What started as a passion project for Aamir Khan in 2017, has grown into an initiative that is changing the landscape for budding writers in the Indian film industry. The second edition of Cinestaan India's Storytellers Script Contest, a nationwide hunt for scripts where the five winners take home a total cash prize of Rs 50 lakh, was launched this February. Over the past three months, the four-member jury — consisting of Khan, Anjum Rajabali, Juhi Chaturvedi and Rajkumar Hirani — sifted through numerous entries to choose five compelling stories that can be taken to the screen. While the on-ground event to announce the winners has been cancelled due to the current scenario, the superstar will unveil the new talent on social media today.

Excited to be part of an endeavour that celebrates screenwriting — an aspect he considers the backbone of every successful film — Khan urges budding writers to not let the prevailing situation dampen their creativity. "Budding scriptwriters should continue writing with more enthusiasm, especially during these times. Every filmmaker needs a good script," says the actor.

California-based NRI Sejal Pachisia has bagged the top prize of a whopping Rs 25 lakh for her story, On the Boundary. The second and third prizes have been won by Digant Patil and Soumil Shukla for Guilt and Laakh Maavla respectively. The prize is financed by Cinestaan Digital, an internet media firm focussed on building cinema-related products for Indian audiences. The chosen scripts will become part of its story incubator programme.

Screenwriters Anjum Rajabali and Juhi Chaturvedi

Rajabali, jury chairperson, says the contest was designed to provide a platform to new talent, thus helping deserving outsiders to gain a toehold in the industry.

"It's important that we raise the standard of our scriptwriting so that the quality of our cinema improves," he states.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

In 2017, Aamir Khan started a project to boost budding writers in the Indian film industry. The second edition of Cinestaan India's Storyteller Script Contest, a nationwide hunt for scripts where the five winners take home a total cash prize of Rs. 50 lakh was launched this February. From the past few months, the four-member jury consisting of Aamir Khan, Anjum Rajabali, Juhi Chaturvedi and Rajkumar Hirani has gone through numerous entries to choose five compelling stories that can be taken to screen. 

However, this time instead of the on-ground event to announce the winners, Aamir Khan will unveil the winners on social media. Meanwhile, Khan is urging writers to not let the prevailing situation dampen their creativity. He said that budding writers should write with more enthusiasm, especially during these times. 

Says Rohit Khattar, Chairman of Cinestaan Digital, “I am grateful to our esteemed jury in working with us to bring Indian storytelling talent to the forefront especially during these surreal times. Thank you to the thousands of writers who had applied. The quality of the work was stellar and we would like to congratulate the winners who are truly deserving and wish them success.”

Speaking about the winners, Anjum Rajabali, the Jury Chairperson said, ‘We started this contest with the larger objective of attracting more people to write scripts. It’s very important that we improve the quality of our scriptwriting so that the quality of our cinema goes up. The caliber of scripts in this edition was better than last year and it’s heartening to see that the talent is developing. Thank you to the jury members for giving their valuable time in reading and assessing the scripts. Truly appreciate the Cinestaan team’s hard work. I have not seen this kind of unconditional support and generosity before, with the only reward being to encourage good writing in this country.’

Juhi Chaturvedi says, ‘As a writer, I understand the joy of being appreciated, especially on a big platform like this which motivates us to write more. Congratulations to the winners. I’m very happy that through this contest I was able to be a small part of your journey.’

Raju Hirani while congratulating the winners said, ‘I’m happy that the objective with which this contest was started, to inspire scriptwriters and give them a platform to send their scripts from all parts of the country - slowly and steadily we are moving towards our goal. The caliber of scripts this year has been better than last year.’

All the entries of the second edition of the contest went through a transparent and stringent process of evaluation at various levels. The shortlisted synopsis were asked to send in a complete script which were then assessed and then the winners selected by the jury. All scripts have been registered by the contestants with the Scriptwriters Association and other similar recognized bodies to ensure that the writers' content is completely protected.

‘Cinestaan India’s Storytellers Script Contest’ was launched by Cinestaan Digital Pvt. Ltd. and is India’s biggest Script Contest. The winners of the contest are awarded cash prizes worth Rs. 50 lakhs.

ALSO READ: Aamir Khan dismisses distributing money to the poor in wheat bag, says “Robin Hood doesn’t want to reveal himself”

On May 1, Shirish Kunder's directorial Mrs Serial Killer was released on Netflix. The film is co-produced by Farah Khan. While Jacqueline Fernandez, Manoj Bajpayee and Mohit Raina play the lead roles, the film also marks the debut of Zayn Khan, who is the daughter of Mansoor Khan and niece of Aamir Khan.

