The Writers Guild of America’s strike against Hollywood studios demanding higher pay and fairer deals, among other asks, has entered its second week. The guild is seeking a 25% hike in writer-producer minimums, for a total of 31% in the first year of the contract, reported Variety.

As a result of the strike, which has been supported by big names, including filmmaker Christopher Nolan, several projects have been impacted. The strike has revived the pay parity concern among Indian writers, too, who have time and again voiced their apprehension regarding writers’ issues.

Anjum Rajabali, who wrote Ghulam (1998) and co-wrote the screenplay of Raajneeti (2010), says, “While their strike doesn’t have a direct bearing on the Indian situation, it has brought into focus the unfair treatment that writers receive. Writing fees in India is nowhere close to the value that a script brings to a film. New and young writers are distressed as they feel exploited. The contracts that producers and studios offer are grossly one-sided.”

Writer Apurva Asrani feels that support from big actors and directors is imperative for a writers’ strike to bear fruit. The Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors (2020) writer says, “In the US, you have Christopher Nolan and Game Of Thrones co-creator George R R Martin supporting writers. In India, actors and directors are paid way higher than writers. So, no one really wants to change the status quo.” 

Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012) writer Zeishan Quadri says there’s a lack of unity among writers in India: “There is no organized way here. Also, there’s no one to guide the writers.”

Mitesh Shah, co-writer for the films Helicopter Eela (2018) and Tumbbad (2020), points out that the Screenwriters Association (SWA) “has been talking about all this for a long time”.

He adds, “But I haven’t received as many calls as I am getting now, after the US writers’ strike. Barring a few industry people, there has been very little support. I know a few writers who sold their scripts for as little as Rs. 50,000 or Rs. 1 lakh, while it should be at least Rs. 12 lakhs.”