Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani on panel to judge India's biggest script contest

In what is likely to be a game-changer for scriptwriting in India, superstar Aamir Khan, filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani and screenwriters Juhi Chaturvedi and Anjum Rajabali will constitute the jury for the Cinestaan India’s Storytellers Script Contest, the country's biggest script contest till date.

The contest, being launched by Cinestaan Digital Private Limited (CDPL), which runs this website, carries a total prize money of Rs50 lakh. Half the amount will be awarded for the script adjudged as the best by the jury.

Some of the better scripts will be curated to be part of the Cinestaan Script Bank, which film studios and production houses can delve into and then directly liaise with the writers, who often find it difficult to get their voices across to the industry.

CDPL chairman Rohit Khattar said, “We started this initiative years ago with the Mumbai Mantra Sundance as well as the Mumbai Mantra CineRise screenwriting initiatives. We are doing our utmost to bring Indian storytelling talent to the forefront and I am grateful to our esteemed jury in helping us achieve this aim as well as to our two main sponsors, Mumbai Mantra CineRise and the TI Group."

Rajabali, who chairs the jury, said, “This is precisely the kind of strong stimulus that we were looking for. It is now imperative that Indian screenwriting leap to the next level and bloom. Indian cinema desperately needs great scripts, and this wonderful contest should take us one step closer to that goal.”

Aamir Khan added, “I believe we have incredible talent in this country. However, that talent has been facing immense difficulty in reaching the Indian film industry. I feel that good writers don’t have enough opportunities and this is where the Cinestaan India’s Storytellers Script Contest will help tremendously.”

Hirani said, “It’s a great initiative by Cinestaan to provide a platform for budding filmmakers. This will help to bridge the gap in the Indian film industry for producers and filmmakers with regard to obtaining content-driven scripts.”

Juhi Chaturvedi said, “Cinestaan India’s Storytellers Script Contest opens the door for undiscovered writers and will help writers find their own creative voices, enabling them to incubate their ideas and refine their craft.”

The contest, which was launched on 15 October 2017, will remain open till 15 January 2018. The scripts that are submitted in this period will be evaluated by the jury and the results will be announced next year.

To enter the contest and for additional details, visit https://scriptcontest.cinestaan.com.

Cinestaan Digital Private Limited is an internet media company headquartered in Mumbai, India, which focuses on building cinema-related products and services for networked audiences. One of its first offerings, www.cinestaan.com, is an attempt to record and recount the rich past and vibrant present of Indian cinema. It is also working to put together the most comprehensive database on Indian cinema.