Why Experienced Screenwriters Are Forced Failures in India

And Why It's Hurting Our Content Quality
Every other day, a new job posting pops up:
“Scriptwriters needed for TV/OTT – 1 to 3 years experience only.”
Sounds exciting, right?
Until you realize what it really means: a complete dismissal of experienced writers.

🚫 A System That Prefers Cheap Over Capable

Producers and studios increasingly hire freshers with 1–3 years of experience. But here’s the reality:

These “1–3 years” often include internships or ghostwriting stints.
Their dream is usually to direct, not write long-term.
They are handed the responsibility of writing full episodes and entire arcs.
Can we expect structured plots, emotionally resonant themes, and compelling characters from someone just beginning their learning journey?

📉 Skill Maturity: Junior vs. Senior Writers
Let’s look at the skill gap.
Senior writers are often:
More adept at emotional layering
Able to design sustainable series arcs
Grounded in theme, tone, and genre expectations
Versatile in dialogue rhythm and visual storytelling
Yet, they’re often:
Rejected as overqualified
Paid less than justified
Or entirely excluded from writer’s rooms

🎭 The Tragic Irony
While senior writers are:
Forced to train others
Create skill-development programs
Take up guest lecturing roles,
The same writers they train are hired into positions meant for them.
The system is broken.

💥 The Impact? Stagnant Quality
OTT content feels repetitive
TV serials lack narrative coherence
Films fail to emotionally resonate
It’s not a lack of talent.
It’s a lack of utilization of experience.

🎯 What Needs to Change?

Producers must recognize the ROI of experience.

• Senior writers can save money, time, and elevate quality.

Writer’s rooms should be balanced.

• Blend juniors and seniors for mentorship and execution.

Reform in hiring metrics.

• Hire based on output quality, not just years or pay brackets.
• If you're an experienced screenwriter feeling underutilized, you're not alone.

This is not a personal failure. It’s a structural flaw we must talk about.

✍️ Sai Vijendhiran
Inventor of the Screenplay Auditing Process
🌐 www.saivijendhiran.com