Zeishan Quadri, Script-writer: If At First You Don’t Succeed, Find Another Way Up

Zeishan Quadri, Script-writer: If At First You Don’t Succeed, Find Another Way Up

Look, I’ll be honest – I never came to Mumbai to be a scriptwriter. I came here to be an actor. Actually a star! So on March 17, 2009, like every other kid from a small village, I boarded a train to Mumbai hoping to be the next Salman Khan. I was fully confident I’d make it, friends back home in Wasseypur told me I had eyes that would win directors over. So I reached Mumbai and expected to see a friend or two waiting at the station. No one came. I stood there alone with all my belongings for an hour in a daze. I had nowhere to go.

That was my first day in Mumbai, alone, apprehensive and angry. But that was the last time I felt lost. I told myself that I’d never call my struggle a struggle – just another chapter in the journey called life. And the day I felt I’d spent enough time chasing my dream, I’ll pack my bags and leave.

My acting dream never took off. I was not ‘hero’ material. So I had a lot of free time and no money to go out. I’d stay home with world cinema on TV. While watching Edge of Heaven, it occurred to me to write about Wasseypur because it used to fascinate my friends in Mumbai. I also realised another thing – if someone made my movie, I could act in it! That was my ticket to stardom. So I wrote part two of Gangs... first and started chasing Anurag [Kashyap]. Stalking really! I visited his office everyday and was sent back saying that Anurag didn’t work there. Then I followed him to Prithvi theatre one evening in 2009. I had stared at him all evening and forced him to walk up to me. Once I had his attention, I knew that he would love the concept. And he did. Later I told him that I wanted to play the role of Definite. He agreed.

I could’ve struggled for years but I chose to be smarter. Today I am acting in movies [Revolver Rani and Ali] I haven’t even written. And it is only a matter of time before I will become a successful actor too. In this industry, it only takes one big director to vouch for you. Then the industry falls at your feet. And I know that will happen.
Scorecard1 If one thing does not work out one way, find another way to achieve it.
2 Never pity yourself. It will only pull you down and lower your self-confidence.
3 Set a realistic time limit to achieve your dreams. But  keep an eye on reality. If your dreams are too ambitious, ditch them.
4 Believe in God because only he writes your destiny. Your work is to work hard to achieve that destiny.
5 Don’t spend too much time struggling. Gambling blind is cool but only for a while.