Bollywood screen writer Kanika Dhillon has slammed writer-director Navjot Gulati for claiming her ‘personal relationship’ in the production house, helped her get a separate writer’s credit slate in the recently released trailer of Haseen Dillruba. In a strong exchange of words on Twitter, Kanika lashed out at Navjot. She elaborated her stand in an interview to indianexpress.com.
“I want to highlight it because this is something very nasty that has happened in the public domain and I won’t let it go. After being in the industry for so long, we have people like him who completely spit on your hard work. This has to stop at some point,” Kanika told indianexpress.com.
It all started when on Monday, Navjot Gulati took to his Twitter account and wrote, “If you want top billing as a Screenwriter in a trailer(something that should be the norm)You need to marry into the production house. Once the Writer becomes a family member, is treated like an Actor-Star. #Goals.”
He appeared to be referring to the standalone plate given to Kanika Dhillon in the upcoming Netflix film, directed by Vinil Mathew and starring Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey and Harshvardhan Rane. Kanika, who has written the script, also has movies like Manmarziyaan, Kedarnath, Judgementall Hai Kya and Guilty to her credit.
Hi @Navjotalive I am quite shocked by ur extremely SEXIST – MYSOGINIST and bordering on IDIOTIC comment Neither will I list down my body of work cos ur pea sized brain will not be able to process a successful woman making it on her own! U may hav a brain freeze! Have a good day https://t.co/hDDhSlBEpS
— Kanika Dhillon (@KanikaDhillon) June 14, 2021
And mr @Navjotalive because of writers like YOU – who display their STUPIDITY on something tht should be Applauded as a welcome step by the writing fraternity- other very deserving writers do not get top Billing as is their right—- shame on u! https://t.co/hDDhSlBEpS
— Kanika Dhillon (@KanikaDhillon) June 14, 2021
She was quick to respond, “Hi @Navjotalive. I am quite shocked by ur extremely SEXIST – MYSOGINIST and bordering on IDIOTIC comment Neither will I list down my body of work cos ur pea sized brain will not be able to process a successful woman making it on her own! U may hav a brain freeze! Have a good day.” In another tweet, she added, “And mr @Navjotalive because of writers like YOU – who display their STUPIDITY on something tht should be Applauded as a welcome step by the writing fraternity- other very deserving writers do not get top Billing as is their right—- shame on u!”
Kanika Dhillon had a separate credit slate in the trailer of Netflix’s upcoming film Haseen Dillruba. (Photo: Screenshot/T-Series)
Kanika had tied the knot with writer-producer Himanshu Sharma earlier this year. Himanshu has co-produced Haseen Dillruba with Aanand L Rai. “He says because I married Himanshu, who’s Aanand L Rai’s partner, this has happened. Himanshu isn’t aware and I don’t want him to get into it. This is my thing. Everytime a woman is more successful, people pick at her personal equation with a man. I’m getting messages from the industry supporting me. If he can do this to me who has six films to my credit, I just wonder what people like him will do to young girls who are just coming in,” Kanika added.
Taapsee supported her stance, “A progressive call to credit a writer turned into a sexist rant by the age old misogyny of crediting a woman’s success to the house she marries in or the man she married. Your righteous call for equal credit can’t be overtaken by the bitterness in u.”
Apart from Taapsee, several writers have come forward to support Kanika, including Atika Chouhan, Jyoti Kapur Das, Aniruddha Guha, and filmmakers Jai Mehta, Bijoy Nambiar, Vivek Agnihotri and others.
Read some tweets here:
A progressive call to credit a writer turned into a sexist rant by the age old misogyny of crediting a woman’s success to the house she marries in or the man she married. Your righteous call for equal credit can’t be overtaken by the bitterness in u. https://t.co/B7FrdSRakL
— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) June 14, 2021
While we must *always* point out lack of writing credits in film promotions, it’s not okay to attribute someone’s worth to her/his marital status.
Can’t we just celebrate the prominent billing in this case, and use it as a reference point while negotiating credits in future? https://t.co/ywgXKKwv3U
— Aniruddha Guha (@AniGuha) June 11, 2021
I’ve known @KanikaDhillon socially for a while now and I don’t think I’ve met or seen anybody as hardworking and focused as her. She’s a machine with an enviable body of work. Writers being credited must be celebrated! What you’re calling ‘The Bitter Truth’ is bitter in taste. https://t.co/zU0PdmwkfW
— Jai Mehta (@JaiHMehta) June 14, 2021
Imagine how ridiculous this joke were to sound if I made a sly remark on Himanshu Sharma marrying a star writer so that he could get all his films written for free! https://t.co/Qdd1fXpB54
— Atika Chohan (@atikachohan) June 14, 2021
WAIT…WHAT! If this is a JOKE, it’s in extremely bad taste! My first thought is for the youngsters who are entering this profession & who may actually think this is how things are! Someone’s yrs of hard work, real talent & perseverance is dismissed cos she’s MARRIED to someone?! https://t.co/iITQLl7Nh8
— Jyoti Kapur Das 🇮🇳 (@jkd18) June 14, 2021
Please don’t thank me. Thank YOU. You’ve changed the game. Writers getting credited in trailers should have always been the case. Avoid engaging with fools who make such disgusting statements. It’s appalling that somebody from our fraternity would say this crap out loud.
— Jai Mehta (@JaiHMehta) June 14, 2021
Jyoti, I haven’t met Kanika but I know her body of work and it gives me immense pride and hope that she succeeded on her merit in such a competitive world. It should be every creative person’s ethical duty to encourage such talents. Bravo, Jyoti & Kanika. Best, always.
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) June 14, 2021
Thank u for the support @nambiarbejoy ❤️ https://t.co/PVLFyAMlKC
— Kanika Dhillon (@KanikaDhillon) June 14, 2021
Netflix, just like other leading streaming platforms, is not known to give enough credit to the writers of its projects in trailers. Kanika revealed that Haseen Dillruba is a welcome move. “Netflix was very gracious about it. It’s team reached out to me to inform that they’ve decided to give me a writer’s credit, among the top billing of the marketing material. I thought it was a very progressive step in the right direction. Even people have been lauding this move ever since the trailer released.”
Reiterating her point, Kanika told us that the struggle is still on. “The contracts are made in such a way that it’s always the producer’s call. Writers don’t really get much in return. We don’t get any confirmation as to where our credits will be carried, we are dropped at wherever it is convenient for the producer. Thankfully I can negotiate well for myself. So this (Navjot’s claim) is taking away all the hardwork and ownership that should be given to a creator along with a director. Because of misogynist people like him… My problem is he’s also a writer and from the same industry.”
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