The most challenging period for writers: ‘Stree 2’ screenwriter on current Bollywood
The most challenging period for writers: 'Stree 2' screenwriter on current Bollywood
Screenwriter and lyricist Niren Bhatt, whose film stood out as the sole significant Hindi success in 2024, addressed the audience at the 7th Indian Screenwriters Conference (ISC) on Friday.
“There are two pictures, one is very bleak; all writers are struggling; this is the worst time for writers in the industry but then it’s up to you how to navigate, but this is also the best time because all the established rules are broken. The entire system is broken. So only disruptors will survive and writers are the biggest disruptors. It is the best time for disruption. People who are sticking to their guns, their films aren’t working. It is the best time for disruption,” he said.
During the session titled ‘The Mainstream Reality’, Abbas Tyrewala, the dialogue writer for Pathaan, along with writers Kanika Dhillon and Aakash Kaushik, who penned Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, participated in the discussion. Hitesh Kewalya, known for his work on Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, served as the moderator.
In addressing the significance of original storytelling, Bhatt highlighted Bollywood’s current fixation on remakes, pointing out that many have failed to perform well at the box office, indicating a significant change in the industry. “Out of 25 remakes post-pandemic, 23 are flops. The only way to succeed is to make original content,” says the Stree 2 writer.
The author, involved in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, which will feature projects such as Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna’s Thama, Stree 3, and Varun Dhawan’s Bhediya 2, expressed that when a writer discovers their “voice,” they can naturally enhance the longevity of a franchise.
At the ISC, which concluded on Sunday, screenwriters and creators such as Kiran Rao, Shoojit Sircar, Nikkhil Advani, Dibakar Banerjee, Biswapati Sarkar, and Anand Tiwari shared insights into their experiences, methods, and the changing landscape of the industry’s New Reality.
