A film grows like a living organism: Khufiya screenwriter Rohan Narula

Haider, Omkara, Chachi 420, Maqbool and 7 Khoon Maaf - What's the one thing that is common to all five, we ask? It's the Bollywood filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj behind these gripping thrillers, who is also proficient at adapting literature.

His latest adaptation, laced with the striking screen presence of Tabu, the bewitching charm of Wamiqa Gabbi and the finesse of Ali Fazal - ‘Khufiya' will premiere on Netflix on October 5. On this occasion, we reached out to the writer of the film - Rohan Narula, who is foraying into Bollywood screenplay writing with this project.

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The cinematic adaptation draws its storyline from Amar Bhushan's thrilling espionage novel, "Escape to Nowhere." The film revolves around India's Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) agent who is on a mission to locate a mole involved in the illicit trade of defence secrets - all while struggling with the conflicting facets of her identity as a spy and a lover.

Feeding the film's plot
"What drew us to this book were the elaborate accounts of how R&AW works. Finding a book of this nature was a rather unusual experience. When you watch a spy film from the west, the slick storyline and the intricate plots are highly pronounced. On the contrary, there is very little information available on how R&AW works in India. Thus, it was the details that made us turn it into a screenplay," tells Narula to Midday.

The book's uniqueness is amplified by the fact that it doesn't contain any chapters. The thrill of the rush is rapid, without any full stops - keeping the reader glued to the very climax. "We really enjoyed the pulse-pounding narrative which factored in largely when we decided to adapt it. Though the storyline is based on the novel, we have given it our unique spin to it," adds Narula.

The first draft of the script was prepared in November 2016 while the shooting began in 2021. Narula believes that a film grows like a living, breathing organism. Hence, it took multiple drafts and exhaustive reading sessions to feed the film's dynamic storyline. "One of the best experiences of working with a script is living through its evolution. We never faced writer's block, rather - we fine-tuned the script over regular and riveting drafts," shares Narula.

Once the writers got to the final chapter of Khufiya - they decided to pitch it to the online video streaming platform - Netflix. "The team was on board pretty quick and that's how Khufiya happened!"

Vishal Bhardwaj: The visionary filmmaker and writer
"With Vishal Ji, the working equation has been smooth as he is a co-writer in the film. We brainstormed minute details and complex nuances of the film together," shares Narula. Bhardwaj is an outright director but very few people know that he thinks like a writer. This add-on capability lent itself perfectly to the writing sessions and helped Narula roll out a script that the duo enjoyed mounting.

Narula thanks the heavens for the opportunity to work with Vishal. "It's a dream come true for me to work with someone whom I have admired and idolised over the years. He is a very generous person to work with and lends his ears to any idea you have to present. Frankly, I was relieved that Vishal Ji is on board since he has the ability to take big decisions under pressure."

Few directors work with a unilateral mind and are not open to suggestions. Bhardwaj is quite the contrary in the opinion of Narula. He observed how Bhardwaj has a collaborative style of working as opposed to solo riding. "He is someone who listens to everyone and thinks that the film can get better at any point in time." Such an experience can enrich writers who need a cinematic visionary as a counterpart.

Bhardwaj has established himself as a novelty in his somewhat thriller and noir genre of filmmaking. He has dished masterpieces that involve complex character arcs along with intricate climaxes. So, how is it to witness his wits in person? "Not only is he decisive, but he is highly creative. People call him a genius and working with him, I got a first-hand chance to learn why he is so!" reveals Narula.

The burden of staying true to original story
Adapting a book into a film can be tricky. Every story has its own medium and it unfolds through its own unique language. As opposed to a novel, a film is crafted with multifaceted audio and visual mediums. For instance, Bhushan's book delves deep into the character's internal thoughts and personal motivations, just like a book is supposed to.

To illustrate this better, Narula cites the example of the film ‘The Godfather' which is an adaptation of the crime novel ‘The Godfather' by American author Mario Puzo. The book highlights the shenanigans of the mafia world through multiple chapters and characters. But, when you watch the movie - you learn that the focus is only on Michael Corleone.

"When we began reading through the book - we were intrigued by the original story but that was not enough. We realised that the film's world needed to be populated with more than just the basic plot," informs Narula. Thus, the makers of the film did not take the burden of responsibility to be true to the book. Rather, they developed the film to make it work for the big screen.

Apart from the tangible world of the film, the makers of the film focused on building the emotional quotients of the characters. What sets Khufiya apart from other spy films is the drama entwined with sentiments. It's a story of dual identities - the spy keeps their own secrets which they keep from the world. These elements are intended to engage the audience beyond the obvious thrill.

Khufiya will take the audience on a journey of an R&AW agent - Krishna Mehra who has been assigned a critical mission which is to find the mole in the organisation. As she gets into the mission, she gets an insight into not only the mole but also his family which brings us to Wamiqa's character.

From finance to films
This is Narula's first Bollywood film and he is seemingly excited. Previously, he has adapted two Robin Cook medical thrillers with Ravi Udyawar. He is also writing Bhardwaj's first international feature film, Abbottabad, based on The Exile by Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy. Additionally, Narula has also written a feature adaptation of the Korean blockbuster Dancing Queen.

Narula comes from the world of finance where he used to trade derivatives in Singapore. Yet, he found his calling in writing for films which made him pursue the course - Dramatic Writing from New York University (NYU) in 2014. Currently, he serves as an Adjunct Professor at NYU where he teaches screenwriting at Tisch School of the Arts.