7th Indian Screenwriters Conference
By Col Bhaskar Bharti (Retd)
Dehradun, 18 Feb: The 7th Indian Screenwriters Conference was organised under the aegis of Screenwriters Association (SWA) at Mumbai from 14 to 16 February. The President of SWA is Preeti Mamgain, who has her roots in Uttarakhand. I attended the conference as fellow member of SWA and delegate, which had a distinguished lineup of renowned screenplay writers, lyricists and directors in films and television world, attending the event and mentoring peers and budding writers who have raged the storm, beaten, prevailed and experienced.
On day one, Chris Keyser, a renowned Hollywood screenplay writer, graced ISC as the Chief Guest. The following sessions were conducted: The New Reality of OTT and Dynamics of Writers’ Room.
The panelists for this session were Writer-Director Charulata Acharya (Aranyak, Sonali Cable, Duranga), Actor-Producer-Director Anand Tiwari (Bad Newz, Bandish Bandits), Actor, Screenwriter, Producer, Biswapati Sarkar (Kaala Paani, Mamla Legal Hai), screenwriter Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul (Thappad, Scoop), and Screenwriter Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh (Aarya, Neerja).
A session on ‘The Mainstream Reality’ had panelists Screenwriter, Director Hitesh Kewalya (Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan), Screenwriter Aakash Kaushik (Housefull 4, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3), Screenwriter, Dialogues, Director Abbas Tyrewala (Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na, Pathaan, War), Screenwriter – Producer – Author Kanika Dhillon (Do Patti, Phir Aayi Haseen Dilruba, Dunki), Screenwriter Niren Bhatt (Stree 2, Bhediya, Munjya) as participants.
The session on Entertainment and Social Reality: How They Go Hand in Hand had as panelists Screenwriter Darab Farooqui (Dedh Ishqiya, Notebook, Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon), Screenwriter-Director Aarti Kadav (Cargo, Mrs), Screenwriter-Director Dibakar Banerjee (Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, LSD 1&2, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy), Screenwriter-Director Nikkhil Advani (Kal Ho Na Ho, Mumbai Diaries, Freedom at Midnight), Screenwriter-Director Prateek Vats (Eeb Aalay Ooo, LSD 2).
On day two, the following sessions were conducted:
Masterclass – Films at which Director-Producer Kiran Rao (Dhobi Ghat, Laapata Ladies) gave exhaustive tips on writing for films. The session was moderated by Screenwriter-Producer Mitesh Shah (Tumbbad, Helicopter Eela).
The session on Masterclass – Series had Hollywood Screenwriter Chris Keyser (Party of Five, The Society, Julia, LA Law) share his views on writing a series. It was moderated by Screenwriter Saiwyn Quadras, (Mary Kom, Parmanu, Maidaan).
In the Masterclass-Television session, the panelists were Screenwriter-Producer Zaman Habeeb (Ye Rishta Kya Kehelata Hai, Sasural Genda Phool, Anupama), and Screenwriter-Producer Aatish Kapadia (Khichdi, Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai).
The session, ‘The Power of Compelling Dialogues’, had as panelists President, SWA, Screenwriter- Actor Preeti Mamgain (Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, Jab Love Hua, Mere Dad Ki Dulhan), Screenwriter, Dialogues, Lyricist Divy Nidhi Sharma (Laapata Ladies, Heeramandi, Imlie, Anupama), Screenwriter Karan Vyas (Scam, Scoop), Actor – Screenwriter – Director Vijay Maurya (Gully Boy, Radhe, Mast Mein Rehne Ka).
On day three there was a session on ‘Words That Sing’. The panelists were Screenwriter-Lyricist Hussain Haidry (Qareeb Qareeb Single, Sherni, Mukkebaaz, Dobaaraa), Lyricist Kumaar (War, Kabir Singh, Dunki, Jawaan, Pathan), Lyricist Raj Shekhar (Tanu Weds Manu, Animal, Mismatched), Screenwriters-Lyricists Siddharth and Garima (Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Animal, Kalki).
In the Alternative Reality session, the panelists were Screenwriter Anu Singh Choudhary (Aarya, Grahan, Scoop, Mrs), Screenwriter-Director Kanu Behl (Titli, Agra, Despatch), Screenwriter-Director Megha Ramaswamy (Shaitan, What are the odds), Screenwriter-Director Neeraj Gheywan (Masaan, Sacred Games, Made in Heaven), Director – Producer Shoojit Sarkar (Piku, Madras Cafe, Sardar Udham, I Want to Talk).
‘The South Saga – Rooted, Relevant and Revolutionary’ session had Screenwriter – Director – Cinematographer C Prem Kumar – Tamil ( Meiyazhagan, 96, Jaanu), Screenwriter-Director Christo Tomy – Malayalam (Curry and Cyanide, Jolly Joseph Case, Ullozhukku), Screenwriter – Director Hemanth M Rao – Kannada (Andhadun, Kavaludaari, Side A and Side B), Screenwriter – Director Vivek Athreya – Telugu (Mental Madhilo, Saripodha Sanivaaram, Ante Sundataniki) as panelists.
The culmination of the 7th Indian Screenwriters Conference was done with honouring the legendary lyricist, poet and screenwriter Rajinder Krishan (Albela, Nagin, Khandan, Padosan) and novelist and prolific script and dialogue writer Rajinder Singh Bedi (Ek Chadar Maili Si, Devdas, Madhumati, Dastak, Anupama, Satyakam) by felicitating their families. The 7th Indian Screenwriters’ Conference was declared closed with a pledge for nurturing screenwriting and SWA solidarity towards all the peer and budding writers.
