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Tag: Screenwriter’s Association

  • Entertainment bigwigs and global IP gurus mull over AI, royalties and rights

    Entertainment bigwigs and global IP gurus mull over AI, royalties and rights

    MUMBAI: Mumbai’s glitterati of lyricists, composers, and legal eagles gathered for a confabulation with World Intellectual  Property Organization (WIPO),  deputy director general Sylvie Forbin, courtesy of the Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. (IPRS).

    The topic?

     Intellectual property rights (IPR), the rise of AI, and how to keep the creative juices flowing in a digital age.

    Held under the watchful eye of legendary lyricist and IPRS chairman Javed Akhtar, the closed-door roundtable was a veritable who’s who of India’s music and entertainment scene. From Vishal Dadlani’s vocal chords to Kausar Munir’s poetic prose, all were present to discuss the future of creativity.

    “The music community has always shown resilience to overcome the challenges brought as well by technological advances,” Forbin declared, clearly impressed by India’s grasp of the AI conundrum. “They have adapted in the best way by showing a strong alliance between them. I am impressed by India’s knowledge and assessment of what would be needed when it comes to the AI revolution and happy to go along with Indian creators to foster regulatory, business, and technological solutions to engage in this new era with the necessary tools and safeguards. Long life to Indian music!”

    Akhtar, never one to mince words, stressed:  “The music industry has always been at the forefront of technological breakthrough. The music community has always shown resilience to overcome the challenges brought as well by technological advances. They have adapted in the best way by showing a strong alliance between them. I am impressed by India’s knowledge and assessment of what would be needed when it comes to the AI revolution and happy to go along with Indian creators to foster regulatory, business, and technological solutions to engage in this new era with the necessary tools and safeguards. Long life to Indian music!,” 

    The session, a proper meeting of minds, covered everything from strengthening IP frameworks to navigating the AI revolution. Key takeaways included the need for robust metadata, empowered collective management organisations (CMOs), and a stronger voice for creators in policy-making.

    “Having WIPO at the table added immense value, bringing international expertise and highlighting collaborative efforts to strengthen IP frameworks across nations. SWA and SRAI as representatives of screenwriters and lyricists strive for the rights of the creators and it is good to see all the stakeholders coming together to discuss the betterment of creators and protection of Intellectual Property,” said  Screenwriters Association general secretary Zaman Habib.

    The event, a veritable feast of ideas, saw participants calling for a unified voice to drive India’s cultural and economic growth. They also emphasised the importance of copyright education, data integrity, and international cooperation.

    “It was a great opportunity to listen to Sylvie and express our thoughts.We truly appreciate the initiative by the one and only IPRS in supporting India’s rapidly evolving entertainment and music landscape,” said Simca secretary general Sridhar J Swaminathan.

    With AI looming large, the roundtable was a timely reminder that creativity needs protection, and that India’s creative community is ready to fight its corner. It’s clear that when it comes to safeguarding artistic rights, they’re not about to play second fiddle.

    Key Takeaways from the Roundtable:
    * IP as a Growth Enabler: Strengthening IP frameworks is essential for fostering innovation and supporting India’s growing creative industries.
    * Global-Local Synergy: Engagement with WIPO highlighted the importance of international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
    * Preparing for the AI Era: A strong focus on evolving digital rights, metadata management, and ethical guidelines to navigate emerging technologies.
    * Institutional Strengthening: The need for proactive government support, legal clarity, and empowered CMOs (collective management organisations) to enforce rights.
    * Building a Unified Voice: The event marked a milestone in uniting diverse voices to drive long-term impact on India’s cultural and economic growth.
    * Elevating the Role of Creators in Policy-Making: Formal inclusion of creators in national IP and digital policy formulation was strongly advocated.
    * Copyright Education & Awareness: Emphasis on educating both creators and consumers on IP rights to reduce misuse and promote informed practices.
    * Strengthening collective management organisations (CMOs): Modernisation and transparency of CMOs were recognized as pivotal for trust and efficiency.
    * Data and Metadata Integrity: The need for robust crediting systems through better metadata was highlighted to ensure fair attribution and royalties.
    * Cultural Exchange and International Cooperation: The role of WIPO in encouraging global partnerships was applauded, with a call for more international dialogue.
    * Youth and Innovation: Recognising the contribution of young creators and startups in redefining the future of creative economies.

     

  • The Screenwriter’s Association (SWA) endorses global initiative for ethical AI use in scriptwriting

    The Screenwriter’s Association (SWA) endorses global initiative for ethical AI use in scriptwriting

    Mumbai: The Screenwriter’s Association (SWA), a collective voice for the rights and welfare of screenwriters in India, has expressed its support for the collaborative efforts of the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe (FSE) and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG). The organisations recently came out with a joint resolution outlining a set of guidelines to establish an ethical framework for the use of AI in scriptwriting.

    The resolution, consisting of five key principles, affirms the role of writers as the sole creators of literary material and advocates for mechanisms to ensure transparency, informed consent, and fair compensation in the use of writers’ intellectual property. The FSE brings together 32 screenwriters’ organizations from 26 European countries and the IAWG has 14 members from 12 countries.

    These organizations are committed to advocating for fair contracts and ensuring the protection and fair compensation of writers. SWA currently has over 65,000 members operating across India including prominent writers-filmmakers like Raj Shekhar, Anjum Rajabali, Zama Habib, Saket Chaudhary, Preeti Mamgain, Hitesh Kewalya, Sriram Raghavan, Sujoy Ghosh, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, among many others.

    Speaking about this, SWA general secretary Zama Habib said, “SWA stands firmly with IAWG and  FSE in championing ethical standards for AI integration in scriptwriting. Only human creativity can craft genuine screenwriting works. We advocate for transparency, consent, and fair remuneration to uphold writers’ rights in the ever-evolving landscape of storytelling.”

    Adding further, German screenwriter and FSE president Carolin Otto said, “While we applaud the work of the EU to enact the AI Act, there are unresolved issues with respect to the unauthorized use of our intellectual property for training large language models, and uncertainty regarding authorship and copyright of machine-generated script material. We intend to voice our concerns in both national and global policy arenas, as well as develop standard language film and television writers can demand in their contracts.”

    Irish screenwriter and IAWG chair, Jennifer Davidson, said, “The members of the IAWG seek to build on the hard-won protections our sister Guilds in America, the WGAE and the WGAW, were able to achieve during their strike: namely that it should be a tool to enhance our writing process, not diminish the value of our work or replace us. Last year, we campaigned at UNESCO and this year we will take our position to WIPO, support each other during collective bargaining, and invite representatives of the tech community to the 6th World Conference of Screenwriters in Galway.”

    A joint resolution passed by IAWG and FSE states that their member guilds will:

    1)  Affirm that only writers create literary material and that large language models (LLMs) or any other present or future forms of artificial intelligence (AI), cannot be used in place of writers;

    2)  Work to create mechanisms for obligatory transparency and accountability and to ensure writers are informed if AI generated material is used to write, rewrite, polish or perform any additional writing services;

    3)  Advocate for robust licensing mechanisms that require explicit and informed consent for the use of writers’ intellectual property in AI training data with a goal to ensure only intellectual property that has been licensed for such use be included in the datasets of commercialized LLMs, or any other present or future forms of AI;

    4)  Ensure that only human beings are entitled to authors rights and recognized under copyright law in the context of machine generated material;

    5)  Advocate for fair remuneration for the use of writers’ intellectual property in LLMs or any other present or future forms of AI.

