Actor Ranaksh Rana says that he loves penning his thoughts in the form of poems or stories. He adds that reading a lot has helped him cultivate this skill.

“I have been writing poetry for a long time now and the passion for writing just became broader. Writing is also a process that starts from reading. I have a habit of watching Hollywood films, printing the script and analysing. It has helped me understand different writing structure, hooks and novel ideas and identified my own writing style. I also keep reading stories and non-fiction in general,” he says.

Ask him if he has taken any formal training, and he says, “I went through formal training by Professor Samar Nakhate, ex dean of FTII which covered direction and screenplay writing. But I feel every writing exercise is a learning exercise. I am also developing my writing by creating an ecosystem around me that nurtures creative thinking process and respecting people who align with my thought process and nudge me to go forward. Having read legends like Munshi Premchand, Dinkar, Manto and understanding their storytelling also opens up the mind.”

Talking about the writing projects that he is currently working on, he says, “I am currently dwelling into web shows and films but writing for me starts from research and understanding the nuances of what I want to bring out in the world. I am intrigued by cultural diversity in our country, the rich mythology and I strongly feel ideas can come from anywhere. The subject keeps growing and I like to look at the same scene from multiple angles.”

Acting and writing is a great combination, he says, adding, “Yes, being an actor and writer simultaneously helps in both the fields. It helps in building the characters and understanding characters better. Character design is an art and I think acting taught me that characters should never be shown to be perfect. I want to show real, imperfect characters.”