History was made earlier this week when screenwriting guilds across the world assembled for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds 

Hosted by the Screenwriters Association (SWA) of India, the landmark meeting was held to discuss the urgent issues screenwriters are facing across the world, including in the Indian entertainment industry.

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 in-depth 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.

A special panel discussion—moderated by Senior Critic & journalist Baradwaj Rangan—was held recently, which 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).

On the second day of the AGM, The Indian Streaming Experience was an interactive session with Biswapati Sarkar and Vikramaditya Motwane, both writers and producers, and Aparna Purohit, CEO of Aamir Khan Productions and former Head of India & SEA Originals at Amazon Prime Video. It was an insightful exchange between the delegates and panelists that shed light on how streaming platforms in India operate, from showrunning and commissioning to developing new writing talent and producing fresh, original content.

Rajabali, who has been at the forefront of the SWA’s fight for their rights, said everything is stacked against writers today. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) had pulled off the historic 2023 strike in Hollywood, but Rajabali 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.”

Rajabali noted how the bargaining power of an individual writer is much smaller than the company he is dealing with, adding, “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.”

Blum-Smith, 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.”

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.”

IAWG is the common forum where solutions are found for issues that pertain to participating countries and their guilds. In this regard, and in such uncertain times, international solidarity becomes a crucial show of strength, noted representatives of all the guilds.

“This displays that it’s just not us alone struggling for writers rights because we haven’t had a tradition of collective bargaining in our country,” Rajabali said, noting, “Given the number of screenwriters who would like to get work, and are capable of delivering the work, there aren’t enough jobs available which is a common problem in many countries, along with fair compensation.”

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 Rajabali, Zaman Habib and Tumbbad writer Mitesh Shah represented the SWA at this AGM.