  • Screenwriters Association announces winners of Script Lab 2022

    Screenwriters Association announces winners of Script Lab 2022

    Mumbai: Screenwriters Association (SWA) on Thursday announced the top six winners of Script Lab 2022. The winners will get further opportunities to work with eminent industry names, it said.

    SWA announced Script Lab 2022 back in September 2021 for feature-length screenplays, both original as well as literary adaptations. It is a unique platform by SWA where emerging screenwriters get an opportunity to be mentored by professionals.

    According to a statement, SWA received six hundred and one entries this year. “The top six winners were selected by a panel of filmmakers and mentors – Abhishek Chaubey, Alankrita Shrivastava, Sudip Sharma, Shakun Batra, Smita Singh, and Vikramaditya Motwane,” it said.

    The top six winning scripts include “13 Days” by Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy & Gaurav Krishna, “Kashi Kothi Ka Kul” by Akshay Asthana, “A Dinner at Khan’s” by Syed Shadan, “Meiktila” by Nimish Tanna, “Dev Dikshit” by Sandiip N Patil, and “Kriya Karam” by Nipun Angrish and Gundeep Kaur.

    SWA’s event sub-committee chairperson Mitesh Shah said that with the Script Lab SWA aims to connect emerging screenwriters with eminent makers who have successfully navigated the industry with their distinct body of work and help them mentor their first drafts. “It has been a truly humbling experience selecting six scripts out of six hundred entries through a rigorous and transparent selection process. We hope this helps them get a meaningful perspective on their drafts and simultaneously get their foot in the door,” added Shah.

    “SWA is happy to announce six sets of writers with Six complete scripts, mentored by six brilliant and acclaimed writers/directors. It’s a sixer. All the way,” said SWA president Robin Bhatt.

    Congratulating the winners, SWA general secretary Zaman Habib said, “With our first-ever Script Lab we aim to nurture the new writing talent by providing them an opportunity to meet the writer-directors and get their scripts mentored. SWA also plans to make it bigger in the future and provide these six winners with a platform to pitch their scripts directly to the production houses through our upcoming Pitch Fest.”

    Habib further thanked all the six mentors for supporting the initiative.

  • Robin Bhatt re-elected president of the Screenwriters’ Association

    Robin Bhatt re-elected president of the Screenwriters’ Association

    New Delhi: Film writer Robin Bhatt was unanimously elected as the president of the Screenwriters’ Association (SWA) for the second consecutive term, here on Monday. 

    Bhatt debuted as a writer in Bollywood with the movie Aashiqui in 1990 and has penned the screenplay for over 60 films in his 30-year-long career, which includes blockbusters like Koi Mil Gaya, Baazigar, Omkara and Krishh. He will remain the president of the association for the next two years.

    The 64th annual general body election meeting of the SWA was conducted virtually amid the Covid2019 restrictions on Sunday, in the presence of the office-bearers, scrutiny committee members, election officer, and other SWA members. Unique e-voting links were sent to all the registered members. The regular/life members and associate members voted online for the 21 posts of the executive committee, and three posts of the executive committee (associate) respectively.

    Office bearers elected unopposed for the term 2021-23 are:

    Robin Bhatt- president

    Preeti Mamgain- vice president

    Sanjay Chouhan- vice president

    Zaman Habib- general secretary

    Danish Javed – treasurer

    Satyam Tripathy- joint secretary

    Manisha Korde- joint secretary

    The new members of the executive committee include writers Abhijeet Deshpande, Abhiruchi Chand, Anjum Rajabali, Debashish Irengbam, Dhananjay Kumar, Hitesh Kewalya, Hussain Haidry, Mitesh Shah, Nikhil Vyas, Puneet Sharma, Rajesh Dubey, Sagar Pandya, Saiwyn Quadras, Saket Chaudhary, Sameer Javed Siddiqi, Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh, Satyanshu Singh, Shailender Singh Sodhi (Shellee), Sumit Arora, Sweksha Bhagat, and Vinod Ranganath.

    Deepanjan Roy, Gaurav Patki, and Persis Chirag Sodawaterwalla were elected as the associate members of the executive committee.

    A trade union of screenwriters and lyricists who work for films, TV and digital media in India, SWA completed 60 years of its incorporation in 2020. It also includes authors, novelists, playwrights, journalists who aspire to diversify or join full-time the mediums of films, TV, or digital entertainment.

  • SWA Awards 2020: Article 15, Soni & Gully Boy win big

    SWA Awards 2020: Article 15, Soni & Gully Boy win big

    MUMBAI: The first ever SWA Awards 2020, organized by the Screenwriters Association, to felicitate screenwriters and lyricists was held yesterday and was a thundering success. Hosted by actors Varun Badola and Rajeshwari Sachdeva, the event focused mainly on the writers – with the jury members who are eminent screenwriters, directors and show creators themselves announcing the winners among almost 90 nominees in 15 categories in feature films, tv shows, web series and lyrics.

    The evening exuded a lot of charm and a celebratory tone with several performers – writer, producer and director aatish kapadia doing a comedy sketch on how the world generally behaves with writers, writer and stand-up comic varun grover taking potshots at the Hindi film and television industry on the bizarre writing inputs and notes that screenwriters often receive; poets and lyricists Shellee and Hussain Haidry doing a lyrical jugalbandi on the hardships and joys of being a writer and mentalist Akshay Laxman weaving his illusionary magic on audience members. The evening concluded with a soulful performance of two songs by singer Rekha Bhardwaj and screenwriter, filmmaker and composer Vishal Bhardwaj.

    The first ever SWA Awards 2020 was held online and the buzz was palpable as the jury panels announced the awards in various categories.

    TV Shows:

    The jury comprising of Anand Mahendroo, Ajai Sinha, Kamlesh Pandey, Liliput Faruqui, Manjul Sinha, Purnendu Shekhar and Sanjay Upadhyay announced the winners in the TV shows categories:

    1. TV Comedy- Best Story: Nitin Keswani for Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

    2. TV Comedy- Best Dialogues: Bhavna Vyas for Baavle Utaavle

    3. TV Comedy- Best Screenplay: Aatish Kapadia for Bhakharwadi

    4. TV Drama- Best Story: No Award

    5. TV Drama- Best Dialogues: Preeti Mamgain for Mere Dad Ki Dulhan

    6. TV Drama- Best Screenplay: Kartick Sitaraman for Mere Dad Ki Dulhan

    Orginal Series:

    The jury comprising of Ruchi Narain, Suhail Tatari and Weksha Bhagat for original drama; Juhi Shekhar, Reshu Nath & Shiv Subrahmanyam for Original Comedy; and Anuraadha Tewari, Anuya Jakatdar and Ketki Pandit for original series Adaptation announced the winners in the original series categories:

    7. Series- Best Original Drama: Richie Mehta & Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh for Delhi Crime

    8. Series-Best Original Comedy: Devika Bhagat & Ishita Moitra for Four More Shots Please!

    9. Series- Best Adaptation: Dhruv Narang, Nihit Bhave, Pooja Tolani and Varun Grover for Sacred Games – Season2

    Lyrics:

    The jury comprising of Amit Khanna, Ila Arun, Kausar Munir, Mayur Puri & Panchhi Jalonvi announced the winners in the lyrics categories:

    10. TV/OTT- Best Lyrics: Zama Habib for the song Ek Chup Tum, Ek Chup Main from the show Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein

