Indian Screenwriters Visit SAG-AFTRA Headquarters for Cultural Exchange

On Feb. 13, 2025, a delegation of Indian screenwriters visited SAG-AFTRA Plaza in Los Angeles. The visit was coordinated through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as part of its International Leadership Program under the Scripting Change: Women Screenwriters in Contemporary Hindi Cinema initiative.

The initiative aims to promote more inclusive practices in India’s entertainment industry, including the development of nuanced storytelling for both national and international audiences, as well as empowering female screenwriters and filmmakers.
The all-female delegation included screenwriters of notable Indian television shows and films: Anubhuti Banerjee (In Transit), Atika Chohan (Chhapaak), Marmabanda Gavhane (Well Done Baby), Persis Sodawaterwalla (Mumbai Diaries), and Pooja Tolani (Sacred Games). The group was joined by Zeenat Rahman, Executive Director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago. They met with SAG-AFTRA Chief Communications & Marketing Officer Pamela Greenwalt. Also participating via Zoom were SAG-AFTRA Chief Labor Policy Officer & New York Local President Rebecca Damon, and Chief Administrative Officer & Executive Counsel Will Bensussen.

During their visit, the delegation toured SAG-AFTRA headquarters and received a presentation on the union’s advocacy efforts. SAG-AFTRA staff highlighted the union’s ongoing work to protect against the impact of artificial intelligence, including the steps taken during the 2023 TV/Theatrical/Streaming Strike.

Photo: SAG-AFTRA Chief Communications & Marketing Officer Pamela Greenwalt, third from left, with delegates of the “Scripting Change: Women Screenwriters in Contemporary Hindi Cinema” initiative at SAG-AFTRA Plaza on Feb. 13, 2025. From left, Atika Chohan, Marmabanda Gavhane, Greenwalt, Persis Sodawaterwalla, Anubhuti Banerjee and Pooja Tolani.