On Thursday, Farah Khan took to her Instagram handle to share a picture with Zayn Khan. Sharing the picture she also revealed how life came a full circle for her with Zayn's debut in her film. "In 1992 her father, Mansur khan gave me a break as choreographer in #jojeetawohisikandar .. 28 yrs later his daughter @zaynmarie makes her debut n wins hearts in our film , #mrsserialkiller.. life has a way of coming full circle," she wrote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

In 1992 her father, Mansur khan gave me a break as choreographer in #jojeetawohisikandar .. 28 yrs later his daughter @zaynmarie makes her debut n wins hearts in our film , #mrsserialkiller.. life has a way of coming full circle ♥️

A post shared by Farah Khan Kunder (@farahkhankunder) on May 7, 2020 at 4:00am PDT

Mrs Serial Killer is the story of a renowned gynaecologist who is accused of murdering five unmarried pregnant girls. All the evidence is against him due to which his bail is rejected. With no other option in hand, the gynaecologist’s wife decides to commit a copycat crime to prove his innocence. While Manoj Bajpayee plays the gynaecologist, Jacqueline Fernandez plays the dutiful better half. Mohit Raina essays the role of the cop. As for Zayn Marie Khan, she plays Anushka, who is selected by Jacqueline’s character Sona as her target.

ALSO READ: 16 Years Of Main Hoon Na: “Farah Khan is the only director who feels I could be a very COOL action hero” – Shah Rukh Khan

What pushes you to include indie sounds in film music?
It's exciting. We hear so much of template music each day. It sounds too similar, and gets boring eventually. Indie music gives you the edge to experiment and push the envelope. I follow my instinct.

Singer-composer Amit Trivedi

What will we hear at your performance at The Red Bull Tour Bus-Off The Roof gig?
I make alternate and mainstream Bollywood music, and you'll hear more of alternate sounds at this gig. I'll play music from Udaan, Lootera, Dev D and even Rukh [an upcoming film starring Manoj Bajpayee]. Mainstream songs will include tracks from Ayesha, Ishaqzaade and Shaandar. Divya Kumar, Arun Kamath and Yashita Sharma will accompany me. Expect a bit of Coke Studio-kind of sound as well.

What was it like working on Secret Superstar and Rukh? And exchanging notes with Aamir Khan?
I dealt with two different worlds. While Secret Superstar is the story of a mother and daughter, Rukh is the story of a father and son. The songs in Secret Superstar are from a 15-year-old's viewpoint. They are light and breezy; it can't be party music. Now, this is something important - a lot of people complain on social media about their dislike for a song. What they don't understand is that we make music for cinema, which is storytelling and where characters are involved. It is not necessary that every film needs to have a blockbuster song. And that's the beauty of Aamir Khan [producer of Secret Superstar]. He puts all his energy into every aspect of the film. Usually, the songs that get popular are romantic or melancholic, or club songs; this film has none of it.

Do you take social media seriously?
Earlier, there was a gap between the celebrity and the audience. Now, it's seamless. Everybody has a phone and an opinion. And this access is taken for granted. People say whatever sh*t they want. So, I just look at the good side of it. Bombay Velvet was a commercial disaster but till date, I get good reviews for the music.

Tell us about your interest in folk music.
When I was a kid, my mom would sing a lot of Gujarati garba songs. The environment [to nurture music] was appropriate. I've got many favourites - Tara Vina Shyam, Kaho Poonam Na Chand Ne, Sonal Garbo Shire, Ek Vanjari Julan Julti Thi, Krishna Bhagwan Halya Dwarika Ne.

On: October 14, 5 pm onwards
At: PJ Hindu Gymkhana, Marine Lines
Log on to: www.insider.in
Entry: Rs 500

Will Aamir Khan become a change maker? His Sunday morning programme is closely watched by many in India. The c

Carry Minati's YouTube vs TikTok trends on number one giving rise to #CarryMinati meme-fest on Twitter. Check out the funny jokes here.

The social media sensation, 28, didn't let the incident phase her, as she took to Instagram to share the snap on Friday.

Amir Khan has hit back at trolls who criticised him after he shared a photo of him and his family enjoying the festive period in front of a Christmas tree.

The Handmaid's Tale star Samira Wiley stopped by the BUILD Series to chat about season three of her dystopian Hulu series.She displayed a winning smile in a summer floral print dress.

Sunday night Samira Wiley left The Handmaid's Tale behind as she stunned during her arrival at the annual Tony Awards in New York city. The actress is Nylon magazine's newest cover star.

The evening event was a celebration of the host organization's mission to end LGBTQ youth suicide, and stars of the small and silver screen alike showed in spirited support.

Sunday night's episode of MasterChef ended with contestants Michelle, Metter and Samira in the bottom three after they failed to impress judges with their culinary skills.

Samira Damirova was booted from Masterchef on Monday night after failing to impress the judges with her recreation of an Imperial Mandarin dessert.

Amir Khan is hoping to end his boxing career with a Saudi Arabia showdown with Manny Pacquiao. 