    11. Feature Films-Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir for the song Teri Mitti from the film Kesari

    Feature Films:

    The jury comprising of Apurva Asrani, Ashwiny Iyer TIwari and Leena Yadav announced the winner in the Best Gender Sensitive Script category:

    12. Best Gender Sensitive Script: Ivan Ayr & Kislay for Soni

    The jury comprising of Ashok Mishra, Atul Tiwari, Juhi Chaturvedi, Saket Chaudhary, Urmi Juvekar, Vijay Krishna Acharya and Vinay Shukla announced the winners in the Feature Films categories:

    13. Feature Films- Best Debut Writer: Ivan Ayr & Kislay for Soni

    14. Feature Films- Best Dialogues: Vijay Maurya for Gully Boy

    15. Feature Films- Best Story: Anubhav Sinha & Gaurav Solanki for Article 15

    16. Feature Films- Best Screenplay: Anubhav Sinha & Gaurav Solanki for Article 15

    Several members from the board of Screenwriters Association spoke at the occasion – Robin Bhatt, president; Sunil Salgia, Gen Secretary; and EC members Satyam Tripathy, Shellee, Manisha Korde, Ketki Pandit and Anum Rajabali.

    The event can be viewed on Screenwriters Association’s YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/A0-EWP4vPSk and on their Facebook Page.

  • SWA announces nominees for TV Shows category of SWA awards 2020

    SWA announces nominees for TV Shows category of SWA awards 2020

    MUMBAI: Screenwriters Association (SWA), the Indian guild of screenwriters and lyricists, announced the nominees for the TV Shows category of SWA Awards 2020. A jury comprising of eminent screenwriters selected nominees separately for story, screenplay and dialogue under two sub-categories: TV Comedy and TV Drama. Together, the nominations are divided among 13 Hindi language TV shows telecast in 2019.

    Nominees for TV Comedy – Best Story are:

    1.            Lakshmi Jayakumar and Shakti Sagar Chopra for Aladdin NaamTohSunaHoga

    2.            Sanjay Kohli, Shashank Bali and Manoj Santoshi for BhabijiGhar Par Hain!

    3.            RaghuvirShekhawat for JijajiChhatPer Hain

    4.            Nitin Keswani for Tarak Mehta KaOoltahChashma

    Nominees for TV Comedy – Best Screenplay are:

    1.            Aanchal Aggarwal for Aladdin Naam Toh Suna Hoga

    2.            Bhavna Vyas for Baavle Utaavle

    3.            Sanjay Kohli, Shashank Bali and Manoj Santoshi for BhabijiGhar Par Hain!

    4.            Aatish Kapadia for Bhakharwadi

    5.            RaghuvirShekhawat, Shashank Bali and Sanjay Kohli for JijajiChhatPer Hain

    Nominees for TV Comedy – Best Dialogue are:

    1.            Bhavna Vyas for Baavle Utaavle

    2.            Manoj Santoshi for Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

    3.            Aatish Kapadia for Bhakharwadi

    4.            Raghuvir Shekhawat for Jijaji Chhat Per Hain

    Nominees for TV Drama – Best Screenplay are:

    1.            Vishal Watwani and Renu Watwani for Choti Sarrdaarni

    2.            Kumar Prabhat  for Ek Mahanayak – Dr B R Ambedkar

    3.            Zama Habib for Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein

    4.            Faizal Akhtar and Pankaj Uniyal for Jhansi ki Rani

    5.            Kartick Sitaraman for Mere Dad ki Dulhan

    Nominees for TV Drama – Best Dialogue are:

    1.            Yogesh Vikrant  for Ek Mahanayak – Dr B R Ambedkar

    2.            Zama Habib for Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein

    3.            Aparajita Sharma and Divy Nidhi Sharma for Kulfi Kumar Bajewala

    4.            PreetiMamgain for Mere Dad ki Dulhan

    5.            Vinod Sharma for Ram Siyake Luv Kush

    SWA general secretary Sunil Salgia said, “TV is purely a writers’ medium. It is not easy writing a 30-60-minute script on a daily basis. It is even more difficult when you are writing as per the so called ‘episode feedback’ based on TRPs, rival channel’s story track, popularity of a character, upcoming festival, availability of cast or location, weather and above all the liking or the mood of the Creative Head. Crossing these check points, if you have been able to write something worth mentioning, you deserve an award.”

    The SWA Awards Committee received 146 entries from writers of Hindi language TV shows telecast across general entertainment channels in 2019. A jury comprising of screenwriters such as Ajai Sinha, AnandMahendroo, Kamlesh Pandey, LiliputFaruqui, Manjul Sinha, PurnenduShekhar and Sanjay Upadhyay watched two consecutive episodes of entries shortlisted by a pre-jury and selected the nominees under each sub-category. The final winners will be announced in an online awards ceremony on 27 September  2020.

    SWA awards spokesperson for television category and screenwriter Satyam Tripathy said, “Overnight an Indian television writer not only weaves the story fabric but also manages to mend a sudden tear and if a thread comes loose then just picks another but continues weaving the magic without disappointing his audience. If that sounds easy then just try writing 100 episodes of a serial and all your notions and misconceptions will fly out the window.”

    SWA is holding the first ever SWA Awards on the occasion of its diamond jubilee year in 2020. Since they are judged by knowledgeable screenwriters and lyricists, these awards promise to become the most coveted validation for writers in India, much like the awards of other prestigious international writers’ guilds and literary organisations.

    The nominees spoke to SWA, reacting to the announcement:

    Lakshmi Jayakumar: The nomination for the SWA Award is a tremendous honour for me as it feels great to be recognised by your contemporaries, colleagues and seniors. A writer’s ultimate glory is appreciation and this being my first award nomination, I feel extremely honoured that it has come from the SWA itself. It is indeed motivating and inspiring. I am looking forward to this countdown although I feel like I have already won by just being nominated.

    Shakti Sagar Chopra: Being recognised for one’s work is always appreciated, but even more so when it comes from your own fraternity. I greatly appreciate SWA for instituting these awards where writers shall be recognised by their peers. I also thank them for nominating Aladdin Naam Toh Suna Hoga in TV Comedy – Best Story category.

    Shashank Bali: Never undermine the importance of the writer.

    Manoj Santoshi: I am very happy that I got a nomination at the SWA Awards and I want to thank the entire team at SWA for this and wish them a bright future.

    RaghuvirShekhawat: I am extremely thrilled for my nomination in all three categories of TV Comedy at the first ever SWA Awards started by SWA. I have been associated with SWA for a long time and these nominations by the jury of eminent writers make it even more special. I congratulate SWA for this wonderful step of honouring the writers and I hope these awards become the most coveted awards for writing in our country.

    Nitin Keswani: SWA Awards are very special to most of the writers because it is from the writing fraternity. So it is a big achievement for me to get nominated on this platform. I feel I am working in the right direction.

    Bhavna Vyas: I feel so happy that I got nominated for my first ever comedy TV show by SWA. Being appreciated by your senior writers and industry members is a matter of honour for any writer. I am really grateful. Also I want to say this is an amazing initiative for motivating writers by SWA.

    Aatish Kapadia: Congratulations SWA for instituting these awards by the writers, of the writers and for the writers.

    Aanchal Aggarwal: A writer is often judged by the TRPs a show garners. But when an eminent jury from your own field sees you worthy of a nomination, it is the day when a writer gets their due. This is really a great motivational moment for me as a writer irrespective of whether I win or not. I am grateful to SWA for this honour and giving every writer like me a push, a pat on the back and reason to keep pushing our envelopes and keep creating better content.

