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Scriptwriters course Qalam 2003 kicks off Saturday
MUMBAI: The television industry’s constant cry for trained scriptwriters is getting a hearing and how. With positive response from channels as well as production houses, television and media services company Indiantelevision.com flags off a three-month comprehensive TV Scriptwriters course tomorrow.
Qalam, which is what the course is called, has been ideated, created and executed by prominent television writers and media personalities.
Qalam will open tomorrow, in Mumbai, with a valedictory address by award winning writer and Nimbus Communications CEO Akash Khurana.
Addressing a press conference today at The Taj Hotel in south Mumbai, Dr Khurana reiterated the general feeling in the television industry saying that, “While everyone feels the need for such a course, very few people do anything about evolving writers and training them.”
“I would have done better if I had similar training facilities in my time,” he reflected.
Siddhant Cinevision creative director Vinod Ranganath, who’s the force behind the structuring of the course, feels that Qalam is about getting quality writers into the industry. He believes Qalam will provide structured and specific teaching for aspiring writers to cater to the growing and demanding television industry. “Qalam has more to do with the technique of writing than linguistics. Language can be trained,” he explained.
With more than 20,000 hours of programming generated every year in only the Hindi entertainment television channels, Indiantelevision.com CEO Anil Wanvari believes, “That’s a lot of plots, stories, tracks, and dialogue. And we don’t have enough trained talent.”
Emphasising the value of hands-on learning experience, Dr. Khurana said the course would focus on a practical learning-by-doing approach. He said companies like Contiloe Films, Star TV, Neo Films, In House Productions, and Nimbus Communications, which have come forward to sponsor scholarships, will invite students to come and avail of the infrastructural and other facilities in their offices.
This, he stressed, would not only give them an idea of the real working terms but will also help them to put together their own body of work by the time they are through with the course. This tangible profile of hands-on experience, he said, would also help them in jump-starting their careers. The sponsors also indicated that they would be interacting closely with the students and would consume some of the skilled products that the course will throw up.
The course is slated to run for 12 weeks with three interactive sessions a week, spanning two to four hours. The longer weekend sessions would focus on illustrating the educational experience with the help of video sessions. Additionally, participants will be urged to take part in the discussions, ideation and analyses. Interactivity will be the keyword for the entire course. The course fees have been set at Rs 10,000.
Qalam has on its governing board Dr Khurana, Ranganath, Wanvari, writer-director Aditya Seth, and writer-director Vijay ‘Victor’ Acharya.
The guest faculty includes television luminaries like eminent scriptwriters and directors including Sanjay Upadhyay, Atul Tiwari, BM Vyas, Ashwani Dhir, Vivek Agnihotri and many more. Aditya Seth will be the course coordinator for Qalam.
Khurana sees Qalam as a vicarious personal victory as he believes that Wanvari has delivered what he had only dreamt of. He also expressed hope that Qalam would act as a catalyst for other corporates to come in with their own initiative.
Answering a question, Khurana commented that hindi television writers were not drawing much upon their literature unlike Bengali and Marathi television which draw a lot from their respective regional literatures because, for one, most writers had poor awareness of literature. Secondly, it was a market driven industry and market responses ultimately reflected in their bottomlines.
For the organisers and the faculty, Qalam is an exercise in giving back to the industry. And as Ashwini Dhir recounted Wanvari’s words, “If you write so well, what’s the use if you take it with you. Pass it on.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
