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| Prakash Jha |
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| Karan Johar |
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| Ashutosh Gowariker |
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| Imtiaz Ali |
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| Farhan Akhtar |
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| Abhinay Deo |
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| Vikramaditya Motwane |
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| Rajkumar Gupta |
A battle over words - that's what it is between Bollywood directors and scriptwriters! Directors, tired of complaining about lack of good scriptwriters, are readily picking up the pen to script their own movies, while scriptwriters crib about lack of opportunity and insufficient pay.
Directors like Aditya Chopra, Prakash Jha, Karan Johar, Ashutosh Gowariker, Imtiaz Ali and Farhan Akhtar are a few directors who prefer writing their own scripts.
Adman-turned-movie director Abhinay Deo, who has helmed movies like 'Game' and the yet to release 'Delhi Belly' - both based on someone else's story, notes that the reason for directors to write is 'a dearth of good writers'.
'The fact is that because of the dearth of writers, directors are taking to writing, and that is not the healthiest of things for the industry. But I won't deny there are some directors like Ashutosh Gowariker, Rensil D'Silva, Mani Ratnam, who are fantastic at writing,' Deo said.
If Deo blames the lack of writing talent in the country, other directors feel they can do complete justice to their movie only when they write and direct it themselves.
'There are good scriptwriters in India...but they don't take time and don't work hard,' tells acclaimed filmmaker Prakash Jha, known for his realistic treatment in movies like 'Damul', 'Gangaajal', 'Apaharan' and 'Raajneeti'.
'For the kind of cinema I make, for the kind of observations that I have to make, the kind of people I meet, the way I store knowledge and information, I think I'm the only guy who can write my stories. If a writer's script comes to me, I will definitely see it. But I am a little different in my style of filmmaking. I've already started work on films that I might make seven years later, so which writer will I be able to get?' he included.
Kunal Kohli, who often writes his scripts, yearns to direct somebody else's story, but so far he hasn't come across anything interesting.
'Why do we directors have to write our own scripts? Adi (Aditya Chopra), Karan (Johar), Imtiaz (Ali), Farhan (Akhtar), me - we all write ourselves. Wish I could read many and choose one. I want a ready script I can just shoot. Like the ones Salim-Javed used to write. Perfect screenplays. Kahaan hai (Where are they)?' Kohli once wrote on micro-blogging site.
Even Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has felt a lack of quality writing in the Hindi film industry in current times.
'I personally feel that the same kind of writing is not happening as it used to in the past. I just feel that content is not as poetic or lyrical. Some of the language has the use of expletives,' Amitabh told.
But scriptwriters have a diverse story to tell.
According to industry estimates, a new scriptwriter's pay would start Rs.500, 000 and for experienced writers, it can go up to Rs.4 million-Rs.5 million. But that's not similar to the amount that producers shell out for the shooting, the stars, or even the publicity these days.
'Filmmakers often compare Indian writers with those in Hollywood. But they need to understand that the ball game is different here. The roles of scriptwriters are earmarked abroad. But in India, roles are not clear, the pay scale is not up to the mark, and credit becomes an issue sometimes...so it is unfair to compare,' told Kanika Dhillon, who has contributed her writing talent to movies like 'Billu' and Shah Rukh Khan's much-awaited 'RA.One'.
Even if writers have good ideas, it is a problem for newcomers to reach producers, directors and actors.
Vikramaditya Motwane told who scripted 'Udaan', 'Once the script was done, I had a tough time finding someone to produce the movie. Many producers came and went, but nobody was ready to commit to the movie.'
Filmmaker Rajkumar Gupta, who has made movies like 'Aamir' and 'No One Killed Jessica', told, 'Biggest hindrance for any scriptwriter is to convince a director and an actor.'
Dhillon feels 'India does not lack writing talent. We lack the right backing and support.'
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