Scripting Bollywood: Candid Conversations with Women Who Write Hindi Cinema

Did you know that Shama Zaidi who has scripted Garam Hava and Mandi introduced the master filmmaker Satyajit Ray to the concept of the colour pallet in films? That Sooni Taraporevala the writer of Salaam Bombay! spent her student years in Havard working various jobs as a dishwasher server security guard...? That Juhi Chaturvedi who wrote Piku goes back to her childhood to give flesh and blood to her characters? Or that Sabrina Dhawan took two years to finish another script after Monsoon Wedding? Scripting Bollywood is a first-of-its-kind volume that focuses on the life-world and writing practices of women screenwriters in Bollywood an industry that is traditionally dominated by men. Through candid insightful conversations 14 women who have penned everything: classics like Umrao Jaan and Rudaali; potboilers like Aaina and Dil To Pagal Hai; spy thrillers like Raazi; and spunky comedies like Vicky Donor give their take on female writers and their relationship with the commercial Bollywood framework; women and the collaborative process of filmmaking; how their own realities give rise to memorable stories; and the liberating experience of writing for digital platforms. Besides sharing their craft the brilliant storytellers featured in this collection let readers into their lives and inspirations—they are personal powerful real!