    Yogesh Vikrant: The institution of the SWA Awards is a great step. A writer is the backbone of every screen story. That is why, an awards programme conceived by a writers’ association that keeps the contribution of the writer at its centre is a welcome initiative in the world of storytelling for the screen. I feel very happy to have been nominated for best dialogue for SWA Awards 2020.

    Aparajita Sharma: No job is too small, it’s true. Call me vain, but to me, we have the best job. Writing is pure joy and we are fortunate enough to be able to do the thing we love every day. We have dedicated our lives to writing, and SWA has dedicated itself to writers. This is the perfect partnership. And, this year, with these awards, we celebrate this partnership. Divy and I feel honoured that our fraternity, our people have recognised our work as noteworthy and nominated us for Kullfi Kumarr Bajewaala.

    Divy Nidhi Sharma: SWA Awards are very important to me because they are our own awards. I am proud to have been nominated for this award and I convey my best wishes to all other nominees.

    Preeti Mamgain: Words are my passion, and words are my business, but at this moment I feel speechless. I am immensely grateful to SWA for this nomination. What makes it truly special is that for the first time in India we have an awards function exclusively for screenwriters. To be judged by a jury of my own peers, by respected and eminent screenwriters, makes me feel elated and humbled at the same time. To quote Benjamin Disraeli: "I feel a very unusual feeling, if it's not indigestion, it must be gratitude."

    Vinod Sharma: It is an excellent attempt to cheer up screenwriters as only a writer can evaluate the talent and work of another writer. I am glad that SWA initiated this encouragement. I feel thrilled that the jury nominated me for the first edition of its awards. Thank you, SWA team, Swastik and Siddhartha Kumar Tewary who always encouraged me and made me to write something which is appreciated.

    Vishal Watwani and RenuWatwani: We are glad to be nominated for the award for best screenplay for Choti Sarrdaarni. Recognition from peers is by far the most gratifying feeling. So thank you SWA for bringing about this opportunity to all the ‘wordsmiths’ of Hindi television/OTT/Films. These awards will prove to be a credible milestone in the careers of the writers who are nominees and winners.

    Kumar Prabhat: The writer plays an important role in the success of a film, TV show or web series. But when it comes to praise, all the applause and appreciation is usurped by others while the writers continue writing. But I am glad that in addition to protecting the rights of writers, SWA has also assumed the responsibility of honouring them with awards. These awards are a matter of pride for any writer. I feel fortunate to have been nominated for best screenplay.

    Zama Habib: I am honoured and excited to know that after being nominated under the Best Lyrics category by SWA Awards, I am now nominated for Best Screenplay and best dialogues for Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein. Thanks SWA for the nomination. A win or loss doesn’t matter. I am happy that our writers’ fraternity has begun this new journey. Our own awards! Congratulations to each and every writer and lyricist. Congratulations to SWA awards team.

    Faizal Akhtar: Any association is always like a mother to its associate. And an award coming from SWA feels so genuine. I have been to many award functions and have won many awards, but I have seen writers always being treated in a ‘rushed-up’ manner while giving the awards. It is always the actors who get importance in a medium which is called a ‘writer's medium’. At least now writers will get the necessary importance in their mother’s arms. Thank you so much for nominating me for Jhansi Ki Rani, a show much closer to my heart for the amount of research and crafting that went into it.

    Pankaj Uniyal: I am truly overwhelmed by this great initiative taken by SWA to recognise, encourage and promote screenwriters. I am earnestly grateful for the recognition I have received for being shortlisted as one of the nominees for Jhansi ki Rani. I feel privileged and honoured for this recognition of my endeavour. These awards will definitely prove a milestone in moulding and shaping the future of the entire screenwriting fraternity.

    KartickSitaraman: It is most redeeming to be recognised by one’s peers. It made me pause for a moment. And in that moment, I rediscovered, once again, that the only worthy pursuit in this job, amidst the rejections and frustrations is to be true to oneself, one’s voice. It may not bring accolades or successes immediately but it keeps one alive to try another day. My gratitude to SWA for this step forward, with the hope that it’s a giant leap for writers everywhere in this country.

  • SWA announces nominees for feature films category of SWA Awards 2020

    SWA announces nominees for feature films category of SWA Awards 2020

    MUMBAI: Screenwriters Association (SWA), the indian guild of screenwriters and lyricists, announced today the nominees for the feature films category of swa awards 2020. A jury comprising of eminent screenwriters selected five feature films under each of the sub-categories: best story, best screenplay, best dialogue and best debut writer. Together, the nominations are divided among ten Hindi language feature films released in 2019.

    Nominees for Best Story are:

    1.            Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki for Article 15

    2.            Devanshu Singh and Satyanshu Singh for Chintu Ka Birthday

    3.            Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar for Gully Boy

    4.            Abhishek Chaubey and Sudip Sharma for Sonchiriya

    5.            Ivan Ayr for Soni

    Nominees for Best Screenplay are:

    1.            Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki for Article 15

    2.            Niren Bhatt for Bala

    3.            Devanshu Singh and Satyanshu Singh for Chintu Ka Birthday

    4.            Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar for Gully Boy

    5.            Vasan Bala for Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota

    Nominees for Best Dialogue are:

    1.            Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki for Article 15

    2.            Niren Bhatt for Bala

    3.            Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar for Gully Boy

    4.            Ravinder Randhawa and Sumit Saxena for Hamid

    5.            Sudip Sharma for Sonchiriya

    Nominees for Best Debut Writer are:

    1.            Devanshu Singh and Satyanshu Singh for Chintu Ka Birthday

    2.            Sandeep Pandey for Chousar Firangi

    3.            Ravinder Randhawa for Hamid

    4.            Aadish Keluskar for Jaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil

    5.            Ivan Ayr and Kislay for Soni

    SWA general secretary Sunil Salgia said, “Filmmakers always say, ‘Without script there is no film’ or ‘the Script is King’. They are right. It is time to recognise the persons who lay the foundations of these kingdoms. Let them be centre-stage. They will cherish this award more than anything as it comes from their colleagues, their competitors, their critics and those who envy them yet love them. Writing a movie’s script is the most challenging craft, and the best deserves honours, irrespective of its commercial outcome.”

    For the purpose of selection of nominees, the SWA Awards Committee accessed 167 of 223 Hindi language feature films released in theatres and on OTT platforms in 2019. A jury comprising of screenwriters such as Ashok Mishra, Atul Tiwari, Juhi Chaturvedi, Saket Chaudhary, Urmi Juvekar, Vijay Krishna Acharya and Vinay Shukla watched films shortlisted by SWA’s Film Selection Committee and selected the nominees under each sub-category. The final winners will be announced in an online awards ceremony on 27 September 2020.

    Senior screenwriter, teacher and SWA film awards spokesperson Anjum Rajabali, said, “Victor Hugo’s oft-quoted line says it perfectly: ‘There’s nothing as powerful as an idea whose time has come.’ The time to celebrate the primacy of the script has arrived. The time to honour the writer is here. And what better way than for a writers’ association to do it. There’s no greater pride for a writer than to have her work endorsed by peers who understand writing. SWA is fulfilling its aim to bring the writer centre-stage. Kudos to the SWA Awards Committee led by Sridhar Rangayan, Richa Singh Gautam, Jagriti Thakur and their team for the impeccable transparency of the judging process. Way to go, SWA!”

