From ground to the Big Screen, Writing, Risk & a Life in Films | Farhad Samji | TEDxIIFTDelhi
Writer-director Farhad Samji traces a 22-year journey through Bollywood, from derision at home to writing hits and directing major comedies. He recalls how a cousin’s mockery ignited the creative flame, how a chance break (and champions such as Salman Khan) opened doors, and how a blunt diagnosis from Ram Gopal Verma redirected him from lyricism to character-driven screenplay and dialogue writing.Farhad reflects candidly on the ups and downs of a film career (72 films written, multiple directorial ventures), the politics and patience required, and the simple rule that guided him: follow your heart. With humor, humility and a poet’s sensibility, he offers practical lessons about passion, persistence and why creativity has no full stop. Farhad Samji is an Indian screenwriter, director, and lyricist known for his contributions to Hindi cinema. He began his career in 2002 as a lyricist alongside his brother, Sajid Samji.The duo, known as Sajid-Farhad, wrote dialogues for films like Shiva (2006) and Singham (2011). They co-directed Entertainment (2014) and Housefull 3 (2016). Mr. Farhad later directed Housefull 4 (2019) and Bachchhan Paandey (2022).His recent work includes directing Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023). This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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