From an author to a screenwriter; Sharbari Zohra Ahmed speaks about the journey of her transition
By Rubab Nayeem Khan
Every television show is the outcome of endless brainstorming and scripting done by directors and screenwriters. As 2015 came to an end, it roped in a couple of new TV shows for us. ABC’s Quantico found itself among some of the reigning shows on the silver screen.
With Priyanka Chopra playing the lead role of Alex Parrish, the show has indeed won the hearts of many. Our focus however, veers away from the cast and looks into Quantico’s writer’s room. It came as a wave to us Bengalis when Bangladeshi-American writer Sharbari Zohra Ahmed soon became an addition to the show’s screenwriting team.
The author of the short story collection The Ocean of Mrs. Nagai and the play Raisins Not Virgins says that coming across diverse cultures and questioning her identity has played an immense role in shaping her as a writer.
“Living in Ethiopia at a young age and travelling frequently had a major impact on why I became a writer. I can empathise with people and their situations; it comes in handy when you want to tell a story. You catch on to nuances that escape most people, which is both a blessing and a curse,” claims Sharbari.
Her surroundings served as an influence for her writing career; thus the life lessons found a place in her stories. The themes Sharbari delves into revolve around politics, race, culture and identity. “I am fascinated by people and cultures and their various beliefs and inclinations. Hence, it becomes difficult to write about just one kind of subject or idea,” shares Sharbari.
The writing platform is no different from the film industry. Although writers have a vast pool of genres to work with, they always bear the pressure of bringing something new to the table. Sharbari incorporates a technique or two in order to introduce a fresh perspective to her readers. “I just try to be authentic and not worry about trends. When I was younger, I did try to imitate other types of writers because their style would sell, but it was not true to who I was so I abandoned that quickly. Thankfully publishers or agents didn’t think it was very good either,” she says cheerily.
Her perspective and expertise in creative writing eventually yielded in the opportunity to be a screenwriter for ABC’s Quantico. While she celebrates the idea of being a part of ABC network, she takes into account that there’s certainly room for improvement.
“For me Quantico is still a working progress; I am learning how to be a TV writer for a major network. I have not mastered it yet. Luckily I have a roomful of talented and experienced writers to help
me along the way,” Sharbari mentions.
When asked about prospective story ideas for the future, Sharbari says that she hasn’t yet written about the dynamics within a family, such as aging, death or loss. But she intends to do it with a sense of humour. “I think I might do a memoir on myself; my father once told me I have the unique ability to pick absolutely the wrong man to fall in love with every time. I need to explore that one out in a novel or screenplay. I think there are a few women who would appreciate that, but I also want to continue to connect seemingly disparate ideas and characters. It’s all in the service of figuring things out,” highlights Sharbari.
It’s come to notice that every TV series, be it new or old has a way of keeping its fans hooked. Quantico too has its way of keeping fans at the edge of their seats. Sharbari says that Quantico is meant to be a ‘popcorn thrill ride’ for viewers. She also adds, “We deal with some serious issues but generally people keep coming back for the humour, the stunning and unusually diverse cast and of course for the intrigue of it all.”
By Rubab Nayeem Khan