Abhijat Joshi: Writers get less recognition, less payment

The writers in the film industry are underpaid and do not get much recognition for their good work, feels noted writer Abhijat Joshi.

Joshi, known for his work with Vinod Chopra Productions, has written their projects like 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', '3 Idiots', 'PK' and others.

"I never have had issues as I work in a company that respects writers and I am rewarded well. But I do hear these stories of less recognition, less payment and this has to change," Joshi told PTI. However, he is also of the view that the film industry values good scripts.

"The industry understands that script is essential to the success of a film. I think the writers also understand it and they have to consistently produce good work. So they are in a position to negotiate," he said.

On the scenario of scripts in the industry, he said, "Only a handful of great scripts have come in the recent past. Salim sir and Javed sir kept coming up with good scripts, they became household names even when there was no television. It can happen."

Later, there came a phase when writers were forgotten, but Joshi feels times are now changing. "I think the whole trend from 'Munnabhai...' has shifted to focusing on good stories. I think in the coming ten years lot of writers will make name for themselves," he said.

Abhijat thinks the taste and preference of audience is a myth and that people enjoy certain kind of films. "It (taste and a preference of audiences) is built. Like what happened in case of 'Munnabhai...' it was a different kind of a film, but people accepted it. If it's a unique idea, it takes a long time to work as it's on an uncharted territory," he said.

Joshi believes in coming up with innovative ideas in story-writing. "It took six years for us to script 'Munnabhai...'. I believe the idea should be unique, we never work on an idea that has been worked before. So we take time. But when you see the response, it is rewarding," he added. Joshi is excited about his next release - 'Wazir' - as a writer, starring Farhan Akhtar, Amitabh Bachchan and Aditi Rao Hydari. The film, directed by Bejoy Nambiar, is scheduled to release on January 8.