Varun Grover Claims Writers Get Exploited In Bollywood; Shares ‘It’s Happening With Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Irshad Kamil’

Varun Grover, a Bollywood writer who now also makes films, shared how a director took advantage of his writer friend. The director, who is seen as a hero by many, didn’t pay Varun’s friend fairly for their work. The amount was much less than what writers should be paid according to the Screenwriters’ Association rules. Varun also pointed out that filmmakers often don’t give writers credit for their work, not even mentioning their names on film posters or music albums. He mentioned that even famous songwriters like Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, and Irshad Kamil don’t get proper credit on popular YouTube channels.

In an interview, Varun told the story of his friend’s experience with this well-known director. The friend was asked to write not just the dialogues but the screenplay as well. Initially offered a very low amount, the friend had to negotiate to get a slightly better payment, but it was still far below the fair rate for such work. Varun emphasized that this kind of exploitation is common in the film industry. Writers, who are essential to the creation of films, are often overlooked and not given the recognition they deserve.

Varun, known for writing the film “Masaan,” recently directed his first film, “All India Rank.” He used this platform to highlight the issue of writer exploitation and call for change. He stressed the importance of giving credit to writers and acknowledging their contribution to films.