Enkayaar, Bollywood Trade News Network

Kamlesh Pandey is organizing a scriptwriting workshop along with Ben Rekhi to develop a rich resource base of scriptwriters in India. They are of the opinion that there is a dearth of good scriptwriters in India as a result of which the films are not getting the success that they get in other countries. It is instructive to inform that Hollywood has more than 1000 scriptwriters but in India it is difficult to have recourse to such a rich repertoire.

Coming as it is from the likes of Pandey and Ben Rekhi who are associated with the films like CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, RANG DE BASANTI, MUNNA BHAI MBBS, TEZAAB, DIL, CHAALBAAZ, SAUDAGAR, etc., the initiative is worth its weight in the gold. It owes to the lack of the scripts that now the Indian filmmakers are turning to popular and successful novels written by Indian authors. The success of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE has hastened the pace towards it. It could be owing to the fact that writer takes quite a lot of pains to develop the character and therefore adds weight to it.

While a SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE may be a hit, it is the ability to come out with the screenplay of a work that makes it a hit. From this perspective, if Indian English writing of the present were to be looked into, it is rather modernistic and it may be a difficult proposition for the average Indian viewer to have a connect with it.

The writers, who are struggling to find a toehold in the industry, however have a different take on the issue. One writer, who has now found a mooring after struggle of four years, and refuses to be quoted by his name has informed, that while the directors would appreciate the story submitted to them by independent writers, they do not want to make a film on it. The reason brandied is, that it is not the director's story so he does not show much interest.

It therefore means that there is a need for attitudinal change, and unless it is done, writers' workshop would not be of much help. Writers in India abound, but they are not able to find opening, as the directors still are not inclined to give them the mandated space.