'I'm in love with Shriya'

Olivier Lorelle is as excited as a kid. And who wouldn't, when there's such a rousing reception awaiting one at the airport.
'I never expected such a grand welcome,' Olivier says with a smile. And that's not the only reason for his joy. The overwhelming response he received at the script writing workshop he was part of, is yet another reason. 'Students here are smart and intelligent.In France, students generally have problems with their teachers. It was a welcome change to see students bubbling with energy and sharing a good rapport with the teachers,' he says.
'I'm glad I came here. Kamal Haasan invited me to be part of the workshop since I am the president of the French Scriptwriters' Guild. Only after coming here did I realise that he is such a big star. But I was astounded by his humility. I have never seen a French star who is as simple and down to earth as Kamal.'
Quiz him about his tryst with scriptwriting and he elucidates, 'I began my career in theatre and then moved on to scriptwriting for financial reasons. I wrote scripts for political and poetic films. That was when I decided to write the script for Indig'nes (Days of Glory). The film, set in the Second World War period, is about four North African men who enlist in the French army to liberate the country from Nazi oppression. It was nominated for the Oscars.'
He might have missed the Oscars, but he did not lose heart. 'It took two years for me to write the script but I was not even invited to the Oscars ceremony. In France, scriptwriters don't get much respect. Even though we are the brains behind a story, the director is always considered God,' he grouses.
'So, I stepped into direction as well. I am working on Red Sky ' a film about a French soldier and a Vietnamese girl who are trapped in a jungle,' he adds.
The scriptwriter has been travelling a lot and conducting workshops in many countries. Having conducted workshops in Canada, Palestine and Japan, to name a few, he says, 'It's important that these countries too make movies with international appeal from time to time. Hollywood is hogging all the attention and is killing world cinema,' states Olivier.
So what's his take on Indian cinema? 'The last Indian movie I saw was Salaam Bombay, ages ago. Indian movies aren't screened in France, you see,' he says. 'But the other day, I watched Thoranai and fell in love with Shriya Saran. I am going to write a script for her,' he says with a smile.
And finally, a word of advice for aspiring scriptwriters. 'The two vital aspects that one has to keep in mind while writing a script are clarity of the storyline and the message. Keep the storyline simple and ensure that the story has a strong message. If you try to please everyone, you will not be able to write a good script,' he signs off.