The man with a story

Jasmine Singh

A seeker, a traveller, a reader, an observer and yes, a writer; Punjabi screenplay, dialogue and script writer Jass Grewal from Nabha, Punjab is all of it, but there is still more to him that meets the eye. 

The man behind the film stories Jatt James Bond, Faraar, Bambukat, Rabb Da Radio, Daana Paani, Jass moulds and nurtures the characters from the depths of his heart and from the memories that remain stuck to the walls of his mind. “Most of my characters come from real life, from people I have observed. For instance, the character of Binnu Dhillon in Bambukat comes from a real life character that I once observed. And as far as the stories are concerned, I really don’t know the source. An idea comes and it takes a form eventually,” shares the writer who had once worked with Nadira Babbar’s Ekjute Theatre Group. In fact, it was then that he found his interest tilting towards words, stories and magic that lies in them. “Even though I worked as an assistant director in Punjabi films like Ekam, Singh Vs Kaur, but writing always appealed to me.”

Jass, who is now a known name in the industry, has a good number of hit films under his name, but this hasn’t changed this man who virtually lives in a world created by him, that lies somewhere in between his mind and heart. “I think good response to the work has made me confident, other than that nothing much has changed. Or maybe, I have become slightly technical in my writing, but my stories still come from the heart, and also a source unknown,” he smiles.

As Punjabi film industry stands to acknowledge the worth of writers, Jass too feels the change, the appreciation that writers are now getting. “Making an entry up to the A grade filmmakers was kind of difficult, but once I got in, it was all about telling stories and gladly, all of them have been received and appreciated well.”

The writer who likes to shut himself in a hotel room to write a story wants to write a film like Guide someday. But before that, “there are many other subjects that I need to come close to...I read a lot, and I read anything that comes my way, History, Archaeology, fiction, anything. There is a curiosity inside me to dive into the unknown, the eagerness to unravel and this I fulfil through books, and people around.” Though Jass is a self-confessed ‘lost’, a man who loves to live in his thoughts, who mingles with people once in a while with a heavy heart! “I wish I had less meetings to attend, I wish I could go on a dedicated holiday, which of course I haven’t gone in a long while.” A long holiday means a good story! Till he finds the right dates to zero in on, Jass is already working on a new project Vidia Padhai which he is thoroughly excited about. “This film focuses on the inner turmoil of a child who fails in class. This story is from my heart,” he adds. Like the rest, we bet!   [email protected]