    SWA is holding the first ever SWA Awards on the occasion of its Diamond Jubilee year in 2020. Since they are judged by knowledgeable screenwriters and lyricists, these awards promise to become the most coveted validation for writers in India, much like the awards of other prestigious international writers’ guilds and literary organisations.

    The nominees spoke to SWA, reacting to the announcement:

    Anubhav Sinha: I am so happy to be nominated by the Screenwriters Association for Article 15 for writing awards, and it is so wonderful that your peers, your seniors think what you wrote was worthy of such a distinction. Thank you so much, jury. Thank you so much, Screenwriters Association.

    Gaurav Solanki: This is a very special nomination. Awards for writers, by writers! I hope through this we keep encouraging each other, educating each other of our shortcomings and pat each other's back when the work is good. We keep working, writing new stories and screenplays and walk on new paths. This is a celebration for that only!

    Devanshu Singh: It's a matter of great joy and pride for us both, that our first script has been nominated in three categories at the first ever edition of the SWA awards. We wrote this script in 2007 without any formal training in screenwriting. For the past 10 years, we kept polishing it as we learnt the craft. Writing is a game of immense patience and hard work and being rewarded for it, means a lot. Thank you, jury, for considering us worthy of the nomination among such brilliant writers. Special thanks to SWA for starting this award. This will definitely encourage budding writers like us.

    Satyanshu Singh: Over the last couple of decades, Screenwriters Association has been the much needed support system we need as writers. It is only just that the SWA has its own awards to honour the work of screenwriters and lyricists. Over the following years, this award will only grow in its stature and legacy. I will always feel honoured and proud to be nominated in the SWA Awards in the very first year. Thank you, SWA, from the bottom of my heart, for this nomination, and every other nomination and award an upcoming writer will receive from you.

    Abhishek Chaubey: It comes as a rare piece of good news in these bleak times that SWA has inaugurated its first ever awards to honour the best writing of the year. That we have been nominated in the Best Story category for Sonchiriya is an icing on the cake. It’s an absolute privilege to be nominated for the first ever edition and I wish this initiative is a huge success. Recent years have seen the standing of film writers in our industry improve remarkably and SWA has a major role in this development. I hope this happy story continues into its new act.

    Sudip Sharma: It’s lovely to hear that SWA is honouring the best works of the year 2019 with SWA Awards for writing. I am even more thrilled that my writing on Sonchiriya has been thought worthy of nomination by a jury of eminent writers. It is always a lovely feeling to be reviewed well by your peers and I thank them for considering my work worthwhile of that privilege.

    Ivan Ayr: I am very grateful to the Screenwriters Association and the 2020 awards committee for this nomination. There is no greater honour than to be recognised by your peers and contemporaries, so this is very special.

    Niren Bhatt: The fact that nominations for this award have been selected by fellow writers makes it super special for me. I am humbled and elated by the nomination. Hope SWA Awards grow bigger every year and it manages to give much required unbiased recognition to writers in the Indian film industry. SWA Awards is certainly a step in the right direction.

    Vasan Bala: Extremely thrilled to be acknowledged with this nomination for the first ever SWA Awards. Thank you and hope the awards keep growing in strength in the years to come.

    Ravinder Randhawa: Nothing could be more significant and heart-warming than being recognised and celebrated by one's fraternity. Therefore, I am extremely happy to be nominated for the first ever SWA Awards. The best part is that the only consideration for these awards seems to be the quality of the script and not the total business of the film. I sincerely hope that these awards will instil faith in good writing and inspire writers to strive for the best. 

    Sumit Saxena: Thanks to Gaurav Sharma, Sidharth, Shoaib and the entire team from SaReGama for this nomination. This one is special! I am not very sure where my SWA Membership card is. I very rarely ever register my scripts and ideas but, I completely understand the importance of this institution. This is the first year of this award ceremony, so it will be special. And I am hoping for more of these glorious ceremonies in times to come.

    Sandeep Pandey: If we look at all the elements of a film, writing, without doubt, is one of the most important components. The Screenwriters Association provides a platform that encourages and safeguards the rights of the upcoming and professional writers. It is a matter of privilege for me that the SWA and the jury nominated "Chousar Firangi" written and directed by me in the best debut writer category. I am very thankful to them. And I also hope that SWA continues to encourage us writers.

    Adish Keluskar: Writing is art and art is subjective. Awards in an artistic field, for 'Best' this or that, do not reflect the true nature of art unlike sports or other clearly defined fields. However, awards in an artistic field are important because they serve a necessary function – clear recognition. In today’s muddled times of information overload, clear identification, and recognition of an artistic field from other artistic fields is the vision we need. SWA has that vision and SWA Awards for writing is a concrete reflection of that. I thank you for the nomination and wish SWA the best to continue this vision.

    Kislay: I initially joined SWA thinking that it is only an association. Later when I received regular updates about its activities, I realised it does much more. It’s an honour to be chosen by your esteemed fellow writers as one of the contenders for the SWA Awards. In academics, the uniqueness and inventiveness of the academic works is recognised in its peer reviews. SWA Awards is equivalent to that for me in films. I am glad that our peers have seen something of value in what we tried to do in our first film.

  • SWA announces nominees for best gender sensitive script for SWA Awards 2020

    SWA announces nominees for best gender sensitive script for SWA Awards 2020

    MUMBAI: Screenwriters Association (SWA), the Indian guild of screenwriters and lyricists, announced today the five nominees for the best gender sensitive script category of SWA Awards 2020. The nominees were selected by an eminent jury comprising of screenwriters and filmmakers Apurva Asrani, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Leena Yadav.

    Nominees for Best Gender Sensitive Script are:

    1.  Saagar Gupta and Sridhar Rangayan for Evening Shadows

    2.  QasimKhallow for Gone Kesh

    3.  Ivan Ayr and Kislay for Soni

    4. Faizal Akhtar, Sameer Siddiqi and ShrabaniDeodhar for TheSholay Girl

    5. FarukKabir, Kushan Mustafa and Siddharth Mishra for 377 Ab Normal

    SWA general secretary Sunil Salgia said, “Stories have played an important role in building society, in bringing change in its thinking.  Stories told with visuals have lasting impact. We, the screenwriters, can shape the popular discourse for better or worse. The best gender sensitive script award is SWA’s way of encouraging writers to tell insightful stories that nudge the world towards becoming a little more sensitive, a little more inclusive, and a lot more beautiful.”

    The five nominees were selected from 167 Hindi language feature films released in 2019 that were submitted to the awards committee. A pre-jury assessed all entries and shortlisted nine films. The final jury then evaluated these films and selected five nominees that challenge social and cultural stereotypes by exploring the identities of and relationships between men, women and other gender identities. The final winner will be announced in an online awards ceremony on 27 September 2020.

    SWA Best Gender Sensitive Script Award screenwriter and spokesperson Ketki Pandit said, “The Best Gender Sensitive Script Award is for the writer who does not shy away from telling stories that are truly ‘hatke’ from the mush of same old clichés. Diving deep, who unveils layer after layer of complex characters, until all notions of ‘us and them’ vanish; and we see, beyond the gender binaries, the spectacular drama of human vulnerability.”

    SWA is holding the first ever SWA Awards on the occasion of its diamond jubilee year in 2020. Since they are judged by knowledgeable screenwriters and lyricists, these awards promise to become the most coveted validation for writers in India, much like the awards of other prestigious international writers’ guilds and literary organisations.

