A week into 2025, Avrodh's screenwriter Sudeep Nigam reflects on screenwriting in 2024 and what he expects in 2025!
There have been numerous opinions floating around the internet that wrap up 2024 through the lens of cinema. Largely the conclusion that has been drawn is that the year has been somewhat middling and confused, especially for Bollywood. The desperation to pull in audiences seemed more of a priority than a commitment to the craft of storytelling. In contrast, it was a banner year for Malayalam cinema, which shone bright, dominating most “Best Films of 2024” lists. It’s telling that more than five Malayalam films consistently made these lists, while Hindi cinema saw only a handful of mentions. Even the world of streaming, often a refuge for innovative storytelling, fell short of expectations this year. Big promises led to disappointments with nothing new to say while the saving grace becomes a few legacy shows continuing to hold our attention or the occasional gem, but otherwise streaming too saw a notable dip in quality.
Regardless, 2024 has become a critical teaching moment, one that demands serious introspection. The “social mediafication” of cinema—where everyone seems to chase trends and pander to what they think audiences want has proven unsustainable. What’s clear is that the rush to cater to the online buzz, the memes, and the viral moments isn’t enough to drive long-term success. And who better to discuss this than a screenwriter working directly in the industry? After all, without a script, there is no film. We had the chance to sit down with Sudeep Nigam, a seasoned screenwriter also a part of 'Screenwriters Association' and whose credits include The Indrani Mukerjea Story, The Indian Predator, Avrodh: The Siege Within, Ishq-e-Nadaan, Sutliyan, and more. As someone deeply involved in both the creative and industry sides of filmmaking, Sudeep offered invaluable insights into what the year really meant for cinema and what we can learn from it, hoping to do better in 2025!
Here's what he had to say!
Which film in 2024 had the most innovative or unexpected screenplay? What about its writing stood out for you?
I’d have to say Manjummel Boys and Aavesham, both Malayalam films, really impressed me in terms of innovation and unexpectedness. The writing in both films felt fluid, with a new kind of grammar that allowed even the familiar storytelling beats to catch you by surprise. What’s remarkable is the way each scene is designed and treated—it is solid, building the drama in such a coherent manner that it keeps you invested as you progress through the story.
Were there any moments in your own writing journey this year where you felt particularly challenged or inspired by the trends you observed? How has the evolution of storytelling in 2024 affected your personal approach to screenwriting? Have you noticed shifts in audience expectations?
There have been many such moments. 2024 has been one of the toughest years for writers and creators in my decade-long career. One key shift I noticed is that series watching took a backseat this year, largely due to changing audience behaviors post-COVID. During the pandemic, people binge-watched content at home, but binging is more of a Western habit. Now that life is returning to normal and people are spending more time outside their homes, especially at work, they prefer comfort watching over binging. This shift has directly impacted long-format storytelling, pushing platforms to move towards a more TV style of content—lighter, more accessible stories with a quicker payoff. For writers like me, this trend poses challenges. It’s difficult to sustain creativity when writing within a limited format but it seems to be here to stay. Personally, this hasn’t altered my approach to screenwriting, but it has made me realize the importance of diversifying my skillset. Writing alone isn’t the most sustainable career anymore, and I’ll be exploring other avenues in the coming years.
In terms of character development, did you notice any new archetypes or character dynamics gaining traction this year?
In terms of archetypes, it’s mostly a continuation of the alpha male action hero dominating the screen. However, these characters are being placed into more genre-blending films, like horror or horror-comedies, which adds a layer of interest. Character dynamics are also leaning toward more classical storytelling, reminiscent of the Salim-Javed era, where you see robust, often predictable, but highly dramatic relationships driving the narrative.
How do you think the blending of genres, experimenting or innovating, which we saw a lot this year, is shaping the future of film writing?
The blending of genres has made writing more challenging because the audience’s tastes, especially in theatres, seem to have shrunk. The future of film writing is a bit uncertain right now. There are only so many large-scale action films that can be made, and only a few franchises consistently succeed. Mid-budget films struggle to find an audience in theatres, and low-budget films tend to rely on streaming for recovery. The creative process can’t always be dictated by what’s commercially viable, but like any business, the film industry needs to turn a profit. We need more mid-budget films making sustainable returns, rather than just one or two blockbusters raking in huge numbers.
With the rise of AI tools in writing and filmmaking, how do you see that influencing screenwriting in the coming years?
I see AI as a useful supplementary tool in screenwriting, if it’s used correctly. AI can’t replace the human element because creativity is driven by imagination, not just piecing together data from existing templates. While AI might help with things like structuring or generating ideas, the heart of screenwriting will always come from human intuition and emotional depth.
As we move into 2025, what new directions or bold risks do you hope to see in screenwriting? And how do you think we can move toward bringing those?
Honestly, the industry has been in a slump throughout 2024 and even part of 2023. In 2025, I’d like to see producers, studios, platforms, and even actors taking bigger risks on fresh forms of storytelling that aren’t just neatly packaged products. We need to support all kinds of films, regardless of scale, budget, or star power, to bring audiences back to theatres. This could also lead to a revival of OTT content for what it was originally meant for—telling high-concept stories without theatrical prospects, rather than becoming a clone of traditional TV.
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