Dib's corner threw in the towel after Khan showed his hand speed to floor the Australian for the second time with a flurry of body shots. Khan now wants to fight Manny Pacquiao

Khan, who has just come off a £7million payday after beating Billy Dib last week, revealed at a press conference at his gym that the blockbuster fight will take place in Saudi Arabia, according to talkSPORT.

Manny Pacquiao has insisted that no deal has been reached for a super-fight against Amir Khan on November 8. The British fighter had previously claimed they would fight in Saudi Arabia.

Manny Pacquiao appeared to rule out a possible showdown with Amir Khan in November after winning his WBA welterweight title showdown with Keith Thurman in Las Vegas.

Khan, who stopped Billy Dib inside four rounds earlier this month, had announced that an agreement was in place for him to fight Pacquiao next in Saudi Arabia this winter.

Roger Federer's stuttering start at the US Open continued as he suffered a second scare in as many rounds before beating Damir Dzumhur 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round.

Khan, who has just come off a £7million payday after beating Billy Dib last week, revealed at a press conference at his gym that the blockbuster fight will take place in Saudi Arabia, according to talkSPORT.

DANIEL MATTHEWS: Amir Khan has branded Floyd Mayweather's proposed exhibition fight with kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa 'a joke', claiming it could damage boxing's credibility.

EXCLUSIVE: Amir Khan’s next fight will be against an Indian Mixed Martial Arts fighter in Saudi Arabia – and it could net him up to £7million.

The 40-year-old is still eager to extend his illustrious career and has discussed plans for bouts in 2020. Pacquiao has long been chasing a rematch with retired fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Amir Khan has revealed the details of conversation he had with Floyd Mayweather and explained how he had planned to beat the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the world

The Love Island star, 23, showed off her sartorial style in a black denim jacket and shiny cargo trousers as she headed to Mahiki in London on Friday.

Sunday night Samira Wiley left The Handmaid's Tale behind as she stunned during her arrival at the annual Tony Awards in New York city. The actress is Nylon magazine's newest cover star.

Samir Mayhoub, 42, is charged with murdering a 61-year-old man in Melbourne on May 22 and on Wednesday was freed from custody with a judge citing a 'weak' prosecution case.

Amir Khan is considering retirement after the coronavirus has put boxing on lockdown. The 33-year-old recently welcomed his newborn baby into the world and donated his building to the NHS.

Khan, now 33, has not fought since beating Billy Dib in Saudi Arabia last summer and is now chasing his next pay-day against a far more difficult opponent in Filipino Pacquiao.

When a reporter reminded him that the shooting 'happened in Cleveland,' a forlorn-looking Bush cast his eyes downward and said: 'Oh, I'm sorry. My bad.'

The social media star, 28, welcomed son Muhammad with husband Amir Khan nine weeks ago, shortly before the UK went into lockdown. Faryal is also mother to Lamaisah, five, Alayna, 23 months.

Inter Milan had goalkeeper Samir Handanovic to thank after surviving an 88th minute penalty to earn a point against fifth-placed Serie A side Atalanta with a 1-1 draw at the San Siro.

Former Chelsea midfielder Ramires has revealed the REAL reason John Terry wore his full kit at the 2012 Champions League final - and says it was the club's idea.

Instagram model CamiRaddd, 24, has accused celebrity photographer Marcus Hyde, 32, of sexual assault, calling him a 'complete predator'.

KIERAN GILL: Nasri is to be let go by Anderlecht after apparently flying himself to Dubai and refusing to contact his club about his whereabouts. It is just the latest chapter in a controversial story.

Instantly naming Mahrez as the best current Arab player in the world, former City midfielder Nasri admitted he had reached his verdict 'because (Mahrez) is Algerian and I like his style of play.'

The former France international enjoyed a renaissance with Sevilla under Argentine Sampaoli in the 2016-17 season after spells with Arsenal and Manchester City.

Shankar Mahadevan, Farhan Akhtar and Aamir Khan feature in the video of the new rendition of Dil Chahta Hai by the students of the Berklee College of Music.

Aamir Khan's advice comes after winners of the second edition of Cinestaan India's Storytellers Script Contest were announced digitally by him, director Rajkumar Hirani, and writers Anjum Rajabali and Juhi Chaturvedi.

Ira Khan thanked her trainer Nupur Shikhare, whom she referred to as Popeye, for not giving up on her and promised to him that she would join his workout sessions soon.

Like most of us, Aamir Ali is currently homebound during the COVID-19 lockdown. In a recent interview, the FIR fame actor opened up about the new normal whilst admitting that it does get lonely at times in quarantine.   Aamir said, “An

The 42-year-old actor has been making the best use of the quarantine period by binge-watching movies and shows of the world.

Londres : Darling & Son Limited, 1916.

London : Hurst & Company, 2020.

Cham : Springer International Publishing : Imprint : Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.

Cham : Palgrave Macmillan, c2019.

Cham : Springer, 2019.

Barker Library - TA357.B32 2012

Bashirzadeh Tabrizi, Amir, author