India’s Screenwriters Association Asks Members To Stop Working On U.S. Projects

The Writers Guild of India (SWA) has expressed support for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike and called on its members to shut down their US film and series tools. The SWA, the nation’s largest trade association of writers, with more than 57,000 members, sent an email to members on Thursday night asking why the WGA called for a strike and stating how the association “stands in complete solidarity with our 11,500 sisters and brothers of WGA.”

An article written on Deadline writes what the SWA said in an email. “We ask all SWA members working on U.S. shows and films to strengthen their protest by stopping work on those, and to not accept any new writing work from the companies in the US affiliated to AMPTP [Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers].”

Anjum Rajabali (Rajneeti, The Legend Of Bhagat Singh), a veteran screenwriter and member of the SWA Executive Committee, contacted Deadline and said the association now has no interest in programming produced by an Indian subsidiary of such a company. He clarified that the SWA is not asking its members to stop working with key producers such as Netflix, Disney, and Amazon.

Mr. Rajabari said Indian writers face an even bigger problem than U.S. writers when it comes to negotiating contracts, as there is no industry-wide producers association in India to negotiate like AMPTP, the association is slowly entering talks with key producers. For this reason, SWA is now drafting a minimum basic contract for its members and producing on standard terms.

The SWA email contained: “The challenges faced by Indian writers are even more acute. Grossly unfair contracts, no credit guarantee, undignified low fees (especially for new writers), one-sided termination clauses, impossible indemnity demands, no buy-back clause among others.”

Writers’ Guilds around the world, including the Writers Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) and the Writers Guild of Australia (AWG), have expressed solidarity with WGA members and requested donations of tools and further support for the shut down by members.