation wraps up with reflections on the past, contrasting the ambitions and aspirations of media students over the years, from when media was considered a fallback option for failed engineers, to its present acceptance as a legitimate profession.
Initial Struggles for Writers: Unlike actors, writers often do not receive credit or proper payment, especially at the beginning of their careers. Many times, work done as a ghostwriter or assistant goes unacknowledged.
Experience as a Ghostwriter: The speaker shares their experience ghostwriting for an Indonesian TV series based on the Indian movie “Munna Bhai MBBS.” Despite working hard, they received neither credit nor significant payment for the work.
Bombay’s Unique Challenges: The speaker reflects on the external struggles of living in Bombay (Mumbai), a city where rich and poor live side by side, but the city offers difficulties to all, irrespective of wealth. Even prominent personalities like Amitabh Bachchan face hardships, such as flooding.
Bombay’s Unforgiving Nature: The city is described as one that never allows anyone to settle down comfortably. From infrastructural issues like poor roads to the broader challenges of urban life, Bombay presents struggles for all residents.
A Writer’s Loneliness: The speaker talks about feeling like an outsider during childhood due to factors like being overweight, bullied, and academically inclined. This led to feelings of isolation and the development of a strong sense of individualism.
Overcoming Bullying Through Humor: In response to bullying, the speaker adopted a comedic persona, learning to laugh at themselves and eventually gaining acceptance from peers. This experience shaped their use of comedy as a coping mechanism and creative outlet.
Creative Inspiration from Adversity: The speaker acknowledges that bullying and other struggles have fueled their creativity. Like other artists and writers, they turned personal pain into creative expression.
Mentorship Fears: The speaker expresses reluctance towards seeking mentorship due to past negative experiences with betrayal and bullying. This has reinforced their desire for independence and individuality.
Intrinsic Motivation in Art: The speaker emphasizes that they are not creating art because of external demand or market needs, but out of a personal passion. They compare their approach to running a restaurant where they cook for themselves, not necessarily for customers.
Experiencing Safely: They prefer to engage in experiences that are safe, avoiding high-risk activities like bungee jumping, which offer momentary thrill but come with significant risks.
Creative Freedom: As an artist, they enjoy the freedom to create different types of content, from poetry to riddles, inspired by a variety of sources, including children’s poetry by Naresh Saxena and Gulzar, as well as music they listened to growing up.
Detachment from Work: They have learned to detach emotionally from their creations after they are completed, recognizing that getting too attached to the success or failure of a project can be detrimental to long-term artistic survival.
Success and Fame: While some of their work, like the song *”Moh Moh Ke Dhaage”*, has gained wide recognition, they feel detached from these successes and avoid getting caught up in the hype, preferring to stay grounded.
Surviving as an Artist: They discuss the importance of avoiding the highs and lows of success and failure to maintain long-term relevance and sanity as an artist. They reflect on how many artists fall into addiction or burnout due to the pressure of trying to replicate past successes.
Learning from A.R. Rahman: They mention A.R. Rahman’s approach to consistently creating masterpieces without getting too involved in the reactions, which has inspired them to focus on continuous creation without becoming emotionally dependent on the outcomes.
Challenges in the Industry: They highlight how the Indian film industry often burns out artists after a few successful projects, contrasting this with global directors who continue to produce great work well into old age.
Importance of Staying Connected: They stress the necessity for an artist to stay emotionally connected with the world and avoid isolating themselves from ordinary human experiences, as this connection is essential for authentic creativity.
Dangers of Elitism: They warn against the danger of becoming disconnected from the broader world and believing that only a certain exclusive circle or type of life experience matters, which can harm artistic growth and relevance.
Fascination with Time: The speaker is deeply intrigued by the scientific and philosophical concept of time. They reflect on how each moment, like this morning, seems to disappear into an unknown place, much like a moving train’s carriages. This notion was first explored through Stephen Hawking’s *A Brief History of Time*. Time, in their view, is intertwined with nostalgia, with nostalgia being central to the understanding and experience of time.
Nostalgia as a Tool for Understanding: Nostalgia is portrayed as essential to understanding time. The speaker views nostalgia not just as a romanticization of the past but as a means of analyzing and comprehending events and experiences. For example, the idea of “where the past goes” links to the concept of nostalgia.
Origins of Events and Obsessions: The speaker is interested in the origins of cultural and social phenomena. They mention how they tried to capture the rise of fundamentalism in India through their works, such as *Sacred Games*, by tracing its roots in the 1970s. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the origins of societal obsessions, like India’s fascination with success, which stems from the perceived failures of previous generations.
Nostalgia in Film: The speaker has employed nostalgia in films to explore various social obsessions. For example, in *All India Rank*, they explore the obsession with meritocracy and success, tracing its origin to societal pressures on the new generation to achieve success. Nostalgia here helps analyze the past rather than just glamorize it.
Personal Experiences and Migration Trauma: The speaker reflects on their personal connection to the trauma of partition and migration, drawing from their family’s experiences. They discuss how their storytelling, particularly in short stories, often incorporates this element of personal and collective memory, linked with nostalgia but also exploring the deep trauma that migration caused.
Recurring Time Period (1996–1997): Several of the speaker’s works are set in 1996–1997, a time that holds personal significance as it marked their adolescence. The speaker believes they are continuously revisiting that period, reliving it through their stories and films. This period seems to symbolize a moment of arrival into the world for them.
Internet Absurdity and Humor: The speaker praises the absurd humor found on the internet, especially memes, seeing it as a new form of art that is often more creative and impactful than professional comedy. They appreciate the freedom and creativity that internet culture allows, with memes having no baggage of ownership or history, creating a global consciousness.
Blurring of Artistic Ownership: The speaker observes how digital remix culture, especially with memes, has led to the blurring of artistic ownership, where anyone can remix or reinterpret something for a new context. This fluidity is exciting as it defies the traditional notions of how art and media should be consumed.
Impact of Memes on Modern Culture: The speaker reflects on how memes can transform and recontextualize serious art, like songs or films, into humorous or absurd content. They cite examples where internet users have taken serious material and humorously reinterpreted it, highlighting the ingenuity and creativity in the online space.
