EXT - Film Writers Association

I realised getting a break in this industry is not easy. There were strugglers and dreamers, and people who had work, but no fame, people who made money, but dreamt of making their films, technical people who were happy doing their own work and their were other's who are there accidentally, because they took that job in a young age. There were actors, producers, directors, cinematographers, secretaries, production companies and posters that provoked a feeling within "If they can do it, why not me? "

There were all kinds of people, it dawned on me that how much the celluloid meant to those people, and soon I was going to be part of them. We were at the Film Writer's Association to register our project. There were people from all over India there, some had come directly from the railway station, with their luggage waiting outside the office to get their writing registered. There were teens who could afford print-outs and spiral binding, there were song writers and story writers who had hand written papers, and finally the typical writer types with long hair and kurta, and people who were dreaming.

We stood their in the hope, like others who stood their, that someday our work will be translated on screen through those hand written and printed papers. Registering requires a membership. I signed up for it. They asked me a passport size photo to be attached to the 'Writer's Card'. After the card is stamped and signed by the Association, I was officially a Writer.

Film Writer's Association is not as sophiscated or organised like the Writer's Guild of America. It's does not have archiving, the paper's are registered under a writer and a journal entry is made. Then they are signed and stamped by a Member. It roughly takes 45 minutes to 2 hours to register a 110 page screenplay depending on the rush there.

The Association does not provide the facility of doing an online registration like the WGA, nor does it exists on the cyberworld. The walls of the office are adorned with pictures of Ramanand Sagar, Premchand etc all in black white. One corner of the room has a listing of different presidents of the association along with their tenure.

After the registration, we approached another production company with out project. The lady who did the new script evaluation walked in with a newbie who was under training to listen to our pitch. She had a deep plunging neck line, which I gaurantee was hard for any guy to resist, at least looking once. :) We played our audio presentation and then I continued my narration. She was just looking at me and trying to act as if she was interested, but she was thinking of something else. I cut shot my narration, I always do this when there is lack of attention. She looks at the new comer and tells " I have to read the screenplay, we have a three week evaluation method, where different members of our team will read it. ". My gut feel said we were wasting our 170 bucks, the cost for printing, binding and the cost of Cds of our showreels, but then at that moment, we just handed and hoped that something postive may work out. Of course Warrier, she is training the new comer in the room in 'how to handle energetic film makers who come with fire and stars in their eyes.' Probably thats how she saw us.

Three weeks, later she had not read it. She was travelling in Delhi and gave me a story on how her flight got delayed. She was back in Bombay and after pestering her for five weeks, I got her to read my screenplay, and she is ready with her feed back. I call her on the phone, she starts " Well, I know what you are trying to do with this film, it all works out fine, but then, the woman angle is not so strong." I was puzzled I reply " But the movie is not about the woman, she is a supporting character who moves the story." She replies " But, without a heroine, anyways your character looks very hung up about the guy " I was getting a hint as to where this conversation was going, I ask her "whats your point?." She replies " I think this project won't work, since this does not have a woman and having another meeting is a waste of your time and my time. and Manu, If you do have any other projects to submit, you are always welcome. It's was nice knowing you"

I hung up the phone. I was upset. 'Not a strong woman character ?' . Is it how our scripts are judged or Did she take the story too personally ? " your woman is very hung up about the guy" or Are there fixed rules to make a film one of them being " you shall not make a movie in bollywood without a heroine". All these thoughts just started spreading the fire faster. We were determined, by hook or crook, we will make this film happen, and we wanted to make sure that evaluation lady from the production company watched it....