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‘SCRIPT A HIT IS HELPING INDIVIDUALS WITH LACK OF TIME OR RESOURCES TO CONVERT THEIR UNIQUE IDEAS INTO NOVELS’

Jaishankar Krishnamurthy, founder, Script A Hit opened up about how it’s a unique platform for budding writers to realise their dreams of becoming authors or the creative minds behind an audio-visual production—be it a movie or an OTT series, and his debut novel ‘Farside’ co-authored with Krishna Udayasankar.

Q. Can you share a glimpse of your background—studies, previous work experience? 

A. I am 54-year-old finance professional with CA and MBA Ricard Ivey School of Business, Canada, with over 25 years of experience working in India, Dubai, and Singapore. My last job was working as Associate Director for Oil and Gas with Ernst & Young, one of the big four audit and consulting firms in the world. 

Q. What made you venture into writing?

A. I wanted to be a story writer from the age of 13 and at one point was quite serious about pursuing a career in screenwriting. Somehow, I never could complete penning a single book. Being married to a successful writer, Krishna Udayasankar, who is also the co-founder and who has published many bestsellers, I pitched to her a plot, which she then worked on using her exceptional skills. Now, my first book, Farside, co-authored with Krishna has been published by Penguin Random House. 

I have also completed my second novel in collaboration with another writer. The book, Mind Games, is currently being pitched to various publishers by the reputed Redink Literary Agency. 

For my third book, I engaged a writer to bring to life his concept of an intriguing financial thriller to life. I now have three complete manuscripts, with a fourth in the works, in a span of less than two years.

Q. When was your new book Farside released?

A. It was released on 22 November 2021 and is available on Amazon and all other leading book stores.

Q. Tell our readers a little bit about ‘Farside’? What inspired you to write this book? 

A. I have been more interested in reading crime stories. Secondly, I have always liked books that have a strong female lead. The plot for this story came to me 10 years ago and is something that has stood the test of time because it is a story that can happen to any one of us, and is a testament to what a brave person with intelligence can achieve including uncovering a complex crime that takes place at the highest levels of society.

Q. How much time did it take you to complete the book? When did you start and when did it complete?

A. From ideation to completing the book, it took us two years. 

Q. How easy was it to convert your idea into a full-fledged book? 

A. It was relatively easy for me. As the book is co-authored with my wife Krishna, an accomplished author with nine books to her credit, she could pitch it to her Editor in Penguin.  

Q. How did the book help you with your venture Script A Hit? What is the concept of the platform?

A. Based on my own experience of having an idea but not being able to complete a book for over three decades, I realised that there are several individuals like me who may not have the time or skills to write or the resources to convert their unique ideas into novels. Script A Hit is a unique platform for such individual to realise their dreams of becoming an author or the creative mind behind an audio-visual production—be it a movie or an OTT series.

Q. Since it was your first book with Penguin Random House, how was the overall experience with them?

A. Our experience has been fantastic. We have received great inputs from the Editorial team and great support from their marketing team to help promote the book. 

Q. As the book is written by you and Krishna, who is also an established author, how was your overall experience working with your wife and partner? How did her experience in writing contribute to the final product? 

A. It has been an interesting experience. We used to have a lot of arguments about the plot and how the story should evolve. The book brings together my strength in creating unpredictable but solid crime plots with my wife’s ability to weave words together and create a sense of the real world we live in and characters that we resonate with and delivers a unique thriller that I hope readers will enjoy.

Q. Is there a message for our society? Any future plans?

A. Our aim is to sign up for 10 stories in FY22 through Script a Hit which we hope to increase to 25 in FY23.

The book brings together my strength in creating unpredictable but solid crime plots with my wife’s ability to weave words together and create a sense of the real world we live in and characters that we resonate with and delivers a unique thriller that I hope readers will enjoy.

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