Mental Hai Kya writer Kanika Dhillon: Writers are not faceless cogs

Ekta Kapoor and Kanika Dhillon

Finding herself among the select few writers who have their names credited among the top brass of filmmakers in the credit roll and posters of a film, Kanika Dhillion has Mental Hai Kya producer Ekta Kapoor to thank for the development. Dhillon, who has films like Manmarziyaan and Kedarnath (2018) to her credit, reiterates the importance of film writers when stating that they shouldn't be a "faceless cog in the creative process" of film-making.

"[Writers] pen the story, characters, emotions and the film itself. [We] are as much accountable for the success or failure of a film, and that's how it should be. Ekta has always been among the producers who strongly believe in content creators. We had a series of discussions that spoke about the importance of writers, and how they must be given their dues, be it in terms of time, money or credit. I initiated the conversation, and [she] was willing to do it. It is one thing to pay lip-service, and another to show that you believe in what you say," says Dhillon, wife to Mental Hai Kya director Prakash Kovelamudi. Finding a spot on the film's poster implies that there is more pressure on the writer to then deliver, she suggests.

Even as the value that a strong screenplay holds is making itself evident at the box-office, Dhillon doesn't believe we're retracing the era where writers were the front when selling a film. "I don't think it is easy to achieve what [Salim-Javed] have," she says when we ask her of the prominence that the veteran writers held in their prime. "Their writing was capable of creating stars in a star-driven industry. A writer of this generation can only aspire to achieve what they have. But, we are collectively happy to set a precedent."

While she credits Kapoor for the "firm and welcome step", she adds that a number of film producers are also warming up to the notion of giving writers more importance. "Being a faceless name in a dark room should be a choice that the writer must make, not a condition that is set upon them."

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