Hindi

Scriptwriters seek out factors for success

Published

18 years ago

March 27, 2008

MUMBAI: Scriptwriters Rex Weiner, member of WGA (USA), Vinay Shukla, Jaideep Sahni, Anjum Rajabali and Rensil D‘Silva today spoke on the ills that plague the art and craft of scriptwriting and sought to find measures that need to be taken to ramp up this very important industry. MD National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Nina Lath Gupta moderated the session.

The session began with Weiner saying that today writing was all about big budgets. He stressed that as against earlier writers just told a story and did not have to worry about budgets.

So what makes a good script good and a bad script bad, he asked.

“The best scripts are about human behaviour intimately observed. You need audiences to ask what‘s next? The more specific a character becomes ironically the more universal he becomes,” Weiner says.

But it was Vinay Shukla of Godmother fame who gave an interesting overview of what today‘s audiences want.

He cited the examples of the recent hit films like Mithya, Khosla ka Ghosla, Chak De and Metro and analysed why the offbeat films had worked.

Shukla pointed out that Chak De had no obligatory songs, no heroine and no romantic scenes and went on to say that today it is the youth that is the target audience, unlike yesterday when films were made keeping housewives in mind.

Now housewives have been lost to the Ekta Kapoors of today he commented.

Shukla advised writers to shed their inhibitions at a time when values are changing, saying that it‘s not the boldness of a subject but the treatment that makes a good film.

Linear narrative is no longer the rule of the thumb (a la Metro) he said.

He analysed why a film like Halla Bol had flopped though it had raised pertinent social concerns. Shukla said that it is not that social concerns do not stir audiences but the contrived melodrama let down audiences.

Outlining a few factors that scriptwriters should bear in mind Shukla said a script should be short, subtle, not over dramatic and western.

“Dil Chahta Hai brought in casualness and Chak De solidified this. Characters in our films are only black or white and that‘s why most of our films look the same. Three dimensional characters are the need of the day and if the subject is city based then the need is to be western,” Shukla averred.

Anjum Rajabali stressed that there was a historical reason why there was a dearth of successful scriptwriters in our country and held that this was because there is a lack of training.

“In the old times writers did not go to any school of writing but they learned all about it by observation. But now some amount of learning is important which is not happening,” he said.

Rajabali added that the attitude towards writing functions has to change.

Drawing a parallel with the pharma industry he said that there was a huge fund for R&D and there is no sword dangling on the head of a scientist as he labours over research.

Rajabali pointed out that the pharmas invest in thousands of scientists and only five succeed. So why can‘t the film industry too do the same he asked.

A writer should be made a stakeholder in the film making business, as this will make good business sense, he said.

Rang de Basanti‘s successful script writer Rensil D‘Silva did not agree that we lacked good writers.

He felt that India does have a good pool of writers but we are not looking at them. He believes that if one taps the advertising world which he thinks has great writing talent and get even 10 per cent to work this will be a huge number.

According to Rensil the only problem why one does get good writers is because people do not pay well. Unlike in Hollywood people here do not want to invest in scripts. He wondered that if Manoj “Night” Shyamalan got $5 million for his script in the USA, what would he get had he written the script in “Pondicherry”?

The best note of hope came from Jaideep Sahni, who said that as the film making business had grown in the last few years by leaps and bounds it has also affected the writing side.

Sahni who has penned the famed “Chak de” and has also written and co-produced Khosla ka Ghosla said that he disagreed that writers were now writing for only multiplex audiences.

He stressed the fact that Chak de had nothing in the story that was ‘multiplex‘. In fact everything was rural, even some of the actors.

Sahni said yes the writers wanted money but they cannot be bought. They should be made partners.

He requested filmmakers and corporate houses not to invest in writers but to invest in the process of writing.

He believed that as the investment takes place there will be an army of writers to service the industry. Writers need to be paid for R&D and this will help give birth to quality writers.

Hindi

Boney Kapoor acquires remake rights of Tamil political satire Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil

Strong word-of-mouth turns Pongal satire into remake pick

Published

2 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A Pongal release, a village satire and a theatre visit in Coimbatore have turned into Boney Kapoor’s latest acquisition. The producer has secured the remake rights to the Tamil political satire Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil (TTT), a film that has been enjoying a strong theatrical run powered by word-of-mouth and praise for its sharp, rooted writing.

Set in a rural milieu, the story follows a panchayat leader thrown into disarray when a wedding and a funeral land on the same day. What unfolds is a swirl of satire and humour that skewers local politics, power games, bruised egos and family tensions, all anchored in the textures of everyday village life.

Kapoor first encountered the film earlier this year while in Coimbatore for the Celebrity Cricket League. With time to spare, he caught a screening at a local theatre. That viewing proved decisive. According to sources, the narrative style, performances and the film’s balance of political commentary and comedy caught his attention.

