Writer Manisha Lakhe and director Shashanka Ghosh clash over the rights of an upcoming film

Manisha Lakhe

: It’s basic decency to inform an author that you are adapting her book into a filmShashanka Ghosh: She wrote the book based on the screenplay which Rajesh Devraj and I wroteAfter it was reported on Thursday, November 29, that director Shashanka Ghosh (Veere Di Wedding, Khoobsurat) will collaborate with Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and Anupam Kher to bring Manisha Lakhe’s 2010 novel (The BetelNut Killers) to the big screen, it left the author infuriated, as she wasn’t even informed about it.

Manisha told BT, “The report quotes producer Joy B Ganguly saying, ‘The idea came to Shashanka when he was travelling to the US in the late ’90s.’ When did this become Shashanka’s idea? Just because I shared my idea with him, how can I not have any rights over it? How can it suddenly become his idea? It’s basic decency to inform an author that you are adapting her book into a film.”

Recalling her conversation with Shashanka years ago, Manisha explained, “In the 80’s and 90’s Indian food wasn’t easily available in the US. The BetelNut Killers is story told from an NRI’s point of view. When I was based in Portland, Shashanka, who is a friend (we worked in the same ad agency), had come over for lunch. I had shared the idea of a dark comedy revolving around Indian grocery stores in that area with him. I was frustrated with the stores and thought of this fictional-farcical tale on how a Gujju family hopes to kill their young and gorgeous competitor. When I shared this idea with Shashanka, he said he would make a film on it. When I moved to India, Shashanka had already shared the idea with Rajesh Devraj, who wrote a screenplay on it by altering it a bit. However, it didn’t really go with what I had envisioned. They put some S&M (sadomasochism) in it! I later found out that Shashanka had approached a publisher to write a book on it. Since the publisher was a common friend, she asked me why I wasn’t writing it since it was my idea. I didn’t even know that Shashanka had such plans. That’s treachery! After I wrote the book and launched it in 2010, I also heard that Anurag Basu was keen on adapting it, but since Shashanka is a friend, I was keen that he does it.”

When a friend of mine told me that the film was going to be made, I wrote a comment on Shashanka’s Facebook page, ‘Wow, when were you going to tell me?’ I got no response. I wrote to producer Joy B Ganguly in March and in October, and even yesterday, after the news was reported. He replied to me saying, ‘I’m not in the business of robbing anyone else’s work, plus, this is a tabloid piece. You and Shashanka need to talk next time I’m in Mumbai. This project won’t happen before 2020...if at all.”

In the past when Manisha had reached out to Joy, he had sent a message on FB chat saying, “I was not aware of that (the fact that Shashanka’s film is based on her book)... But I believe that the initial script was written by someone called Devraj. Let me get to the bottom of this. If credit is due, it will be given... The film and script are still in the development stage... As far as I know Shashanka, he’s also not the kind of guy who would take someone’s idea and make it his own.”

When BT reached out to Shashanka, he claimed, “She (Manisha) wrote the book based on the screenplay which Rajesh Devraj and I wrote. Also, she was given the (book) rights with the understanding that she would have nothing to do with the film at the end of it.” When asked if it was originally her idea, he replied, “Actually, we came up with one line of the story when I was visiting her and her then husband. But… whatever. She also said she wanted to write the book and promised not to be involved with the film. If she has changed her stance, so be it. She was a friend then.”

Manisha categorically denied Shashanka’s claim, citing, “Neither Shashanka, nor Rajesh have lived in the US. My book is an NRI story and speaks of local Oregon laws and situations. How on earth could they have possibly thought of it! I had pitched the idea to Shashanka for the film, which he shared with Rajesh and then wrote the script. I have read their script and my book came out after that, but my book is not based on their script. It’s my idea to begin with.”



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