Veteran screenwriter Anjum Rajabali came out strongly against producers and streamers in India and said that they are working under a “feudal hangover”. He was speaking at a special panel discussion that took place during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG) which was hosted by Screenwriters Association (SWA) recently.
The AGM covered pressing points of the community, from lack of royalties, faulty contracts, undignified pay and interference of powerful producers to discourage the union from fighting for writers. The members also discussed the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence on screenwriting and deliberated on forming clear policies and safeguards around its ethical, legal, and practical use in the industry.
The panel discussion was moderated by senior critic and journalist Baradwaj Rangan and was joined by Laura Blum-Smith (Assistant Executive Director, Writers Guild of America West), Jennifer Davidson (Chair of IAWG and of the Writers’ Guild of Ireland), Anjum Rajabali (screenwriter, senior activist of SWA) and Peter Matessi (President Australian Writers Guild, Television Producer).
Anjum, who has been at the forefront of the SWA’s fight for their rights, said everything is stacked against writers today. He mentioned the strike pulled of by Writers Guild of America (WGA) in 2023 in Hollywood, but highlighted the bias of the streamers when it comes to Indian screenwriters. “It’s modern-day colonialism, because you (streamers) are treating them (international creators) differently than you are treating us. If they deserve those rights, so do we. The same companies that give them residuals, mandated by law, are resisting royalties to us, again mandated by law,” he said.
Anjum added, “Producers and streamers in India are working under a feudal hangover, and every big company is scared of allowing the unions to gain in power or authority above them, even when that is the way to justice.”
Laura, who was part of the historic WGA strike, didn’t mince words when they stressed the state of screenwriters. “The companies have taken the transition to streaming as a means of exploitation and erosion of the sustainability of screenwriting jobs. We are getting to do more work for less pay,” Laura said.
Ireland’s Davidson doubled down on the tricky position of the screenwriters by stating, “When it comes to global streamers, what they are going to get away with America today, they are going to get away with that and even worse in all our countries.”
The three-day mega event was joined by delegates from European, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Africa and Asian guilds, held for the first time in India. Along with Anjum, Zaman Habib and Tumbbad writer Mitesh Shah represented the SWA at this AGM.