₹1.8L for 90min show?: Writers allege exploitation in micro‑drama pay
What's the story
On July 20, the Women Film Circuit (WFC), a collective established in 2021 to uplift women's working conditions in the film industry, lodged a formal complaint with the Screenwriters Association (SWA). According to Mid-Day, the complaint addressed the "rising exploitation" of writers working on micro dramas—short content pieces ranging from one to three minutes. WFC founder Sulagna Chatterjee alleged that these writers are often paid below the Minimum Basic Contract rate set by SWA.
Pay disparity
'Newer writers getting paid ₹1,000-₹2,000/episode'
Chatterjee highlighted the stark pay disparity for micro drama writers. She revealed that after writing a 90-episode series, a writer only gets paid between ₹90,000 and ₹1.8L. This is far below SWA's Minimum Basic Contract rate of ₹12L for projects with budgets under ₹5 crore. "I've heard of newer writers getting paid as low as ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 per episode... That's ₹1.8L for a 90-minute project!" she said.
Production challenges
'Production houses exploiting writers' needs'
Chatterjee, a writer on Code M (2020) and Feels Like Ishq (2021), emphasized the rising demand for writers for vertical format content. However, this hasn't led to fair pay. She recounted an experience with a major production house that offered her ₹3,500 per episode despite her experience. "You're [condensing] a 90-minute feature film into a micro drama... There is no clarity about the number of rewrites expected," she said.
Association's stance
What is the SWA's stance?
An insider from SWA said they are awaiting an "official complaint from individual screenwriters" apart from WFC's complaint. The association has not yet responded to these developments. Chatterjee urged SWA to set clear rate cards for all digital formats, hold production houses and digital platforms accountable, and start a dialogue with writers. She added, "There is no updated, enforceable standard for web series or micro series."