‘Jawan’ Dialogue Writer Sumit Arora Talks About Working With Shah Rukh Khan, His Massy Lines And More

Sumit Arora, the famous dialogue writer with several accolades like ‘Stree’ (2018), ‘The Family Man’, ‘Guns & Gulaabs’ (2023), and ‘Dahaad’ (2023) among others to his credit, has yet again impressed the audience and the critics with his memorable dialogue writing in the hit film ‘Jawan’, starring Shah Rukh Khan.

In an exclusive interview with Outlook India, Sumit Arora recalled how he undertook the process of writing for ‘Jawan’, how it was to collaborate with Shah Rukh Khan, the famous dialogues from the film, and more. Excerpts from the interview:

Your lines from ‘Jawan’ have already become pop culture sensations, from the voting monologue to the baap beta dialogue. How do you feel about it?

I feel great and overwhelmed by the love we have received so far for all the dialogues. When it is a mass film starring Shah Rukh Khan, you have to write dialogues which appeal to everyone, be it the monologue to the baap beta dialogue. The way people have connected with it, I could not be happier.

Take us through the entire process – the brief given to you, the kind of work you put in and how you finally came to see your dialogues come to life in the film.

When I met director Atlee in 2019, both of us vibed on the similar kind of writing, where it has to be massy but the dialogues need not have punches for the sake of it. You have to find moments which are important for a good dialogue, any moment where you know you need a good line. My writing style has always been like that, be it ‘Stree’, ‘Dahaad’. People appreciate me for writing good dialogues and not doing dialogue-baazi. To find interesting pockets in the film and then write lines which are powerful and fit the overall context of the film, that was the brief both me and Atlee followed. With that idea, we wrote all the lines. All my dialogues fit the narrative first and then yes, they are good lines in general. 

You have written dialogues for ‘Stree’, ‘Dahaad’, ‘Guns and Gulaabs’, which are very different and raw as compared to the massy dialogues for ‘Jawan’. How do you make that shift, and do you improvise? 

Each story comes with its own demands of a writing style. As a writer, you need to identify the demand and serve it well. You cannot impose each style on each project. I look at the story, I look at the project overall. For instance, ‘Jawan’ is a mass, heightened, large-scale film, which would have large emotions, so your dialogues have to be like that. You need to adapt your writing style while retaining your own touch. 

You once mentioned Shah Rukh who insisted on having that Alia Bhatt dialogue in the film. How was it to have his inputs?

Even the Alia Bhatt line, I had written three options when Narmada’s character would ask Jawan what he wants. He liked the Alia Bhatt one and we decided on it. However, Shah Rukh Khan was involved in the overall process of the film, since he is also the producer. As an actor, he is involved too. We would sit together with the director and discuss all the scenes. I would write wherever I would feel, give him options and then we would sit down and finalise them. He would often joke and tell me that don’t write too long dialogues, we need to wrap up the film too. More than that, he was always there to look at everything in a holistic manner. He not only thinks about his own role, but rather looks at the film in totality. 

Lastly, there are several subtle references to films, from ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’ to ‘The Lion King. How much were your inputs?

Whatever dialogues you have heard in the film, they are my credits. Like the ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’ dialogue, it was the interval moment and I felt that the audience should get a high. So Vikram Rathore has just entered the film, and he knows about Kaali. But when Eijaz Khan’s character asks him who he is, we could have just ended there by him saying ‘Vikram Rathore’. However, when he says ‘naam to suna hi hoga’, it elevates your overall experience. And to turn a romantic dialogue by SRK to a savage line here, it is interesting. That’s how I was always working. Also, with SRK playing a vigilante in the start scenes when nobody knowing who he is, and keeping how his dark characters in films like ‘Baazigar’ and ‘Darr’ have been loved, I wrote the line, ‘jab mai villain banta hoon na, koi hero mere aage tik nai sakta’. I keep looking for pockets to add humour and wit, and SRK really appreciated it.  

Produced by Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma under Red Chillies Entertainment, ‘Jawan’ stars Shah Rukh Khan in a dual role along with Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Deepika Padukone (billed as a special appearance), Priyamani and Sanya Malhotra appear in supporting roles. The film was released on September 7, 2023.