Cinema VinesAt the Screenwriters Association’s (SWA) Vartalaap event, writer‑lyricist Jaideep Sahni delivered a forceful speech on the challenges that screenwriters face in India’s film industry. The gathering, held in Mumbai, brought together industry professionals to discuss issues ranging from artificial intelligence to royalty collection.
Sahni, known for his work on films such as Chak De India, Bunty Aur Babli and Company, opened the session with a warning about the rapid rise of large‑language models. He said, “In every field, it is a mixture of being excited and being alarmed. The models we see are the retail version, but the ones not released are 100 times more dangerous.” The screenwriter stressed that the clock is ticking and that “one day it will be too late.”
He then turned to the core of the evening’s theme: writers’ rights and remuneration. “The best partnership should be between a writer and a producer. A writer should be a producer’s best friend because it’s a story,” he declared. Sahni argued that the true leverage for writers lies in producing quality work that speaks for itself. “When the page speaks, the big guys shut up,” he added, echoing a sentiment that writers’ voices can silence the industry’s power brokers.
Addressing the ongoing struggle for fair royalties, Sahni highlighted the role of the Screenwriters Rights Association of India (SRAI). He described royalties not as a bonus but as an essential financial component, saying, “If you have any episode, any film, even a partial credit, you don’t know—you, your kids, your family, even after your death—that money will keep coming.” He cited past victories by figures such as Javed Akhtar and Anjum Rajabali to underscore the legitimacy of the fight.
The event was moderated by SWA Executive Committee member Vibha Singh, who helped steer the discussion toward the high‑stakes threat of AI and the importance of collective action. With Sahni’s impassioned remarks and the SWA’s continued advocacy, the Vartalaap session underscored that screenwriters are finally being heard and that their power is gaining traction in Bollywood’s evolving landscape.