    The nominees spoke to SWA, reacting to the announcement:

    Saagar Gupta: Thank you SWA for nominating our film Evening Shadows under this category. We are truly humbled to be nominated from the list of 167 films. Winning the award will surely be a boost, but our work being acknowledged by such a prestigious body of writers is itself a great honour and a matter of pride for us, as for the writers and creators of Evening Shadows.

    Sridhar Rangayan: The very fact that SWA recognises the need for instituting a category like Best Gender Sensitive Script to give leverage to marginalised stories about women and LGBTQ characters within the mainstream space means a lot to us writers and filmmakers working on these themes. And the fact that our film Evening Shadows made the cut is a huge honour. We hope to keep the rainbow flag flying high!

    Qasim Khallow: Many congratulations to SWA for their first ever awards and thank you for nominating Gone Kesh. It’s a great honour for me to be nominated as I have always looked up to SWA. This SWA Awards will motivate budding writers and also give recognition to already existing writers. I am so glad and happy that finally we have an award show especially dedicated to writers.

    Ivan Ayr: I am very grateful to SWA and the awards committee for this nomination. There's no greater honour than to be recognised by your peers and contemporaries, so this is very special.

    Kislay: I initially joined SWA thinking that it is only an association. Later when I received regular updates about its activities, I realised it does much more. It’s an honour to be chosen by your esteemed fellow writers as one of the contenders for the SWA Awards. In academics, the uniqueness and inventiveness of academic work is recognised in its peer reviews. SWA Awards is equivalent to that for me in films.

    Faizal Akhtar:Shukriya SWA for nominating me for The Sholay Girl, a movie so dear to my heart. Especially because it is a biopic of a completely unknown woman. Doing contemporary research is kind of difficult. But the team pulled it off. So it feels ebullient to be nominated by SWA, by your own people. This award is important for the appreciation of the art and craft of a medium that is called the ‘writer's medium’. SWA nominating me feels like being nominated by the Academy for Oscars, and because it is an award by SWA, I know this will be a true lens for writers to judge their work.

    Sameer Siddqui: An artist can understand and appreciate the work of a fellow artist better. I’m grateful that my humble effort is nominated for the first ever SWA Awards. I’m sure that SWA Awards are going to be the most respected recognition of creative talents. I wish all the success to this great venture of our association.

    ShrabaniDeodhar: I feel very honoured to be nominated for my film The Sholay Girl in the Best Gender Sensitive Script category. This nomination is very special as this is the first year for this category and more so because this award is given by screenwriters to screenwriters. I want to thank SWA and the eminent jury members for encouraging and acknowledging us.

    FarukKabir: I am very happy to learn of the first ever SWA Awards. It’s a welcome step in recognising one of the most important pillars of cinema, the writer. I am delighted and honoured to be nominated by SWA and peers in this very prestigious first for 377 Ab Normal. SWA by far is going to be one of the most revered awards for any content creator and writer to receive.

    Kashan Mustafa: The importance of the film, 377 Ab Normal, overshadows any and all creative achievements that it brings. Written and made with true heart and spirit, this film is a milestone in putting the historic judgement and the people who played the key roles towards achieving it in moving images, thus giving them posterity. FarukKabir and Siddharth Mishra were instrumental in getting this film made. And so was Zee5 without whom this would not exist and would not be viewed by so many across boundaries of nations, ideologies and gender.

    Siddharth Mishra: I'm really very happy and excited as our film, 377 Ab Normal, has been nominated under the Best Gender Sensitive Script category of SWA Awards. It's an important film for these times as though the court has done its job by decriminalising Article 377, the message should reach out to the larger part of the population in a way which is understandable and which can sensitise them. Film, as a medium, becomes a very effective tool in doing this. And we, as a team, tried to convey this message in an empathetic manner through this film.

  • Screenwriters Association announces nominees for Web Series category of SWA Awards 2020

    Screenwriters Association announces nominees for Web Series category of SWA Awards 2020

    MUMBAI: Screenwriters Association (SWA), the Indian guild of screenwriters and lyricists has announced the 13 nominees for the original series category of SWA Awards 2020. These series were nominated over three sub-categories: best original series – original comedy, best original series – original drama and best original series – adaptation.

    Nominees for Best Series – Original Drama are:

    1.            Richie Mehta and Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh for Delhi Crime

    2.            Suman Kumar, Sumit Arora, Raj and DK for The Family Man

    3.            Abhishek Yadav, Saurabh Khanna and Sandeep Jain for Kota Factory

    4.            Abhishek Sengupta, Biswa Kalyan Rath and Hussain Haidry for Lakhon Mein Ek Season 2

    5.            Alankrita Shrivastav, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti for Made in Heaven

    Nominees for Best Series – Original Comedy are:

    1.            Maitreyee Upadhyay, Nayana Shyam and Preksha Khanna for Adulting Season 2

    2.            Devika Bhagat and Ishita Moitra for Four More Shots Please!

    3.            Ashish Manchanda, Chirag Ratna Singh and Shreyasi Sharma for Girls’ Hostel

    4.            Akarsh Khurana and Sumeet Vyas for Tripling Season 2

    5.            Ajaydeep Singh and Manish Kumar for Virgin Bhasskar

    Nominees for Series – Adaptation are:

    1.            Asad Hussain (Dialogue), Deepa Mehta, Patrick Graham, Suhani Kanwar and Urmi Juvekar for Leila

    2.            Dhruv Narang, Nihit Bhave, Pooja Tolani, Varun Grover for Sacred Games Season 2

    3.            Marston Bloom, Sumit Arora, Tanuja Chaturvedi (Hindi dialogue) for Selection Day

     SWA general secretary Sunil Salgia said, “It’s a new world, a combination of TV and Film. It gives scope for the writer to explore the world around the characters a bit more, to explore the minds of the characters, to weave a web of new ideas, and this is where a writer can be innovative and experimental. The writers have shown promise in this genre and I foresee a tough competition amongst them on this platform.”

    The 13 nominees were selected from 43 entries received by the SWA Awards committee from Hindi language web series released in 2019. Three jury panels, each comprising three eminent screenwriters, assessed entries in their respective sub-category. The final winners will be announced in an online awards ceremony on 27 September 2020.

    Please read more coverage on SWA  

    SWA Web Awards spokesperson and screenwriter  Manisha Korde said, “Writing for web-series is complicated owing to its unique structure; which is like man-animal hybrids of Greek mythology. Web series need intensity of the cinemas, expanse of the TV shows and brisk span attention to ads. This youngest medium, barely a few years old, poses greater challenges than its seniors. It's a tough field out there. All the nominations are equally good and it will be interesting to see who wins the first SWA screenwriting award for web!”

    SWA is holding the first ever SWA Awards on the occasion of its diamond jubilee year in 2020. Since they are judged by knowledgeable screenwriters and lyricists, these awards promise to become the most coveted validation for writers in India, much like the awards of other prestigious international writers’ guilds and literary organisations.

    The nominees spoke to SWA, reacting to the announcement:

    Nominees for Best Series – Original Drama

    Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh: This is my first every nomination and I can’t imagine it being more befitting than this. To be valued by the members of SWA is a prize in itself. I thank each one of you for finding my work worthy of being shortlisted in this category.

    Raj & DK: So excited to be nominated for the SWA awards! It's a great initiative by the association to introduce the awards this year. This is a shot in the arm for original content creators and lends authenticity to the writing awards. Really looking forward!

