Interviews

The One Change Screenwriters Would Like To See In The Hindi Film Industry

We ask leading screenwriters that, if given a chance, what practices they’d like to improve or do away with in Bollywood

Team FC

Saiwyn Quadras (Writer of Mary Kom, Neerja)

The reading habits. People should read more. Be it actors, be it the gatekeepers. Not too many actors read. That's the feeling I got with the little interaction I've had. Some do. It's not a generalization but a lot more people have to start reading. Instead of saying, "Ye line change kar do or ye scene cut kar do" they need to read what's ahead in the script. Then you can give the writer a good reason for saying that.

Himanshu Sharma (Writer of Raanjhanaa, Tanu Weds Manu)

I feel that one myth should change that films are a team effort. I think it belongs to one person – the director. The faster we learn that, the better it will be for all of us. This medium belongs to them and we should know that. That's why we're not happy about what we're making. Too many cooks. Also I've seen lately that nobody is interested in stories. They are so in love with themselves, their vision, their shot taking. There's so much indulgence that it's not even funny. Tell an amazing story.

Juhi Chaturvedi (writer of Piku, Vicky Donor)

I feel before starting anything, you need to have a very clear purpose. Is it just entertaining, is it just a potboiler, is it just to get money, is it just to get actors? What is it? Entertaining is one part of cinema but it's not the be and end all of the medium. It allows you to ask very pertinent questions. It is such a big medium – we don't realize we're talking to lakhs of people across the world. How responsibly are we doing it?

Varun Grover (writer of Masaan)

The inherent sexism in the industry. We can see on this table – out of four, there is only one woman. If you increase that to ten, you'll still have probably only two or three. We have to be aware of it before changing it. The pay gap between male actors and female actors even if the female actors are drawing in the same numbers, it's big. 

Catch the full FC Adda with screenwriters here:

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