Satyanshu Singh has been mentoring screenwriters for over a decade. The National Award-winning filmmaker and writer, known for his work on Udaan and Black Warrant, as well as the 2019 independent feature Chintu Ka Birthday, has now partnered with talent management firm Tulsea to launch Prayogshala, a 12-month script development lab geared towards mainstream cinema.
Unlike traditional workshops and residencies, the programme will focus on polishing screenplays for commercial viability, connecting writers to producers and platforms.
In the past, Singh has created well-received screenwriting programmes including two editions of AIB First Draft. In his lectures and courses, he has emphasised the value of mainstream storytelling, analysing films as varied as Sholay, Lagaan, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! and Satya to decode their appeal and universality.
“Three years ago, I was having a conversation with Vikramaditya Motwane and he casually mentioned how he’s been meeting a lot of bright, talented, hardworking writers. However, none of them were writing mainstream scripts,” Singh tells THR India. “It made me think deeply about my role as a teacher, and whether I could use my knowledge base and ecosystem in a more utilitarian way.”
Aimed at advanced and professional writers — that is, those with a completed screenplay — Prayogshala will follow a three-phase structure: story rewrite, screenplay development, and pitching. Participants will work closely with Singh and receive expert feedback on their scripts.
Midway through the programme, there will be a seven-day residential lab in Mumbai. Once a script is deemed pitch-ready, Singh and Tulsea — which represents a roster of writers, directors and showrunners in its clientele — will take it to the industry.
Applications for Prayogshala open May 1. Apart from an application fee of ₹1,500, the programme is free of charge. However, if a script is successfully sold, Singh and Tulsea will earn a commissioning fee, while writing credits will remain solely with the author.
“In recent years, especially after Black Warrant, I feel I am taken more seriously by the industry,” Singh says. “It’s now easier for me to take these ideas to producers and pitch them professionally. So I thought of expanding beyond the role of a mentor and working as a development producer with Prayogshala.”
The programme will shortlist 20 scripts from the submissions, followed by interviews with the writers. “We are hoping to select 10 participants if the applications are especially strong. If not, we will go ahead with five for the first edition.”
Singh observes that in the current landscape, writers feel discouraged to write ambitious, big-screen scripts, assuming — often wrongly and prematurely — that no one will produce them. Instead, they pivot to experimental and independent films seeking validation and respectability.
“Mainstream cinema is generally looked down upon in cinephile circles, although, in my opinion, it is the most difficult and most rewarding form of writing,” Singh says. With Prayogshala, he hopes to encourage participants to embrace originality while writing for a wide, universal audience.
“There is some basic wisdom a commercially viable script should follow. It should be casting-friendly, sensibly budgeted and absolutely original. Recent blockbusters like Animal and Dhurandhar adhered to these principles. Even Saiyaara, though a remake, offered a fresh experience compared to what was out there.”
Expanding on the vision behind Prayogshala, Radhika Gopal, who leads content and talent strategy at Tulsea, says, “Satyanshu is one of our first clients, and across the challenges and opportunities of the last fifteen years, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to each other’s growth. He represents the classic ‘small town, big talent, biggest dreams’ arc and continues to amaze us with his devotion to the craft and the writers’ community. With Satyanshu helming Prayogshala and Tulsea supporting his vision, we are excited to hone new voices and deliver compelling experiences to cinema lovers.”