Tease of the Month: Saurav Mohapatra

ST: What are your thoughts about Sholay as a cult film?

SM: My dad took me to see Sholay in a movie theater back when I was in middle school sometime in the late 80’s. I was blown away. For the record, Sholay defies labels. It is unfair to cast it as a “cult” film. It is a great film, perhaps the greatest ever. As a writer, the greatest triumph of Sholay (the writing and the movie making) is that you don’t think of the actors’ names when you speak of Sholay, you refer to them by their character names. Sholay is a symbiotic canvas in which the story, characters and settings all merge into one beating heart. That is the hallmark of a great work of art.

ST: How would you, as a comic enthusiast react to the thought of a Sholay graphic novel being released if you were not the writer?

SM: I’d be over the moon. Comics and Movies are my two greatest loves. This is such a fortunate juxtaposition of both that I’d be excited like a five year old on a sugar rush. Even as a writer, seeing the art work pour in and seeing my story about the rise of Gabbbar come to life was perhaps one of the most rewarding moments of my writing career.