Prasoon Joshi: Hindi Cinema Lost Humility, Respect for Writers Over Time

• Prasoon Joshi believes early Hindi cinema had humility, drawing heavily from literature by writers like Rabindranath Tagore and Premchand.
• He argues that as cinema moved away from literature and began sourcing writers internally, the value and stature of screenwriters diminished.
• Joshi links this decline to a broader cultural shift where reading habits decreased, and visual storytelling became dominant, neglecting the conscious nurturing of writers.
• He notes that screenwriting in India is often seen as a stepping stone to directing or producing, rather than a respected final calling.
• While OTT platforms offer new opportunities, Joshi emphasizes that true empowerment requires valuing writing as a craft, not just creating space.

Why It Matters: Prasoon Joshi highlights how Hindi cinema's shift from literary roots devalued screenwriters, despite new OTT opportunities.