Top of the crop winner to take home cool quarter of a crore as prize money
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 17, 2017)

In what can be a game changer for aspiring scriptwriters, Aamir Khan, director Rajkumar Hirani and screenwriters - Juhi Chaturvedi and Anjum Rajabali have come together to judge Cinestaan India’s Storytellers Script Contest. The idea behind the initiative, launched on October 15, is to find five compelling scripts that can make it to the big screen with success.

Those who don’t scratch beneath the surface conveniently believe Aamir Khan has cracked the secret to box office success. Ask Khan and he will attribute his success to a simple factor — the film’s script. One to reiterate the importance of a strong story, the producer- actor has now taken it upon himself to find the future storytellers of the country.

Khan, along with director Rajkumar Hirani, screenwriters Juhi Chaturvedi and Anjum Rajabali, is on the jury of Cinestaan India’s Storytellers Script contest — a nationwide hunt for strong screenplays. The idea behind the contest is to find five compelling scripts that can be taken to the big screen.

A source reveals, “The total cash prize for this contest is Rs 49 lakh. While the winner shall take home a prize of Rs 25 lakh, the first runner-up and second runner- up will get a prize money of Rs 10 lakh and Rs 7 lakh respectively. The third and fourth runners-up will round off the top five with prize money of Rs 4 lakh and Rs 3 lakh respectively.” The prize is being financed by Cinestaan Digital Pvt Ltd., an internet media firm focussed on building cinema-related products for Indian audiences.

The winners will also be given the opportunity to pitch these stories to leading production houses. Khan and Hirani, known to be excellent script doctors, are taking personal interest in the material that is coming their way.

The superstar reveals that the contest is to provide a platform to the reservoir of talent outside the industry. “We have incredible talent in this country. However, they have been facing immense difficulty in making their way to the Indian film industry. I feel that good writers don’t have enough opportunities and this is where the contest will help tremendously.

The contest was launched on October 15 and entries will be accepted till January 15, 2018. The scripts submitted will be evaluated by the jury and the results will be announced sometime next year.
Rajabali, chairman of the jury, adds, “It is imperative that Indian screenwriting move to the next level. Indian cinema needs great scripts, and this will take us one step closer to that goal.”