'Worst time for writers': 'Munjya' writer criticizes Bollywood's 'broken system'
What's the story
Niren Bhatt, the screenwriter behind Bollywood blockbusters like Stree 2, Munjya, and Bhediya, recently expressed his concerns over the rampant remake culture in Bollywood.
He shared these thoughts at the Indian Screenwriters Conference (ISC), calling the current state of affairs "broken."
He added only "disruptors" will survive in this broken system and emphasized writers are indeed these disruptors.
Industry challenges
Bhatt highlighted the crisis faced by Bollywood writers
During a session titled The Mainstream Reality, Bhatt stressed that writers in Bollywood are going through a major crisis.
"There are two pictures- One is very bleak; all writers are struggling; this is the worst time for writers in the industry but it's up to you how to navigate."
"This is also the best time because all the established rules are broken. The entire system is broken. So only disruptors will survive and writers are the biggest disruptors."
Remake criticism
Bhatt slammed remakes, stressed on original storytelling
Bhatt slammed the trend of remaking films in Bollywood, emphasizing the need for original storytelling.
He noted, "Out of 25 remakes post-pandemic, 23 are flops. The only way to succeed is to make original content."
During the session, Bhatt was accompanied by Pathaan dialogue writer Abbas Tyrewala, screenwriter Kanika Dhillon, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 writer Aakash Kaushik.
Future endeavors
Bhatt's upcoming projects in Bollywood
Bhatt remains a contributor to the industry with upcoming projects like Thama, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna, Stree 3, and Bhediya 2 starring Varun Dhawan.
These films are part of his ongoing collaboration with the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe.
Other notable attendees at the ISC included Kiran Rao, Shoojit Sarkar, Nikkhil Advani, Dibakar Banerjee, Biswapati Sarkar (of TVF fame), and Anand Tiwari.