Ratopati
October 30, 2026
The screenplay is the main basis for any film. In clear words, the screenplay of a film is like the foundation of a house. It is the first and primary condition for film production. Without it, a film cannot even be imagined. A film can be made without action or songs, but a film cannot be made without a script.
Before entering the film industry, I used to think that a film was a piece of literature. I used to think that after writing a story and imagining it, it would be complete, but after entering this field, I realized that there is a deep meaning and process within it. It has so many branches and teamwork that it is not just imagination but a science. Technical aspects are also involved. The more I understood, the deeper and more complex it seemed.
My scriptwriting journey began with the 2013 film ‘Antaral’. The film had new actors, and the promotion was also ordinary. Because of this, although the film’s business was not good, it was considered very good critically. It was praised for being based on reality. Because my writing was praised, I didn’t have to look back from my first film.
So far, I have written about 22 films. In some, I have only written dialogues, and in some, only screenplays. I have also worked as a supervisor in some. In three films some time ago, ‘Ram Ram Satya’, ‘Gobar Ganesh’, and ‘Aabat Aama’, my writing was featured. Before these, I wrote ‘Pitambar’. ‘Jahajaima’ has just finished, and I am currently working on ‘Paras’.
Among the films I have written so far, I have received the most satisfaction from ‘Antaral’ and ‘Wada Number 6’, for which I wrote the screenplay. These two films have made me very satisfied. Another film, ‘Gatha’, is yet to be made, for which I have just finished the script. Perhaps its shooting will start after Tihar, and I will also be its producer. I am very satisfied with its script because I feel I have written it wonderfully. Among the films I have written, I also received a lot of satisfaction in terms of screenplay from ‘Aaincha Paaincha’, although the film’s business did not do as expected.
The writing process always starts with an idea. What I want to say through that film, what I like or what needs to be told to the audience, the state of the country, etc. – the writing starts with some idea. For this, there is a ‘theme’. Every film I have written has some theme and an emotion, which we can express in one line. The emotion to be conveyed to the audience comes to mind first, and then we create a ‘one-liner’ based on it. That is, we think about what kind of characters would be suitable to capture that emotion. For example, if it’s a subject of study, it should be students; if it’s a social or political subject, it should be politicians or similar characters. We select characters related to the emotion of the subject.
Then we delve into the depth of the character – who they are, what they are, how they progress. After understanding this, we write a one- or two-page ‘one-liner storyline’, which describes how the sequence of events progresses. Then we write ‘bits’. A script has 15–16 bits, and one bit gives five–seven scenes. Then, by breaking down those bits into ‘scene breakdown’, we divide them from 1 to 100. Only then does a structure form. Within that structure, there are also different scientific and technical aspects, which is a more detailed subject.
- Writing is a Challenging Task
Scriptwriting is an extremely challenging, cumbersome, and time-consuming task. I don’t like what I write myself at times. The main challenge is to challenge oneself. After writing once, when I read it again after two weeks, I think, ‘What have I written? This can’t be right.’ The work is extremely difficult because it has to be rewritten repeatedly. Another thing is that one has to do justice to all the characters in the film within the structure and convey what one wants to say to the audience. Not only that, thousands of films are being made, and one has to present their story in a slightly different way. Satisfying the producer, director, actors, and audience is like climbing Mount Everest.
The importance of script in the film industry is immense, but many do not give it importance. Those who understand have made successful and hit films. Even if some were not successful, they received good praise from critics and audiences. However, films made by those who have not given importance to the script have been removed from theaters within a few days and have not received any praise. Therefore, we must understand how important scriptwriting is.
Even now, there is a tendency not to give importance to scriptwriters, as a result of which films do not succeed. The biggest problem is that producers and directors do not understand the importance of the script. The problem arises when the script is taken lightly, and that problem still exists today. I think the main reason is the failure to understand that the script is the main basis of a film.
- Regarding Remuneration
Since scriptwriting is a creative job, there is no fixed value for it worldwide. If I am writing a good film and I feel it will be successful, I can demand even 20 lakhs. One has to create their own value. Since writing a script takes 8–10 months, one must receive adequate financial benefit for that period at once. Sometimes, it might be a bit less for films made by friends, but as far as I am concerned, we can easily charge 8–10 lakhs for a script.
Producers-directors give 60–70 lakhs for actors, but there is a situation where they hesitate to give money for the script. Filmmakers have the mindset that it is better to pay only for what is seen on screen. They give more importance to actors. Those who give a signing amount of 1 lakh to a scriptwriter give 10 lakhs to an actor. The thinking of filmmakers on this matter is completely wrong. When will they understand that if the script is not strong tomorrow, the actors will not perform? It is necessary to first understand that it is the script and writing that attract actors and make them perform well, which is lacking in our filmmakers. If the script is good, actors are willing to play for 20 lakhs instead of demanding 30 lakhs.
If the script is just okay, and the writer is not given enough time and good money, the writer’s mind gets divided. For survival, they take up one or two other jobs, which causes problems everywhere. On the other hand, if the script is ordinary, the actor demands more money saying, ‘If you want me to act, you have to pay me this much.’ Here, a structure has been created where the actor sets a rate and has to say ‘OK’ to whatever is said. But when asked to pay this much for the script, they say, ‘No, let’s reduce it a bit.’ This is not a little, but a very big problem.
Of course, sometimes there are accusations of copying in scripts. That is natural too. In today’s time, it is difficult to say that I have done something completely new. So many literary works have been written in society, so many films have been made, and every social issue has been raised that ideas can match somewhere. This does not mean everything is copied. However, there are plenty of people who copy verbatim or are heavily influenced, but I don’t particularly enjoy that process of copying. I don’t find it creative, so I haven’t faced that problem so far, and I haven’t been accused of copying.
- Writers Sustained by ‘Passion’
Many films are being made now. There is a shortage of writers for films. New writers are reluctant to come. Initially, there is an age when people come to the film industry wanting to do something in writing. A writer entering writing must understand society, people, the political situation, and different classes of society. They must have the knowledge of what to give to society and what kind of ideological points to express.
Newcomers write something, but initially, writers do not get good payment. When they don’t get paid and start taking it as a profession, doubts arise about whether they can survive here. They start thinking, ‘If I do this hard work in another business, I can earn lakhs.’ Then, by the age of 30–32, when stress increases, and they are just starting to mature, there is a high probability that they will leave this industry and migrate. They cannot bear the financial pressure. When they are mature and at the age to learn good things, they leave. Then how can writers survive and do well in the industry? This is the biggest problem here. To survive in this profession, extreme passion and patience are required. There are very few such people, which is why there is a shortage of writers.
Those who have survived now have survived due to their ‘passion’. For example, there are a few other writers and me, within whom there is a passion to do something good one day, to convey this message, and to write. They have also survived because they haven’t seen big, luxurious dreams for survival. If I want to ride an expensive car or build a nice house in the city, it will be difficult for me to survive here too.
(Based on an interview with writer Abhimanyu Nirabi by Kuber Giri for Ratopati)
This specific news has been automatically translated by AI. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies or
language errors.