    Suman Kumar: Thank you SWA for nominating The Family Man in the first ever SWA Awards. It feels great that my writer colleagues recognise our work. Big thanks to all the fans of the Family Man.

    Sumit Arora: I am extremely happy to know that I have been nominated for the first ever SWA awards. There has been some excellent work in the web space off late and it’s a privilege to be nominated amongst all these brilliant minds who have created that work.

    Abhishek Yadav: Really glad that SWA has taken the initiative to organise awards entirely focused on the craft of screenwriting. It’s also special because Kota Factory has been shortlisted as one of the five nominees. Really thankful to the jury, SWA, team Kota Factory and the audience. Cheers!

    Sandeep Jain: When I received the email regarding nomination for SWA Awards 2020, I was working on something and suddenly for a moment everything stopped and I felt extremely grateful. I still remember the day when I got my SWA card to register my first short film script. And now I’m very happy to receive a nomination from the same body. I feel this is a great initiative because this is the most respected body for us writers and acknowledgement from them means a lot to us.

    Abhishek Sengupta: To be nominated by a jury comprised of stalwarts who have mastered the craft of writing, is an honour that can be rarely matched. I would like to thank SWA for this honour and commend them on the first screenwriting awards to recognise the importance of the art of writing.

    Biswa Kalyan Rath: Very excited about finally having an SWA awards. It has been long overdue and writers deserve much more. Hoping that this will have a great impact on the community as a whole.

    Hussain Haidry: I am glad to know that SWA has initiated these awards, and it is quite assuring that it will have as objective as possible an approach in appreciating people working for Indian cinema. I am honoured to know that I am nominated in the first ever SWA awards, that too as a screenwriter.

    Alankrita Shrivastav: I am honoured and incredibly thrilled that we have been nominated for the first ever SWA Awards for writing Made in Heaven. It is a very special show and working on it has been the most collaborative and fulfilling experience. And to now be recognised by one’s fellow writers feels wonderful. I hope that in the years to come, this culture of encouraging and appreciating our contemporaries continues.

    Nominees for Best Series – Original Comedy

    Maitreyee Upadhyay: Entering the Screenwriters Association is like Aladdin entering the cave of wonders. It is daunting. The walls of SWA are filled with names that make me shake in my tiny shoes. And instantly I feel like an impostor, a street-rat, like Aladdin. To think that our words have been nominated for an award by this building, well, it’s like the word goddess is asking me to keep meeting the blank page.

    Nayana Shyam: I’m so grateful and honoured to have been nominated for this award. It means so much more to me because of how special this show is to me and my fellow writers.

    Preksha Khanna: SWA Awards will help give due recognition to one of the most important, and often side-lined parts of the entertainment industry – the writers. I am deeply honoured to be nominated in the first edition of the SWA awards and hope that this tradition continues in the years to come.

    Devika Bhagat: These awards mean so much more as they are judged by our peers – fellow screenwriters. Peer recognition is something I strive for. Writing Four More Shots Please! was an amazing and creatively fulfilling experience. Getting this nomination and sharing it with my co-writer and friend, Ishita Moitra, is the icing on the cake. I hope to continue to do good writing in the future and live up to the expectations of my peers.

    Ishita Moitra: To be acknowledged for your work by your own peers is possibly the highest accolade of all. SWA has always been a beacon of hope and strength for us screenwriters. The Association stands for justice, impartiality, equality, free and fair liberal thought. So, when they choose to celebrate and honour excellence in screenwriting, it sure means something.

    Ashish Manchanda: Existence is painful, the world is going downhill and the society will blow up in its own face one day. Content is a better escape from all that than drugs and alcohol. Good content helps one feel belonged and relate with and find solace in other people's problems and at times forget about their problems. And to craft good content it takes dedicated creators who painstakingly go through endless loops of creation and destruction. Kudos to team SWA for recognising and rewarding such talent in the creative team. Thank you for including team Girls' Hostel.

    Chirag Ratna Singh: I am very grateful, flattered and honestly a little surprised to be nominated for the first ever SWA awards! Considering the competition, it is indeed a great honour to be recognised by people who genuinely understand and appreciate the craft of writing. Here's hoping this tradition continues. Thank you!

    Akarsh Khurana: Being nominated by your own peers and the fraternity you belong to is the best feeling ever. I’m so glad that SWA has taken this initiative. Particularly now that we are valuing content more, and writers are coming back to the fore. Also, being nominated for Tripling is just the icing on the cake. I loved writing both seasons of this with my friend and co-writer, Sumeet Vyas. It gave us a chance to be personal, and funny, and most importantly, free to create.

    Ajaydeep Singh: SWA Awards will not only uplift the morale of our writers but also, I am sure this award will be one of the most prestigious ones in the forthcoming years. We were in need of an honest and unbiased jury and SWA has stepped in at the right time. I am deeply honored and thankful to the jury for nominating my show Virgin Bhasskar.

    Manish Kumar: It's my immense pleasure to be nominated and that too for my first show. The power of words is often felt than seen. This award just reassures me that people truly appreciate the beauty of imagination. This is my first project, my first labour of love and to see it nominated, has filled my heart to its brim and my cup runneth over. I hope in future many more are inspired by this honour and we build a tribe that is creative, impactful and authentic.

    Nominees for Best  Series – Adaptation

    Asad Hussain: There are days when writing is like a river in full flow. And then there are days when it feels like a burden, a rock that refuses to budge. It is discipline and rigour as well as inspiration and intuition. All these shades of emotion are familiar to writers, which is why it feels truly special to be nominated for this honour by a group of fellow writers. Thank you for considering my work for this award, and for providing recognition for the role of writers in the industry.

    Patrick Graham: I've been a proud SWA member since 2011 and I'm really thrilled that such an awesome organisation has begun their own awards function. Writing is the foundation to any good series or film and it's important that writers receive the recognition, credit and fees that they deserve for their work – SWAs fight for these things tirelessly. I'm very grateful to receive this nomination and I'm excited to see how the quality of writing within our industry is getting stronger with every passing year.

    Suhani Kanwar: Never before has there been such an urgent hunt for stories and content in the industry. Never before have we screenwriters had so many formats or platforms to choose from. But with all this opportunity, there’s also a pressing need for us writers to really think about what we want to say, why we are saying it, whose stories we want to tell, and how to tell them well. An awards event like the first ever SWA Awards, focused purely on celebrating good writing, is welcome, perfectly timed, and something I’ll look forward to not just this year but every year from here on.

    Urmi Juvekar: I am absolutely delighted with this nomination. There is no better encouragement for a writer than being appreciated by one’s fellow writers.

    Dhruv Narang: SWA Awards are a great initiative, filling a big vacuum for authentic, craft-oriented honours. It is very humbling to be nominated by an organisation so sincerely committed to advancing the cause of screenwriting.

    Nihit Bhave: I’m honoured and excited about being nominated for the first ever SWA Awards. It’s just the kind of boost a writer needs, especially during lockdown when we’re all struggling to create. I would also like to applaud SWA for their initiative towards recognising writing talent and putting their members front and centre. The association has, for long, protected and nurtured us and this is another great way of putting their might behind writers.

