A screenplay writer is comparable to an architect who builds the whole blueprint for an unbuilt house. Just as an architect never gets to stay in the house designed by him, the screenwriter is too detached from the ownership of his creation. A screenplay writer gets credit in the titles on account of the contract. Screenplay writers are still a technical award category in India. Screenwriters are not given the respect they deserve. They cut the writers to their size.

The real power remains in the hands of directors and producers. If the writers ask for visibility and remuneration, they are shown their place.

The industry is experiencing a slump. There is dearth of good stories. Nobody nourishes the writers. Others are being overwatered. The directors keep on extolling the actors. The actors too never realize that the dialogues that mesmerize the audience come from the writers. Maybe, it is the winter for the industry, but it is harshest for the writers.

In a hundred plus years history of cinema, it has taken more than half the time to accord credit to the writers, though apologetically. The writers’ associations are still struggling to get an ideal basic contract for the writers. Non-Mumbai writers still work without a contract. The wages are extremely low.