‘Chak De! India’ writer Jaideep Sahni: A producer should be a writer’s best friend

Jaideep Sahni during a conversation facilitated by SWA | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The Screenwriters Association’s (SWA) latest edition of its event, ‘Vartalaap’, brought together acclaimed screenwriter and lyricist Jaideep Sahni for a freewheeling conversation recently.Moderated by SWA EC Member Vibha Singh, Jaideep spoke about the threat of Artificial Intelligence and the ongoing fight for screenwriting royalties through SRAI (Screenwriters Rights Association of India).Speaking on the rapid advancement of AI and the ethics surrounding data, Jaideep—who graduated as a computer engineer—expressed a concern regarding Large Language Models (LLMs) and predictive technology.“There are so many scientists who are leaving companies because they can see it. They can see it because the models we see are the retail version. The models they are not releasing are 100 times more dangerous than this. This is not just about our work, but about everything. And the clock is ticking. It is ticking every day, and one day, it will be too late,” he opined.Addressing this, Jaideep advocated for a shift in thinking, asserting that writers and producers must view each other as natural allies rather than adversaries. “A writer should be a producer’s best friend. Because it’s a story. And a producer should be a writer’s best friend. Convincing someone from the heart can only be done by the page. And its power is greater than anything else. Because I have always seen, when the page speaks, the big guys shut up,” he said.Jaideep is known for writing films like Khosla Ka Ghosla, Company, Chak De! India, Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, Bunty Aur Babli, and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Published - September 12, 2026 10:46 am IST