Dhamaka writer Puneet Sharma set to turn director with a thriller, plans to helm low-budget films

Puneet Sharma, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap

At the intersection of Puneet Sharma's roles as a poet, writer, and lyricist sits his hunger to tell new stories. It is fitting then that the writer, who penned Dhamaka (2022), is turning director. For his maiden directorial venture, Sharma has written a thriller, a genre that he believes is not heavily reliant on its budget. "Whether you make a Rs 5 crore or a Rs 50 crore thriller drama, the [storytelling] stays unaffected," he says.

He is currently developing three scripts, each putting the story at the forefront. His grouse is that powerful stories are not being made as often as they should. "There is a big gap [between] stories that I have to tell and [what is being made]. There are stories that you know only you can tell."

Sharma's plan is to helm low-budget independent films that he can conceive with minimal resources. At the same time, he will continue writing songs and scripts commissioned to him. "I write for invoice and inner voice. So, there are scripts and songs that I am writing for the invoice, but 80 per cent of what I am writing are stories for myself. I can tell them on a limited budget."

He is aware that right now is not a conducive time to tell indie stories, with the likes of Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee not enjoying creative freedom. "Even Dibakar and Anurag are not able to deliver the same product today as the scenario [of cinema] has changed."