I am telling you this from the depth of my heart: after seeing film from the inside out, screenwriting literally means nothing, especially in India.
Most films are shot by directors who hate reading and produced by executives who also hate reading. They don’t want to get into the details of anything. They just want a superficial idea about the story and directly want to go on set.
I agree a screenplay is not a story but an instruction manual to be used on set. If it is written, why not use it?
There is another problem. The director imagines the film in a different manner than the screenwriter. Since the director is more powerful here, he keeps making changes to the screenplay without consulting the writer, and that’s what makes the film disjointed.
Most of the ideas that directors get on set are the result of impulsive thinking. He is not thinking about the whole screenplay; he is merely thinking about that particular shot.
I feel that directors who are themselves writers are the best bet because then there will be no conflict of imagination and thought.
As a former screenwriter, I must tell you that there is nothing more demotivating than knowing that the director, producer, and actor have together destroyed your entire screenplay and yet are kind enough to give you the credit of screenwriter.
There is never a point where the director listens to anyone, except the lead actors. Lead actors are the most powerful entities on the set. No one messes with them. If they give you an idea, you listen to it. You have no choice.
They get the highest amount for their face value. Trust me, most lead actors are not simply actors but more of a brand value that is used to bring people to theatres to spend money. They have to look pleasant and beautiful. No one wants to pay to see ugly people.
Top production houses know that; that is why they spend more money on the beautification of the location, the songs, and several other things. Beauty is what attracts most people. In order to create brand value, you must create beauty for yourself.
Screenwriting, in short, means nothing. There are directors who have made films out of a single 8–10 lines given to them. That can only happen in cinema, not in drama theatres.
Truth be told, the art of filmmaking is given more importance than is necessary. There isn’t much one can do about it. This is how the entire world works.
Let’s take the example of Dhurandhar. The screenplay works because the director himself wrote it. I agree there must have been several changes to the screenplay during the shoot, but the basic structure of the screenplay should not be touched upon. It should be made a rule.
Writing has no respect in the world of cinema. Once you become a big-shot director, only then will your writing be valued.
After all, how many screenwriters’ names do you remember right now?
Neither the audience nor the makers care about the screenplay, so it is foolish to spend time making screenwriting a career. Even a bad script can be made good by a good director because he can see the entire film inside his own mind.