SWA’s Raj Shekhar on Zee writer credit row: ‘Whoever wrote it gets the credit’ | Exclusive
Mumbai: The Screenwriters Association (SWA) recently welcomed Zee Network’s decision to restore its original writer credit system after concerns were raised over a rotational credit policy. The move came after the writers’ body formally took up the issue with the broadcaster, arguing that the system failed to recognise the actual contributors to an episode.
In an exclusive interview with News9 Digital, acclaimed lyricist and SWA Executive Committee Member Raj Shekhar explained why the association objected to the policy, how Zee responded to its concerns, and shared an update on the long-awaited Minimum Basic Contract for writers.
Raj Shekhar interview: Key excerpts
Q: Why did the Screenwriters Association object to Zee Network’s writer credit system, and what was the issue?
Raj Shekhar: Zee had introduced a rotational credit system for writers. They issued a mandate stating that only six people could receive credits, and those six also included producers. In a television serial, there are usually at least three writers – one for the broad story, one for the story, one for the screenplay, and another for the dialogues.
Under the rotational system, if four people – A, B, C and D – were writing, one person would receive the credit today, another tomorrow, and someone else the following day. It could even happen that A had written a particular episode, but B received the credit for it.
Writers approached the Screenwriters Association with this concern. We spoke to them, understood the issue in detail, and then wrote to Zee.
Seven days later, Zee responded, saying, “Thank you for raising this concern. We discussed it internally, and we are reinstating the old credit system, where whoever wrote it gets the credit.”
So, they understood both the writers’ concerns and the union’s perspective, and decided to restore the earlier credit system.
Q: Will the restored credit system apply across the television industry, or is this issue limited to Zee Network?
Raj Shekhar: At the moment, we haven’t come across this issue anywhere else. Other broadcasters continue to follow the earlier practice of giving credits to the actual writers. Our members specifically approached us regarding Zee, which is why we took up the matter with them. So far, we haven’t received similar complaints from any other television network.
Q: Was the rotational credit policy introduced for a particular show or across all Zee programmes?
Raj Shekhar: It was implemented across all their shows.
Q: What is the latest update on the Minimum Basic Contract for writers?
Raj Shekhar: Work on the Minimum Basic Contract is in its final stages. Bharti ji, I’d prefer to discuss it with you separately. We’ll get in touch very soon because this is a very sensitive issue.
We want to invite all stakeholders, explain everything in detail, share what we’ve worked on and have a proper discussion. The draft has been prepared after extensive consultations. It isn’t something we can decide unilaterally because, as a union, we understand our responsibility within the larger ecosystem.
We have to consider the challenges faced by all stakeholders while ensuring that writers’ interests remain protected. That’s why the process has taken time rather than being completed in a single day.