Interest quickly turned into intent. Kapoor reached out to the producers soon after to explore a remake. Talks gathered pace over the following weeks and came to a head last Friday at the film’s success party in Chennai, where Kapoor joined the celebrations and continued negotiations with the makers.

By the end of the evening, the deal was sealed, with Kapoor formally acquiring the remake rights.

For an industry constantly mining regional cinema for the next crossover story, the move is telling. A small-town satire with local flavour has found a national backer. And if Kapoor’s instincts hold, a tale born in one village may soon echo far beyond it.

Hindi

Fans take centre stage as Zee Cine awards turns the spotlight around

Published

3 weeks ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the applause gets louder than the dialogue, you know the fans have taken over. That was the unmistakable mood as Zee formally announced the Zee Cine Awards 2026, flipping the script to celebrate not just cinema’s stars, but the people who cheer them on the loudest.

The 24th edition of the awards marks a fresh chapter in Zee’s long-standing relationship with Hindi cinema, anchored in its fan-first philosophy, Fantertainment. This year’s theme, ‘Yeh Pal Hai Fans Ka’, reinforces a simple idea: cinema’s most powerful moments are shaped as much by audiences as by actors on screen. Presented by Maruti Suzuki, the awards aim to turn fandom into the main event.

The announcement, held in Mumbai, was anything but a routine press conference. Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar, Tamannaah Bhatia, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Aparshakti Khurana, composer Mithoon and singer Palak Muchhal joined fans to kick off the celebrations, turning the launch into a high-voltage, participative spectacle.

Staying true to the theme, fans didn’t just watch the announcement, they drove it. Akshay Kumar took the lead, pulling fellow stars on stage and energising the room, before the unveiling of a live LED Fan Meter. Powered purely by audience cheers, the rising meter culminated in the reveal of the Zee Cine Awards 2026 ground event date, announced in unison with fans, blurring the line between performer and spectator.

The momentum continued as Tamannaah Bhatia, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa and Aparshakti Khurana recreated iconic hook steps, joined by Mithoon and Palak Muchhal for music-led interactions. Games, spontaneous performances and playful banter kept the focus firmly on shared moments, underscoring the evolving bond between cinema and its audience.

Beyond the launch, the awards will roll out as a multi-platform journey across television, digital, print and fan-led experiences. The aim is sustained engagement from the first announcement to awards night cementing fandom as a cultural force rather than a footnote.

Commenting on the milestone edition Zee head of advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital Laxmi Shetty said the 24th Zee Cine Awards continue to draw strength from the network’s omni-channel ecosystem, reflecting how audiences consume content today across TV, digital and social platforms. She noted that long-standing brand associations, including Maruti Suzuki’s three-year partnership and support from brands such as Hell Energy, underline the platform’s scale, trust and cultural relevance.

As Zee Cine Awards 2026 gathers pace, one thing is clear: this year, the loudest cheers won’t just echo in the auditorium, they’ll shape the show itself.

Hindi

Prime Video to stream Don’t Be Shy, produced by Alia Bhatt

Published

4 weeks ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Prime Video has found its next feel-good original, and it comes with a healthy dose of heart, humour and youthful chaos. The streaming platform has announced Don’t Be Shy, a coming-of-age romantic comedy produced by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt under their banner, Eternal Sunshine Productions.

Written and directed by Sreeti Mukerji, the film follows Shyamili ‘Shy’ Das, a 20-year-old who believes her life is neatly mapped out until it suddenly is not. What follows is a relatable tumble through friendship, love and the awkward art of growing up, when plans unravel and certainty gives way to self-discovery.

The project is co-produced by Grishma Shah and Vikesh Bhutani, with music composed by Ram Sampath, adding to the film’s promise of warmth and energy. Prime Video describes the story as light-hearted yet emotionally grounded, with a strong female-led narrative at its core.

Prime Video India director and head of originals Nikhil Madhok, said the platform was delighted to collaborate with Eternal Sunshine on a story that blends sincerity with humour. He noted that the film’s fresh writing, earnest characters and infectious music make it an easy, engaging watch for audiences well beyond its young adult setting.

For Alia Bhatt, Don’t Be Shy reflects the kind of storytelling Eternal Sunshine set out to champion. She said the film stood out for its honesty, its coming-of-age perspective and Mukerji’s passion, which she felt was deeply woven into the narrative. Bhatt also praised Prime Video for supporting distinctive voices and bold creative choices.

With its breezy tone and familiar emotional beats, Don’t Be Shy aims to charm viewers whether they are rom-com regulars or simply in the mood for a warm, unpretentious story about life refusing to stick to the plan.