Accidental scriptwriter, Prajwal Gupta!

Though he hailed from a business family, #PrajwalGupta had a natural inclination towards writing and also harboured the desire to join Defence services. So, while he joined National Service Scheme, learnt 20mm rifle shooting, his mother motivated him to write his daily experiences in a diary. He also penned poetry and rap songs and would receive appreciation while performing the same during family functions. After he landed in Mumbai a chance meeting with a show writer changed things for Gupta and made him explore the profession.

“I came to Mumbai for further studies and was preparing for Defence services simultaneously. At that time I did odd jobs to be financially independent. One of the days, I went to watch a shoot of a TV comedy show, where I met a lead writer of comedy shows via my sister. Meeting him changed things. And I decided to try my hand in scriptwriting. The life I was living doing different things enhanced my humour and that helped me to survive in the professional world of scripts so far,” he says.

So far Gupta has been a part of a number of shows such as Comedy Circus, Comedy Dangal, Bigg Boss entries, Mujhse Shadi Karogi: Shehnaaz ka Swayamvar, Comedy nights Bachao, Honey Bunny ka Jholmal, India Ke Mast Kalandar and Beat the Genius With Maniesh Paul. He is busy with a new project and has a few more offers in hand. He has not done “a professional course in writing” and believes that a “real artist is either born talented or hones his skills by practising” hard.

So how did you get your first break? “It was September 2017, being youngest among all writers in the hub has both positive and negative side to it. I entered into a running narration meeting for SabTV all of a sudden. Though it was not pre-planned but I had confidence in my product and my creation… later, that script was finalised and my act got a standing ovation on stage by Judges Bharti Singh and Anu Malik. That set the ball rolling,” he reveals.

After lockdown, Gupta was doing animation shows, Honey Bunny ka Jholmal, Honey Bunny with Kapil Sharma show, Tarak Mehta ka Chota Chashma.  If not a writer Gupta would have been an Air Force officer. “As that the only thing I wanted to do as a child. And I was preparing for it, developing my skills and lived for it. Then writing happened. I feel the positive changes I wanted to do for my country with a rifle on my hand, I can surely do that with a pen in my hand too,” he concludes.