“Tere Bin Laden sequel can be made today despite restrictions”

Sonal Sheopori Exclusive Interview:

Sonal Sheopori rose to fame with Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive and Roorkee By-Pass. She has now expanded the Aspirants universe with Guri Dhairya Ki Love Story and has also worked on many TV soaps. In an exclusive conversation with us, the writer shares her opinion about the Tere Bin Laden sequel and her future projects. Let’s take a look.

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Q. Is there any possibility of another installment in the Tere Bin Laden franchise? Do you think a film like this can be made today, given the current landscape of restrictions and controversies surrounding satirical content?

Sonal: Yes, it was an amazing experience to be involved in Tere Bin Laden at such an early point in my career. As for a third part of the film, only the producers will be able to comment on that. In terms of satire, I think it can definitely be made today. I truly believe that comedy is the best way to tackle issues and hold a mirror up to society at large. The thing is, there’s always a workaround, and that’s where the art of scriptwriting comes into play—where the message gets across in the most unexpected and hilarious way.

Q. You’ve had a fascinating writing journey. Could you take us through your experiences—from your early days to working on highly acclaimed projects?

Sonal: My journey into films formally began in 2006, but unofficially, it started much earlier when I was just 4 years old. It was then that my father introduced me to the cult horror film The Omen, while my mother introduced me to Mera Naam Joker.

In 2006, I enrolled at Whistling Woods International, where I studied filmmaking for two years and received formal training. After that, I worked as an in-house producer for several TV and film production houses, including Optimistix, the creators of Comedy Circus. I also worked on the unique film Sankat City, but the real turning point in my career came when I contributed to the cult hit Tere Bin Laden. Following that, I worked on multiple projects with Adlabs Films and Walkwater Media, including Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive, Rita (Marathi), and Zoya Factor. A pivotal moment in my career came when I spent three years on a project very close to my heart—creating the theme park Imagica. I wrote and creatively produced all the attractions, with the most notable being Mr. India in animation, which continues to be enjoyed by kids and families every single day. There’s no greater joy than seeing a child’s face light up after experiencing something you’ve created. That’s when my journey as a writer truly began. I worked on a TV show called Aladdin for SAB TV, followed by Raisinghani Versus Raisinghani. My most recent project is Guri Dhairya Ki Love Story, where I receive daily feedback on my writing through viewer comments on YouTube. In short, my journey has been incredibly diverse, spanning genres and countries. It’s been rewarding, and there’s so much more to come.

Q. What, according to you, makes a script truly perfect? Do you follow a particular philosophy or process while writing?

Sonal: The holy grail of any story is Character, Character, and Character! Usually, people work on the plot before the characters and then mold the characters into that plot, but I’ve realized that a unique character will make your plot more unique. So that’s the starting point. Next comes research—only through research can one create an authentic, lived-in story. And rewrites—a writer shouldn’t ever shy away from rewrites; they make the screenplay much better. One thing I don’t shy away from is collaboration. I love working with other writers to make my story solid. This doesn’t mean that I can’t do it on my own; it simply means that if my story can be the best version, then why wouldn’t I want that?

Q. What’s next on your slate? Are there any particular genres or filmmakers you are keen to collaborate with in the future?

Sonal: I have a bunch of exciting projects lined up for the future, some of which I can discuss at a later stage. One of them is an Indo-American project called Belong, which is a family drama exploring the dynamics between Indian parents and their immigrant children. This project will be directed by an award-winning filmmaker who recently won a prestigious award for his film at TIFF.

Currently, I’m collaborating with two highly acclaimed production houses on three exciting projects. The first is a dark crime-comedy show, the second is a unique romantic comedy featuring an unlikely couple, and the third is a historical fiction series. One of these projects explores the impact social media has on young men and women, and I hope it will prompt viewers to question many things—especially how much information is too much. It’s something similar to the way Adolescence has tackled these themes recently.

In addition to these, I’m also working on creating my own content in the children’s space. So, there’s a lot of exciting stuff lined up for the future.

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