    Pooja Tolani: The SWA Awards is great news and a long time coming. It will be a great boost and encouragement for screenwriters to have their craft acknowledged by peers and seniors who know first-hand, just how much goes into writing. Also, we as an industry do need to acknowledge more (and more often), the invisible craft of screenwriting and its fundamental relevance in the filmmaking process – and the awards are a big step in that direction. I’m thrilled to be nominated for the first edition.

    Varun Grover: I am thrilled to be nominated for the first ever SWA Awards in two categories. It's an award for the community by the peers and that makes it extra special. I had decided not to attend any regular film awards because of the way they treat writers and technicians – and it's a great step forward that SWA decided to start awards where writers are in the front and center.

    Marston Bloom: It is always humbling to be acknowledged by one’s peers and that feeling is more pronounced when it comes from a community of writers like the SWA with such a vivid tradition of storytelling excellence. Thanks to the reach of OTT platforms the whole world can now see the incredible quality and ambition of Indian screenwriting and I’m delighted that Selection Day played a small part in this moment.

    Tanuja Chaturvedi: What truly makes this honour so unique is your work is appreciated, evaluated and valued by your peers and betters. To get this nomination, the first time SWA is instituting these awards, is the cherry on my cake. My congratulations to my fellow nominees!

  • Screenwriters Association announces nominees for lyrics category of SWA Awards 2020

    Screenwriters Association announces nominees for lyrics category of SWA Awards 2020

    MUMBAI: Screenwriters Association (SWA), the Indian guild of screenwriters and lyricists, announced today the 10 nominees for the Lyrics category of SWA Awards 2020. Winners of the best lyricist for feature film and best lyricist for tv serial/original series will be announced in an online awards ceremony on 27 September 2020.

    Nominees for Best Lyricist for Feature Film are:

    1.            Ankur Tewari and Divine for Apna Time Ayega in Gully Boy

    2.            Amitabh Bhattacharya for Kalank title track in Kalank

    3.            Divine and Naezy for Meri Gully Mein in Gully Boy

    4.            Varun Grover for Ruan Ruan in Sonchiriya

    5.            Manoj Muntashir for Teri Mitti in Kesari

    Nominees for Best Lyricist for TV Serial/Original series are:

    1.            Shekhar Astitva for Title track in Radhakrishn

    2.            Zama Habib for Ek tum chup, ek chup main in Isharo Isharo Mein

    3.            Shashank Kunwar for Pet bechara in Kulfi Kumar Bajewala

    4.            Majaal  for Rooh in Lakhon Mein Ek Season 2

    5.            Majaal  for Nishaniya in Laakhon Mein Ek Season 2

    Congratulating the nominees, SWA general secretary Sunil Salgia said, “Ask anyone abroad about Indian films, the response will be, ‘Oh, Bollywood! Great songs and dances!’ Songs give a unique identity to our movies and surely there are no songs without lyrics. Talent that can say a thousand words in a few, in spite of their struggle to write poetry beyond the hook phrase and which can be heard and remembered in the noisy world, deserves applause.”

    The 10 nominees were selected from 146 entries received by the SWA Awards committee from Hindi language films and TV serials/original series released in 2019. A jury comprising of eminent lyricists such as Amit Khanna, Ila Arun, Kausar Munir, Mayur Puri and Panchhi Jalonvi selected the nominees after a thorough individual and joint evaluation process.

    Lyricist and spokesperson for the SWA lyrics category Shellee said, “It is difficult to imagine films such as Awara, Mera Naam Joker, Guide, Pakeeza, Mughal-e-Azam, Teesri Kasam without their songs. Songs are the ornaments that adorn our cinema. Their fragrance lends beauty to our ordinary lives. I congratulate the nominees of SWA Awards 2020 and wish them the best of luck.”

    The Screenwriters Association (SWA),was formerly known as Film Writers' Association (FWA). It is a Trade Union of screenwriters and lyricists who work for Films, TV and digital media in India. Authors, novelists, playwrights, journalists who aspire for to diversify or join fulltime the mediums of films, TV or digital entertainment, are also members of the SWA. It has been working for the last 60 years to get the Indian film and TV industries to acknowledge the central role of writers through collective bargaining, legal assistance, mediation and settlement of disputes and education.

    SWA is holding the first ever SWA Awards on the occasion of its diamond jubilee year in 2020. The members aspire to continue this award function for many more years. Since they are judged by knowledgeable screenwriters and lyricists, these awards promise to become the most coveted validation for writers in India, much like the awards of other prestigious international writers’ guilds and literary organisations.

    The nominees spoke to SWA, reacting to the announcement:

    Nominees – Best Lyricist for Feature Film

    Song: Apna time ayega | Film: Gully Boy

    Ankur Tewari: It is an honour to be nominated in the Best Lyrics category and I am thrilled to be in such esteemed company with Divine and the other nominees. I would like to thank SWA for this opportunity.

    Song: Meri gully mein | Film: Gully Boy

    Divine: Of all the tracks I have written till date, Apna time aayega and Meri gully mein have arguably had the biggest impact not just for me or Gully Boy, but for the Hip-Hop movement as a whole in India. Meri gully mein is close to my heart as the original release truly put the sound of Mumbai on the map. We have never looked back since.

    Song: Meri gully mein | Film: Gully Boy

    Naezy: I am delighted to have been nominated for "Meri Gully mein" by SWA Awards 2020.  This song is very special to me and I feel honoured that it has been nominated in the Best Lyrics for Films category.  My best wishes to SWA for their first ever Awards and also to all the fellow nominees.

    Song: Kalank title track | Film: Kalank

    Amitabh Bhattacharya: I am honoured and humbled to receive nomination in the Best Lyricist category of the first SWA Awards, the only award of the writers, by the writers and for the writers. My gratitude and best wishes to Screenwriters Association. I am really excited and I look forward to the ceremony.

    Song: Ruan ruan | Film: Sonchiriya

    Varun Grover: It's an award for the community by the peers and that makes it extra special. I had decided not to attend any regular film awards because of the way they treat writers and technicians and it's a great step forward that SWA decided to start awards where writers are in the front and centre. Now the stage is ours. So are the microphone, chairs, victories and defeats and joys and sorrows.

    Nominees – Best Lyricist for TV Serial/Web Series

    Song: Ek tum chup, ek chup main | TV Serial: Isharo Isharo Mein

    Zama Habib: I am thrilled to know that my song has been nominated in the Best Lyrics category by SWA Awards. It feels great and special because the award is from the writing fraternity for the first time. Writers choosing the best of writing is always a great and satisfying idea.

    Song: Pet bechara | TV Serial: Kulfi Kumar Bajewala

    Shashank Kunwar: An artist’s biggest motivation is appreciation, and it is really special when it comes from the people who understand the finer nuances of the art form. I want to congratulate SWA for giving shape to this award. In the times of lockdown and pandemic, it is comforting to feel that one is not working in isolation. Thank you, SWA!

    Song: Title track | TV Serial: Radhakrishn

    Shekhar Astitwa: I am happy to hear that SWA will hold the first ever SWA Awards 2020. I congratulate SWA for organising these prestigious awards and extend my best wishes to my fellow nominees.

    Songs: Rooh and Nishaniya | original series: Lakhon Mein Ek Season 2

    Majaal: Writers are travellers and SWA is the wisdom tree which stands tall and steady. It bears fruit for the hungry and provides shelter when the weather is testing. And now a ‘never-seen-before’ flower has blossomed on this benevolent tree – SWA Awards – to bless the ones destined to travel further. I feel fortunate for being nominated for the first ever SWA Awards. It has inspired me to keep travelling on.