Screenwriter and filmmaker Neeraj Pandey has sparked a thought-provoking conversation on the status of writers in Indian cinema after watching Aryan Khan’s trending debut web series The Ba***ds of Bollywood. The show, which has been creating buzz across social media for its bold narrative and inside look at the glamour, chaos, and politics of Bollywood, prompted Pandey to reflect on how writers remain under-acknowledged despite being the backbone of storytelling.
Neeraj Pandey pens note about writers after watching Aryan Khan and Netflix’s show The Ba***ds of Bollywood: “They are present, but invisible”
Sharing his observations through a series of Instagram notes, Pandey wrote, “Watched The Ba***ds of Bollywood and noticed this. There are actors, managers, music composers, even the underworld don shaping the industry. But not a single writer. Except one blink-and-miss moment, a faceless woman in a burka sliding a script to the hero. Just a hand with a script.”
The acclaimed writer further drew a metaphor from that moment, stating, “And maybe that’s the truest metaphor of all. How clever and meta it is. Well done! Aryan Khan. In our society, writers are present, but invisible. Even I fight this invisibility. Remember being awkward posing for cameras at my own film’s release. Because the confidence the world builds into an actor, is never given to a writer in equal measure.”
Pandey didn’t hold back from addressing the systemic disregard writers face in the industry: “Films become superhit, yet we hardly know the names behind them. The words are celebrated, but the writer’s face is ignored. The moment a writer shows the face, the tag arrives. So you want to be an actor? As if writers don’t deserve visibility. As if being serious means staying invisible.”
Emphasising that recognition for writers is still the exception rather than the norm, he added, “And isn’t face the first mark of identity? ‘But look at the few famous writers’. Yes, but those are the exceptions, not the rule. This isn’t just about cinema. It’s a larger societal problem. We celebrate the product of words, but rarely the human who dreamt them into being.”
Despite his candid take, Pandey maintained gratitude towards the industry while signing off in his trademark humorous tone: “I don’t know why I’m putting this out. Everything I have in my life has been given to me by the film industry. But I had to. You may or may not resonate with it. I’ll keep pushing the envelope, in my own way.” Concluding his post, he shared a monochrome picture of himself from the gym, ending with, “Chalo Bye, gym jana hai.”
The Ba***ds of Bollywood, Aryan Khan’s debut web series, explores the murky and glamorous corridors of the Hindi film industry through a mix of crime, drama, and satire. Its sharp writing and edgy portrayal of the behind-the-scenes power play have generated significant chatter, making it one of the most talked-about launches in the streaming space this year.
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