New Delhi: A war over words exists between Bollywood directors and scriptwriters! While directors complain about lack of good scriptwriters and are readily scriptwriting, scriptwriters crib about lack of opportunity and inadequate salaries.
Directors like Aditya Chopra, Prakash Jha, Karan Johar, Ashutosh Gowariker, Imtiaz Ali and Farhan Akhtar are among those who prefer scriptwriting themselves. Adman-turned-movie director Abhinay Deo who has directed ‘Delhi Belly, thinks directors script write due to ‘a dearth of good writers’.
“Directors are scriptwriting but there are some directors like Ashutosh Gowariker, Rensil D'Silva, Mani Ratnam, who write well” said Deo to IANS. Other directors feel they can do justice only when they write and direct it themselves. “There are good scriptwriters in India...but they are not hard working” says acclaimed filmmaker Prakash Jha.
“For the films I make, my observations, kind of people I meet, the way I absorb knowledge and information, I think I'm the only one who can write my stories. If I get a writer's script, I will definitely see it, but my style of filmmaking differs. I've already started working on films that I might make seven years later, so which writer will I get?” he questioned.
Kunal Kohli, who often writes his scripts, yearns to direct someone else's story, but so far he hasn't come across anything interesting.
“I want a ready script I can just shoot. Like the ones Salim-Javed used to write. Perfect screenplays. Kahaan hai (Where are they)?” Kohli once posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.