The Vet

A traumatized war veteran attempts to heal with the help of a psychiatrist with an unusual approach, but he begins to question the situation when a wolf starts to haunt his dreams and his reality.

  • Sai Karan talwar
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Genres:
    horror, satire, drama, thriller
  • Number of Pages:
    101
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • WeScreenplay - Diverse Voices Fall 2021

    June 15, 2021
    Semifinalist
  • Screencraft Drama Screenplay Competition 2021

    September 8, 2021
    Quarterfinalist
  • Scriptation Showcase - Features + Shorts Category 2021-2022

    September 8, 2021
    Quarterfinalist
  • Finish Line Script Competition 2021

    November 10, 2021
    Honourable Mention
  • Screencraft Horror Screenplay Competition 2022

    December 10, 2021
    Quarterfinalist
  • The Southern California Screenplay Competition (2021)

    January 23, 2022
    Quarterfinalist
  • Filmmatic - Inroads Fellowship Season 5

    April 15, 2022
    Quarterfinalist
  • Big Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition 2022

    April 28, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards Season 7

    July 15, 2022
    Quarterfinalist
  • Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival

    July 23, 2022
    Semifinalist
  • Creative World Awards (2022)

    August 1, 2022
    Preliminary Finalist
  • Vail Film Festival Screenplay Competition

    October 21, 2022
    Quarterfinalist
  • StoryPros International Screenplay Contest 16th Annual - 2022

    November 24, 2022
    Quarterfinalist
Writer Biography - Sai Karan talwar

Film has always been a passion for Karan dating back to growing up in his late Grandfather’s video shop. Being raised within and around the London Film Industry only cultivated this path, with family and friends spread around different functions of film and media, whether it be in marketing, directing, producing, distribution, acting and development.
Initially working with MADE from 2016; a charitable organization with an overall vision to contribute to reducing discrimination against BAME & LGBTQ+ Londoners, this resonated with Karan, being of Indian descent. Their first specific aim is to reduce prejudices about those communities and the second to increase career readiness for talent from those communities entering into the creative industries. In the last few years, MADE has run over 500 filmmaking workshops, 4 screening events with over 150 attendees, held an exhibition at BFI Southbank attracting over 1500 people, delivered 10 projects, and produced over 30 short films with 100,000+ online views. Winning Screenplay Competitions in 2018; Monkey Tree Bread Festival Finalist for Best Genre Screenplay and Awarded Best First Screenwriter in the London Film Awards, fuelled this drive further for Karan; to find ways of getting his ideas from the page to the screen.
Studying Economics and Finance at Durham University provided him with the skill set to learn how the film market ticks. Eventually, this was reflected with his undergraduate dissertation: ‘What are the key determinants of success for the box office within the UK motion picture industry?’ which received a first. This brought Karan to production companies such as Origin Pictures and 42 Management and Production, assisting within the development departments, where he assessed potential projects and aided in the development of ongoing projects. Currently, he is on the route to developing his own work.

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Writer Statement

The Vet is a psychological drama with horror inflections about a traumatized war veteran (Ben) who attempts to heal with the help of a psychiatrist (Dr Joseph) with an unusual approach, but he begins to question the situation when a wolf starts to haunt his dreams and his reality. The Vet is the perfect one-location story with two protagonists and several minor roles to fulfil the pivotal scenes.

The exposition and first act introduce the protagonists and central dilemma. They also establish the mood and atmosphere (although this changes substantially). Thus, when the story picks up the pace and lets the characters develop, I wanted to show how improvisation with dramaturgy and structure is preferable when one deals with a genre film and how frivolity can help the characters evolve. Suddenly, The Vet includes external elements that weren't implanted in the first place, and it starts playing with time and space. We lose the sense of reality together with the protagonist, and that's precisely how we should feel. The distance between myself as a filmmaker and the audience is reduced. Now, the audience is tempted to solve the puzzle together with Ben. Horror fans are the most sophisticated audience groups. They are loyal to a story as long as it doesn’t fall into the trap of disbelief. The Vet functions within its own logic and reason. Even though it relies upon postmodern devices, magic realism and surrealistic vibes, everything that happens is relatable to the world in question. Furthermore, dialogue is where most of the conflict happens until the midpoint twist. The conversations between the only two characters are erudite, sincere and I believe develops naturally. I’ve done my best to ensure that there are barely any loose ends, even when the conversations can stretch over several pages. If one looks carefully, one will notice the characters' transformation through dialogue. Ben's lines are simplified in the beginning, and Dr Joseph is more transparent in his approach. However, as the stakes increase and the situation becomes more unbearable, the clarified wording changes to anomalous, and the conversations are shorter. To refresh the story, as limited settings and characters are at threat of becoming unintentionally redundant, we introduce Rachel. This peculiar character arrives late in the story, but precisely at the crucial moment. Even though it goes in a new direction, I knew how and when to conclude this story.

I believe its key strength lies in its profoundly human concept – the recovery of a war veteran, and an analysis of his trauma. The merging of hallucinations and reality, with a mythic, almost gothic undertone, adds a layer of complexity that can be achieved with a modest budget. The characterization, and the relationship builds to an unlikely friendship hopefully, adds a sense of humanity to the project. Overall, I believe it is a compelling drama about a war veteran, with repressed memories stemming from PTSD and the doctor who is attempting to use his expertise to save him. While isolated at a small cabin in the grassland, the duo forms a friendly bond as they delve deep into the veteran’s psyche, that is until a mysterious woman arrives to reveal the true purpose of the therapy. Lastly, I believe the script provides a uniquely original take on the mental rehabilitation of those who have served in the military, and therefore feel, regardless of it is entrenchment into genre, is an important story to tell.

Think of references harkening back to the works of Herman Hesse dealing with Jungian psychology woven with the viscera of David Lynch and Alan Parker with films such as ‘Angel Heart’ and ‘Birdy’. Combine that with the contained story telling of Peter and Anthony Schaffer with their works such as: ‘Equus’, ‘The Wicker Man’, and ‘Sleuth’. All these references have informed The Vet.

With around a hundred pages, I’ve tried to make sure the excitement doesn't go away even when The Vet ends. I want the audience to be so involved in the story until now that they are enthusiastic about revisiting it. The Vet could be produced with a modest budget, given the cast ensemble, and shooting days that would mainly happen in interiors. Thus, this doesn’t mean that the execution would be simple. Quite on the contrary, The Vet requires dedication, as it can be the greatest challenge of my career but something I am ready for.