Puneet Sikka dives into her debut novel Take No. 2020, a slice-of-life exploration of the Hindi film industry's trials, humour, and hidden stories inspired by real-life experiences. She’s in a conversation with Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri.

In this candid interview, author Puneet Sikka, daughter of Calling Sehmat fame Harinder Sikka, discusses her debut novel Take No. 2020. Drawing from her experiences in the Hindi film industry and media, Sikka reveals the creative process, challenges of long-form storytelling, and the vibrant, often shadowy world behind the glitz of cinema. She reflects on how real-life characters and situations inspired her work, balancing humour and struggle in a story designed for both readers and screen adaptation. Perfect for fans of film and fiction, this conversation provides an intimate glimpse into Bollywood's lesser-known realities.

Though we are a nation obsessed with cinema, it is surprising that there are very few works of fiction that deal with and are set against the backdrop of the film industry, and even fewer that actually succeed in conveying the glitz and glamour, the crazy and surreal side of it. The one that comes foremost to mind is Krishna Shastri Devulapalli’s delectable Jump Cut, which is, to my mind, the finest of the lot with its biting satire, black humour, and laugh-out-loud take on the seedy underbelly of Tamil cinema. Gajra Kottary’s Once Upon a Star fictionalized a real-life film family but falters with a sentimental telling that somehow does not deliver on its promise of providing an insider’s view of the industry. Priyanka Sinha Jha’s debut collection of stories, Folktales from Bollywood, chronicles the topsy-turvy world of Bollywood folks and their rollercoaster lives. Offering a delectable peek at what lies beneath the pulsating, adrenaline-inducing highs and lows of life in the movies, this darkly funny anthology captures the goings-on in the world of show business—the constant tug-of-war between the most glorious and the deliciously wicked aspects of the beautiful people.

Puneet Sikka, daughter of the redoubtable Harinder Sikka of Calling Sehmat fame, ventures into this territory with aplomb in her debut fiction, Take No. 2020. Drawing from her experiences as a news and advertising professional and an actor on stage and television, Puneet’s is a confident take on filmdom, full of relatable characters and situations. Over to my conversation with the author.

Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri: What lies at the genesis of Take No. 2020? Where did it take off from?

Puneet Sikka: This book is a product of my imagination, inspired by my lived experience in the Hindi film industry. I wished to write a role for myself because I felt underwhelmed reading the character sketches for female actors. Also, writing is an empowering exercise. I had first conceptualized this story as a script for a web series. However, once I began expanding on each episode, I realized that I was letting them become chapters instead. Creating a character from the ground up—to give it flesh, add layers and subtext, design their arc, and position them in the overall storyline—was a thrilling notion. Seeing this vision through will always be a landmark experience for me. 

Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri: Give us an insight into the writing and making of the book. Were there a number of drafts involved? What was your writing regimen like?

Puneet Sikka: Each day, I had to remind myself to get out of my own way. Treating the characters—each of whom comes from different socio-economic and linguistic backgrounds—with objectivity and empathy while keeping their quirks and authentic voices intact was an arduous task. Given that this was my first book and my first experience with long-form writing, unlike the short-form writing I had done in news and advertising previously, there was a lot of unlearning involved. Naturally, there were multiple drafts. The first draft, however, was a breeze as I had plotted and planned the entire story on scribbling pads and post-it notes before starting to write on my laptop. But of course, first drafts are ugly ducklings that undergo transformation. I wrote daily, and when I felt the dreaded writer’s block, I continued to sit at my desk and reminded myself not to abandon the project. I saw it as a minor blip in the journey, not the entire journey. Showing up helped me get to the other side.

Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri: How has your work in the news and advertising industries and as an actor in theatre and TV influenced the narrative?

Puneet Sikka: I believe life, in general, is influenced by the way we experience it, and the media industry widened my exposure, helping me add depth to my work. For instance, working in news and advertising helped me add nuance to the characters’ lives—a comment I heard became a dialogue somewhere in the book, giving Meera’s character an edge. Or a subplot I crafted stemmed from my observations and interactions with production crews, casting studios, etc. Moreover, people in the media industry are an interesting, intriguing lot—walking-talking stories themselves, and sometimes not the most pleasant ones. Sitting in relative solitude in 2020 while writing my book, I encountered old memories each day and kept adding details to the plot. Storytelling isn’t about telling a story but retelling one. And Take No. 2020 is a story retold—real, relatable, and authentic.

Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri: For a nation obsessed with cinema, we have very little fiction originating against the backdrop of the film industry. One can count such takes on one’s fingertips. Why is that? Surely there are enough fascinating stories that can be told.

Puneet Sikka: I won’t be able to make a fair assessment of that. However, perhaps people in the film industry don’t want to depict the shadowy side of the industry, not even through fiction, lest they be caught on the offensive, which could mar their relationships with colleagues or those in power.

Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri: Related to the above, most tales fictionalizing industry shenanigans have come up short in terms of both narrative heft and commercial success. Is this something you considered while embarking on this novel, and was it a daunting cross to bear? How do you hope to buck the trend?

Puneet Sikka: I took the foolhardy approach of trusting my instinct. I had a story to tell—it was my first book—and I did not want external factors to govern, model, or derail my desire to act on a calling. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it still works and beautifully so. When one writes a book (and we all have at least one inside us), it’s not just the characters being shaped or put through the wringer—it’s also the author, usually for the better. Take No. 2020 was my trial by fire and a labour of love. I believe this story will eventually find the stage, audience, and destiny it deserves.

Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri: There’s an underlying sense of pungent humour that informs what is essentially a tough take involving the struggler. Could you talk about that as a choice you made?

Puneet Sikka: In so many ways, humour is how we transmute our pain. That’s why it’s said that there’s a little bit of truth in every joke. I was intentional about keeping Take No. 2020 a slice-of-life novel, guiding not only the characters’ emotions but also offering reprieve for the reader amidst an intense plot. Besides, the first three letters of my name are ‘pun’—there had to be an underlying tone of wit.   

Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri: ‘No character is entirely fictional’ is the title of one of the last chapters of the book. Meera, Dabloo, Jayesh, Mickey Taneja… those who have interacted with the fringes of the industry will know these characters inhabit PGs in Andheri and Lokhandwala. Are any of these characters based on real life or people you’ve come across?

Puneet Sikka: All of the characters are people from life, though not wholly borrowed from one person. They’re blends of many. As I mentioned, auditioning as an actor in Bombay and experiencing Aram Nagar life—a melting pot for all casting and production studios—I had the fortune of observing and befriending people from many walks of life. My observations and interactions fed my imagination and shaped Take No. 2020.  

Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri: What’s next? Do you see this as an OTT or film adaptation? Is there another book that readers can look forward to?

Puneet Sikka: When you read the book, you’ll realize it’s very visual—a happy coincidence. I definitely envision it being adapted for the screen. Time will tell how and when that happens. As for another book, I don’t have one yet—I spent a lot of myself on Take No. 2020. For now, I want to enjoy this phase before embarking on a new project.