Inside The Writers’ Room: Guneet Monga’s Women in Film – India and Soho House Spotlight Screenwriting Voices

On an unusually breezy Tuesday evening, the cinema at Soho House Mumbai turned into something more intimate than a screening space, it became a writer’s sanctuary. The occasion was the second edition of The Writers’ Room, an initiative by Women in Film – India, founded by Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga, with Soho House as community partner. Designed as a craft-focused workshop, the programme has steadily become a platform for women across the industry to exchange ideas, collaborate, and carve out space for equity in film.

Moderated by acclaimed writer and lyricist Varun Grover (Masaan, Sacred Games, All India Rank), the evening brought together two formidable voices of contemporary Indian screenwriting: Smita Singh (Sacred Games, Raat Akeli Hai) and Juhi Chaturvedi (Piku, October). What unfolded was not only a masterclass in writing but also an exploration of the invisible, internal forces that drive storytelling.

On Building a Writers’ Room

Grover, with his trademark clarity, offered a window into the complex dynamics of collaboration. “At the time of making the writer’s room, there has to be some application of mind in why we are having this particular set of writers,” he said. “What are the strengths, what are the weaknesses of each writer, and how will they gel together? If there is that clarity, that helps. That there is mutual trust, mutual respect, even if you disagree.”

He added, with a touch of levity, “You are not creating a cure for some disease, right? Okay, you can let some of the things go. Basically, what you need is a solid, nerdy brain. Someone who is good at rigour. Because writers are kind of scattered all over the place, there is lots of chaos happening.”

Writing Against the Algorithm

Smita Singh, whose writing has redefined noir storytelling in India, drew a sharp line between formula and craft in an era dominated by AI discourse. “Artificial intelligence generally helps and is good with stuff that is repetitive. It'll help people who believe in formulas. It'll help people who believe they can just collate data—and that's not how good stuff is made,” she said. “We’ve been working according to the ethos of algorithms and AI for a long time, so I don’t see much change. But I do see failure coming from that in waves.”

For Singh, the question that drives her writing is profoundly human. Reflecting on Raat Akeli Hai and Sacred Games, she recalled, “On the first day we sat down, the question was: what are the universal themes we are going to look at? And I just cried. That, for me, is the most important thing: why am I telling this story? What is it?”

Themes of trauma, violence, and survival, she explained, are never far from her lens. “Whether it is a cop trying to find the truth, or a woman surviving trauma, it’s important to look at systemic things. Genre is important, too—I lean towards noir, suspense, horror. I think I write what I would like to see.”

Beyond Labels and Baggage

If Singh’s reflections anchored the conversation in thematic depth, Juhi Chaturvedi took it to the realm of abstraction and multiplicity. She voiced her relief that the session wasn’t squeezed into the calendar week before International Women’s Day: “That one week when the whole world wants to say, how do you feel being in the industry as a woman writer? And then you repeat exactly the same thing, because you’re exhausted with that question. My story is universal. I don’t need that baggage.”

For Chaturvedi, the act of writing transcends categories. “The writing process cannot be gender-specific. You are so many things at the same time. That is the beauty of creating something—it doesn’t force you to own a role or personality. The internal of every person, man or woman or anybody, is infinite. And I like to tap into that infinite. I hate the idea that, oh, I have to write this film from this point of view. No, I’m going to write this film from every point of view. Headstand karke bhi main likhungi film ko.”

From The Writers' Room at Soho House, Mumbai

Building a Home for Voices

For Soho House, the partnership with Women in Film – India reflects a deeper commitment to nurturing artistic communities. Over the years, the House has evolved from a screening venue into a creative collaborator by co-curating festivals like ALP, supporting projects with Tiger Baby, and spotlighting queer cinema through Pride x Film Weekend. Collaborations with Kriti Film Club and MAMI have amplified underrepresented voices while keeping the focus firmly on stories that move, provoke, and endure.

With The Writers’ Room, that ethos found sharp expression. By creating space for established and emerging writers to speak about process, struggle, and joy, the initiative builds not just conversations but communities.