Rana Naidu and Scam writer Vaibhav Vishal on doing an 'Animal Before Animal' and the condition of screenwriters in Bollywood

Vaibhav Vishal, best known for scripting the raw, pulpy Rana Naidu, is not one to mince words—and certainly not when it comes to writing. “Rana Naidu is an official adaptation of Ray Donovan, and the biggest challenge was reimagining its essence for an audience that doesn’t really talk about father-son dynamics,” says Vaibhav, adding, “As a society with the kind of socio-cultural leanings we have, we are not very loud about father-son relationships, in real life or on screen. Ray Donovan puts that conflict front and centre—and we could not shy away from it. In our cinema, you have a handful of examples like Trishul, Shakti, and more recently Animal, but even those are largely about the hero’s angst. In Rana Naidu, the conflict is the story. I can safely say that Rana Naidu, with its raw toxicity, did an Animal much before Animal!”


But that didn’t mean a carbon copy of the American version. “We couldn’t have completely followed Ray Donovan. So I had to consciously tone down the extent of Rana’s rage in the dialogues, without compromising on the simmering tension,” he explains. “One big cultural hurdle was that Rana refers to his father by his first name—that was sacrilegious to many! We debated this endlessly. But going by the show’s success, I believe we made even that palatable.”


On the rise of OTT and its impact on writers, he remains cautiously optimistic. “The contribution of writers is finally being acknowledged. There’s more awareness that good writing can elevate a project.”


Responding to the widely discussed issue of screenwriters battling mental health crises and exploitative contracts, Vaibhav is refreshingly blunt. “The biggest problem is the lack of respect. People still think writing is just putting pen on paper. Anybody can do it, right? Deadlines are flung around without apology, and everyone in the room believes they’re a better writer than you. There are rewrites galore, with no checks and balances. Most of us have done unpaid work, too. Naturally, this is a perfect recipe for mental health disaster.”


He continues, “Writers live the film multiple times before anyone else sees it. Before the actor emotes or the director calls ‘cut’, the writer’s already been there. So treat them as partners, not labour. Sadly, it’s hard to say when this will change. Salim-Javed had to paint hoardings with their names in the ’70s. Fifty years later, nothing much has changed.”


On the question of fair compensation, Vaibhav offers both realism and resistance. “The SWA is doing its bit, but it needs more teeth—no, fangs—to make any real impact. Writers need to band together and become a powerful pressure group. Hollywood’s writers went on strike, twice, in the last decade. That’s the kind of unity we need here.”


And yes, he’s been through his share of unfair contracts. “Quite a few times. And truthfully, I wasn’t always able to navigate them well. When you’re new, you think you’re dispensable. But once you’ve got a few hits like Scam, Inside Edge, Rana Naidu, you realise you’re not that easy to replace. That gives you strength. If I had to start over, I’d be a stronger spokesperson for myself. And that’s what I tell new writers: If you’re good, you are NOT replaceable. They’ll come back—just make sure it’s at your terms.”

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