Following a guide on Wiki How (I know... not exactly reliable or accurate) I started writing my bio’s for my characters. I found it helpful as it goes, it helped me to add depth to my characters built on what I like and dislike in people. I then matched colours to personalities according to how those colours made me feel. Colours are important in my work because my characters don’t have many features.
I began with making a list of good and bad attributes about people I know. This is strictly personality, no physical features.
I then made a list of good and bad points about the appearance of individuals. What features really make me feel uncomfortable and which ones are most desirable to me. This actually didn’t come in useful due to the aforementioned lack of features that I want my characters to have. They aren’t human after all.
I then made a list of common emotions and underneath wrote what people around me do when they feel that way. For example, one of my friends plays with her hair when she is uncomfortable.
The guide said to choose a character that has a much deeper personality than what is first thought. This is my main character.
I chose the Hindi translations for words associated with the soul’s origin due to the religious nature of souls and reincarnation in Hinduism.
पानी (Paani, water) the Water soul
Paani is a loyalist. Paani is quiet and sensible however in the beginning of the film this is portrayed as being shy, indecisive and a bit of a bore. Throughout the piece you see her grow to be less frightened of the world around her, more understanding of what the aim of her existence is and also more helpful towards other characters. Her conscience becomes fully formed and the most expressions come from Paani as we see the other souls from her point of view. She furrows her eyebrows often and shakes her fists when things annoy her. She stares a lot with wide eyes and she wrings her fingers or bites her nails in periods of distress.
लाल (Laal, red) the Fire soul
Laal is the erratic and impatient member. She is almost the polar opposite to the water soul, as her origin would suggest. She is a happy character, encouraging towards others, excitable and highly adventurous. Unfortunately these traits get the fire soul into trouble with her reckless behaviour irrational choices and jokester attitude. Her constant quick pace sometimes leaves the others behind and in her shadow. She is self destructive as fire would be. She spins on the spot when she is excited or happy and she laughs a lot. She nods a lot and makes high pitched noises.
हवा (Havaa, wind) the Wind soul
Haava is the motivator or motivated. He is hard working and his main aim in his existence is to be the best at everything. He is cultural and breezes through his existence knowing the answers as his origin would suggest. He is my least favourite soul as he is highly competitive, self obsessed and vain. He blinks a lot and leaves the group to their own devices to do what he wants.
फूल (Phool, flower) the Earth soul
Phool is lazy. He is completely reliable, understanding, thoughtful and sensible however he is stagnant and does not appear to want to change his ways at all. Having said this you would rather have him as a friend than the constantly over achieving self absorbed Wind soul. His lack of work ethic leaves him at the back of the group and constantly bored, dithering around and waiting for someone to make decisions for him. He has drooped eyes and laboured movements, everything is a major effort to him.
