Writing has given me purpose, says Vivaan Shah

Since his debut in 2011 with 7 Khoon Maaf, actor Vivaan Shah has been working on and off in Bollywood. He reveals that getting work consistently has been an issue, and that is what turned him into a novelist.

“I have another pursuit in my life apart from acting. That has given me immense meaning and purpose at times, when acting has not been going well for me. Literature and prose is a very liberating art form, because all you need is a pen and paper,” the actor tells us.

Talking about how he enjoys the process of writing, he says, “You don’t need anybody’s funding or any producer, nor do you need anybody’s time or backing. You just need your words and thoughts on paper. I think as someone who comes from the oppressive film world, this is a very liberating thought.”

Shah, who is the youngest son of actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, recently released his second novel Midnight Freeway, and another novel will be out soon.

Apart from writing, the 32year-old actor is enjoying his stint on the digital platform with various projects, the most recent being Sutliyan. He says that there is a lot of creative satisfaction as an actor on the web. “It allows us to spend more time with you (the viewers) and you get to know them (the characters) better, and you become friends with them. I’ve always felt that the mark of a successful actor is in the way you become the viewers’ friend. We are in such revolutionary times, it is almost like storytelling has becoming novelistic and immersive for the viewers, as well for participant in a show,” he signs off.

You don’t need anybody’s time or backing [to write]. You just need your words and thoughts on paper. VIVAAN SHAH,

Actor

PHOTO: AALOK SONI/HT