A new trend is emerging in India’s entertainment industry: reverse engineering content.

Increasingly, streaming platforms and film producers are asking writers who approach them with non-fiction script ideas to first write and publish a book, before deciding whether to turn it into a web series or film. Since writing a book on a non-fiction subject would often need extensive research, this approach helps makers avoid future legal disputes and controversies over content and intellectual property ownership, said writers, producers and IP agencies.

“Instead of waiting for a bestseller, producers and IP agencies are encouraging writers to develop books as screen-ready IP from day one,” said writer Anirudhya Mitra. “The book becomes a development tool and not the finished product.”

When Mitra pitched a script idea on the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi to Applause Entertainment in 2021, the production house asked him to write a book first. Publisher Harper Collins India came on board and published the book, ‘Ninety Days: The True Story of the Hunt for Rajiv Gandhi's Assassins’ the following year. A web series titled ‘The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case’ was subsequently made and aired on Sony LIV in 2025.

Alisha Kay’s Devgarh Royals trilogy and Srishti Chaudhary’s Lallan Sweets are among other examples where ideas pitched as scripts have been published first as books. These are currently being adapted into visual content.

“The rationale behind asking writers to convert script pitches into books is legal cushioning. A writer's due diligence and research about a subject save makers from unforeseen legal hassles or controversies,” said Sidharth Jain, founder of IP agency The Story Ink.

Publishers are keen on participating in this exercise, as a web series or film provides their books publicity.

There is also a great deal of audience interest in non-fiction ideas, which shows that platforms and producers are catering to an already existing demand.

Platforms asking writers to write books based on their pitches is nothing but catering to this demand, said scriptwriter Jaidev Hemmady.

Publishing a book first helps limit legal liabilities in case of any litigation and helps in creating awareness about these ideas, he said.

“Also, streamers are not that comfortable with toying with or considering original fiction ideas given the uncertainty of their reception among audiences," added Hemmady.

Even cinematically, this approach is beneficial as it gives makers an idea of what is filmable. “So, it can be a good testing ground for web series or films,” said veteran filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah.

Producers say this approach could gradually become a trend.

“As we seek more rooted Indian content, it is likely that we will see more book to screen adaptations from Indian literary material going forward,” said Sunir Kheterpal, producer, Athena E&M.