What does it take to write for the screen in a way that sticks—not just in the heads of viewers but in their hearts too? For Rajesh Ramaswamy (aka Ramsam), Co-founder of The Script Room and a creative force behind some of India’s most memorable ad films, the answer is disarmingly simple: keep it real, keep it raw.
At the AdTalk session hosted by The Advertising Club Madras, Ramsam peeled back the layers on his process of screenwriting—not just the technicalities, but the heart, soul, quirks, contradictions, and the all-important human truths that make stories come alive. Ramsam didn’t just share tips. He dismantled myths, challenged norms, and invited everyone in the room to rethink what screenwriting means in the world of advertising.
Real is Rare: Finding Stories in Everyday Life
Ramsam believes that the most compelling stories are rooted in the real. Whether it’s a father trying to get a haircut or a brother gifting a diamond to his sister, the moments that matter often come from personal, lived experiences. “The uncool protagonist can be more interesting,” Ramsam shared, a mantra that has guided much of his work.
The PhonePe ad, for instance, wasn’t just about utility payments. It was about capturing the dynamics between aging parents and their tech-savvy children. By anchoring the ad in a relatable domestic setup — with the father finding excuses to leave the house, and the mother reminding everyone about unpaid bills — Ramsam tapped into a universal truth. The humor was not constructed; it came from life itself.
Keep It Raw, Keep It Real
A recurring theme in Ramsam’s session was the idea of staying raw. “Sometimes, the more simpler and basic forms could be more unique,” he said. In a world obsessed with gloss and polish, Ramsam champions a rough-around-the-edges aesthetic that reflects how people actually talk, feel, and behave. This authenticity is especially important in casting and performances. “When you try to act too much, it doesn’t work,” he explained. “Pick people who sound and feel real. Even their pauses and awkwardness can bring charm.”
He cited examples like the Tanishq ads, where Deepika Padukone is shown not as a glamorous star but as a regular daughter. Casting her real mother added to the realism and allowed the story to feel more grounded. The tone of voice was deliberately casual and unromantic, despite the themes of love and affection. “If you’re writing a romantic ad, don’t write it romantically,” Ramsam advised. Because when emotion is authentic, it doesn’t need to be overstated.
Don’t Overthink the Message
Briefing on how to structure messages in an ad, Ramsam’s advice was refreshingly direct: “Sometimes, just say it, man.” The creative process often spirals into a quest for metaphor and subtext, but according to him, simplicity can carry surprising power.
Take the Netflix campaign for Selection Day. The brief was to get people to watch the show. Instead of weaving in complex analogies, Ramsam and his team simply built a narrative around a drunk guy telling his friend repeatedly to watch Selection Day. That’s it. The message was the plot.
“Invent a message you want to communicate,” Ramsam added. Start with what you need to say and build around it. That doesn’t mean being boring — it means being clear. Once clarity is achieved, creativity can be unleashed to make that clarity engaging.
Format Is Your Friend
Ramsam also stressed the importance of creating repeatable, modular formats. In the Netflix example, the drunken protagonist became a recurring character across a series of 20-second ads, each reinforcing the same message. It wasn’t just efficient; it was entertaining.
Similarly, he spoke about the Peppa Pig-inspired “What are you watching?” campaign — a relatable situation for families where everyone is hooked on different shows. This idea sparked from Ramsam’s own life and became a format everyone in the team could contribute to.
Work Within — and Around — Constraints
Constraints, Ramsam argued, are not obstacles. They’re creative triggers. The iconic Flipkart kid-adults campaign was a case in point. Despite the limitations of using child actors in adult settings (which required intricate miniatures and technical wizardry), the team found ways to reinvent the format.
Initially, the setup — kids talking in miniature boardrooms or bedrooms — felt static. The breakthrough came when they decided to change the setting. A script about mobile phones with 3x zoom was transformed into a jungle safari setup, which added visual excitement. But such shifts required backend coordination before even pitching the idea. The production team confirmed feasibility just five minutes before the client meeting.
That’s where the screenwriter’s responsibility expands beyond the page. It’s about anticipating execution and working backward. “Sometimes, the language itself will be an idea,” Ramsam noted, pointing to how storytelling isn’t limited to dialogue or narration. Language, setting, and tone can all be expressive tools.
Tone Is Everything
Tone can transform an ordinary script into an extraordinary one. Ramsam illustrated this through Tanishq’s trilogy of ads — each centered on different relationships but unified by their grounded tone. A daughter’s relationship with her mom, a brother’s understated affection, and a couple’s 40-year-long partnership — none of these were portrayed through melodrama. Instead, humour, awkwardness, and familiarity shaped the emotional landscape.
Whether it’s using commentary in a Swiggy ad to inject cricket fever, or exploring how a dad avoids digital banking just to step out of the house, the tone must align with the world being portrayed. It’s not about being clever. It’s about being truthful.
Trust the Process — and the People
Ramsam also emphasised the importance of collaboration. From casting to production design, from designers to directors — everyone adds value. Writers shouldn’t operate in silos. Sometimes, ideas emerge during a conversation, a casual observation, or even a drink with friends. “We were drinking when we cracked this,” he admitted about the Selection Day drunk guy idea for Netflix.
And occasionally, what seems like an annoying client demand (e.g., “put a cricket context in it”) leads to a better outcome. The Swiggy ad, initially a simple narrative about ordering a single item, was elevated by integrating cricket commentary playing in the background — a constraint that sparked a new creative layer.
Final Frame
Ramsam’s talk was less a how-to and more a philosophy: Be authentic. Think simple. Build from life. Write what you know, but more importantly, know what you’re writing for. And perhaps most memorably, find joy in the raw, unpolished, and unexpected. Because in the world of screenwriting, the messier it is, the more real it becomes.
And that’s what makes it magic.
