WHAT MAKES A GOOD DRAMA

NO script is good enough for producer-turned-scriptwriter Mohd Noor Kadir. The fact that he writes his own script and doesn't rely on others indicate that Mohd Noor is a selective and guarded person. And he is not denying it.

``Yes, I am choosy. I want the best and I know what's best after getting the formula right in my first few productions,'' explained the award-winning scriptwriter of teledrama Odissi which won TV3's Anugerah Skrin award in 1998.

The certified electrical engineer who started producing TV dramas under the trademark Kuasatek Pictures in 1994 scripted and produced telefilms Syurga Di Pintu Neraka, Cinta Korporat, Surah Terakhir, Metafizik, and miniseries Cinta Antara Benua, Romeo dan Juliet and Cinderella, to name a few.

The long list of dramas with somewhat different themes that Mohd Noor produced certainly brought that extra mileage for Kuasatek Pictures. Since its inception six years ago, Kuasatek has produced some 100 dramas including telemovies. It has been a long tedious process of hardwork which involves lots of action, consistency and aspirations. Part of the good work is due to the palatable scripts by Mohd Noor himself.

``In a way, I have set a certain standard which other scriptwriters couldn't meet. But churning out stories to meet demands can be quite stressful sometimes because I don't like working under pressure,'' says Mohd Noor.

For him, the basic point before writing a script is to understand the cultural background.

``A script is like an architect who shapes a building. Without a good script, the foundation will not be strong.'' And a director?

``A director would probably have his own ideas on how to execute a drama after reading the script. That's why its important for a scriptwriter to work closely with the director so that they'll understand and fulfil each others' needs.''

But for Mohd Noor, the director has limited liberty to make changes.

``You can tell the scriptwriter has vested interest when he writes about I, Me and Myself.''

Mohd Noor does not do that. He writes with lots of sentiment and conviction and it involves people that touched his life.

Mohd Noor writes his script in pencil and changes, sometimes as many as four drafts, will be made. Once it is finalised, nothing should be changed and all the directors and cast have to adhere to this ruling.

``If you change one word in my script, the whole meaning is lost. That's how I view it and I can really get picky when this happens...''

Once a veteran actor tried to do this in one of the dramas. Mohd Noor lost his cool and told the veteran to stick to the original script. Apparently, the actor was never called back to appear in any of Kuasatek's dramas even though he is one of the few very good actors around.

``It's a laborious process getting the whole script together. I would appreciate it if the actors stick to what they are paid for act and not improvise on my script.''

Strangely, Mohd Noor doesn't need any inspiration to write a script.

``There's no inspiration. I normally have the framework in mind when I hold a pen. I start from the first scene and try to develop the storyline from one scene to the next. In any dramas, it's the storytelling that makes it most poignant.''

Sounds simple but Mohd Noor said he is guided by his feelings and it's not planned. Passion, feelings, emotions and everything related to matters of the heart are important, said Mohd Noor.

Using your past experience, imagination and creative writing would ensure a wholehearted script.

``You have to write from your heart because these are sincere emotions. You can never go wrong.''

Salam Taj Mahal, one of his recent projects, has all these elements. The 28-episode drama will begin its run over TV3 on July 17, Mondays to Thursdays.

Sixty per cent of the drama was shot on location in India and it portrays the country's heritage and culture. There were 400 scenes and it took Mohd Noor two and a half months to complete the entire script. Mohd Noor who started writing the script last November also wrote the screenplay and edited the story. In short, he assisted director Zek Zukry all the way.

In fact, he shut himself in the editing room for 14 hours every day for the past six months to make sure that everything was done to perfection. Salam Taj Mahal was budgeted at RM560,000 but due to unforeseen circumstances in New Delhi and Agra, the production cost shot up to RM725,000.

``There are many sub-plots which are equally strong in the drama. I also tried the spiral approach to keep the mood going.''

Salam Taj Mahal features M. Nasir in the lead role together with Erma Fatima, Vanidah Imran and Umie Aida.

The story is about Ali (M. Nasir) who was separated from his new-born sister Aisyah (Vanidah Imran) when he was 10 years old after his parents were killed in a robbery. Ali was adopted by his father's friend and taken to India while Aishah was adopted by a foster family.

Aishah later goes overseas to study and uses the name `Asha''. She works at an art academy in India, not realising that the owner is her brother who is now known as Masterji Ali Alam Khatab, an industrialist and entrepreneur.

Meanwhile, Masterji Ali hires a private investigator to look for his sister.

One day, five students are chosen to participate in an educational visit at the art academy in India. Fatihah (Umie Aida), one of the students, catches Masterji's attention for he thinks she is his long lost sister. Fatihah, on the other hand, is suffering from a heart disease and always has a dream of a man who gives his heart to her. And the man is Masterji Ali...

Salam Taj Mahal is a touching story with a heavy Hindi-feel, liberally sprinkled with romance.

Mohd Noor likes to limit his creative work to one a year. A good telemovie, he said, should take about nine months to complete. In future, this 46-year-old businessman aspires to do a feature film.

``I want to direct at least one film but the script has to be really good. It has to be worth the wait.''

For now, it looks like engineering and scriptwriting have to work hand in hand because Mohd Noor is not giving up either one. ``Engineering is a responsibility but scriptwriting is a love that I found when I was discovering myself.''

Sounds like a promising theme for a script, right?

BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 5/7/2000