(This article is authored by Alar) 

Prominent writer Vijayendra Prasad, who had reaped a massive popularity across the nation for penning the stories of blockbuster flicks 'Baahubali' and 'RRR', has come up to the national stage and revealed his writing style. Both of these movies were directed by SS Rajamouli, the son of Vijayendra Prasad. 

The writer was attending the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which is in full-swing in Goa. A total of 20 non-feature films and 25 feature films, including RRR, Jai Bhim, and The Kashmir Files were selected. Speaking at the Masterclass session of 'The Master's writing process' of the ongoing event, Vijayendra Prasad shared about his writing style and journey. 

Speaking about how he started his journey, he said, "I did everything possible to earn a living including agriculture before becoming a writer. The writing came much later in life." In his late forties, the 80-year-old veteran of Telugu cinema, who has become one of the most prestigious writers in the Indian film industry, began his career as a writer, where he made his debut through the movie Janaki Ramudu in 1988.

"You have to create something out of nothing. You have to present a lie, which looks like the truth. A person who can tell a good lie can be a good storyteller," he added. He further said, "I do not write stories, I steal them. Stories are there around you, be it epics like Mahabharat, Ramayan or real-life incidents, there are stories everywhere. You need to represent it in your unique style."

Prasad, when asked about the secret to his success, stated that as a film writer, he believes it is crucial to cater to the needs of both the film's crew and the audience. " I have everything in my mind - the flow of the story, characters and twists. A good writer should cater to the needs of the director, producer, primary protagonist and audience. I always try to create hunger within the audience for my story and characters. And that drives me to create something unique and appealing," he said.

As a screenwriter, Vijayendra Prasad has contributed to more than twenty-five films, including the Himalayan triumphant hits Bahubali and RRR, directed by his son and veteran filmmaker Rajamouli. In July of this year, Prasad was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Indian government. The veteran writer also collaborated with S. Ramanagirivasan on the screenplay for the Vijay-starring film Mersal.