Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 30 (ANI): The National School of Drama in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages organised special writing workshop for the aspiring writers in Srinagar

This workshop brings togather bright participants with a deep interest in arts and theatre who wish to hone their writing skills. The classes are conducted NSD trainer Rahul Shankriya who hails from Mumbai. In the classes, he teaches about the basic blueprint of script writing which includes a start point, mid point and climax. 

NSD trainer Rahul Shankriya highlighted the significance of writing workshop for the youth with the emergence of reels and social media.  

While talking to ANI, Rahul Shankriya, 'The visual medium has reached the era of reels. I was roaming around Srinagar yesterday, and I saw people making reels there. Very different kinds of people have become a part of this space. I felt that films are now being made in different forms, and if this medium is used properly, it can have a huge impact because it reaches a large number of people in less time. Therefore, its writing needs to be focused'

He continued, 'When you write, it reflects how much you are educating the public and the audience, or how much misinformation you are spreading. Whether it is about writing a film, serial, drama, theatre, radio or television content, the focus is on what are the most important elements of storytelling, what are the basics, and what goes into writing for the screen.'

Basit Ahmad, one of the art students who has been attending the writing workshop in Srinagar explains the importance of writing in reviving the theatre in Kashmir. 

While talking to ANI, Ahmad said, 'The importance of writing is immense. I have been doing theatre for a few years now, so I felt I should attend this workshop. I do not want to become a writer, but the writing behind the theatre I am involved in is the foundation, and this workshop will help me understand things better. The teachers at NSD conducted brainstorming sessions for all of us, and now I feel there is a writer inside me too. That writer is emerging because I come from Kashmir, and every person carries a lot of stories within them.'

He added, 'Over the past few days, I have watched four theatre productions, and I realised the importance of writing and where we, as Kashmiris, stand in terms of storytelling. When we talk about reviving Kashmiri theatre, which has been neglected for some time, we cannot focus only on acting or presentation. I believe the first step is to revive writing.'

Masrat, an art student and a participant of the workshop, expressed gratitude to NSD for conducting the workshop. 

Wile talking to ANI, Masrat said, 'This writing workshop that has been going on here for the last 15 days from NSD's side, which they have organized. So this benefited us writers a lot, it was very helpful. So we learned core writing skills in this, learned writing techniques. So we were helped a lot by this. Now when we go and write, we ourselves are feeling a big difference between what we used to write before and what we will write now.'

'So we are thankful to NSD that they have organised such a workshop here. So it will be our wish that in the coming times, more such workshops keep happening here so that the writers and artists get more opportunities,' added Masrat. 

Another participant named Juddat said, 'Writing is the foundation, whether it is for theatre, filmmaking, screenwriting or any other form of storytelling. These workshops help us understand the basic structures and elements of different forms of writing. The government is taking multiple initiatives, and these institutions are providing us with the essential tools and knowledge.'

'By attending this workshop, I learned many things, including the basics of writing, understanding plots, building characters, and several other important aspects of storytelling. Recently, we also witnessed a film festival here, where we saw several films and documentaries. The foundation and selection of those works highlighted the crucial role of scriptwriting, and masterclasses on scriptwriting were also organised as part of the festival,' added Juddat. 

Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir government also organised their first edition of Jammu and Kashmir International Film Festival. It was inaugrated by CM Omar Abdullah and veteran filmmakers Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sriram Raghavan, Ramesh Sippy and others. (ANI)