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India is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions, yet its cinema rarely reflects this reality. Backed by Netflix India and Pluc.tv, the Climate Scriptwriting Lab aims to bridge that gap by mentoring 60 emerging writers to develop fiction films rooted in the urgency of a changing world.
India is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate shocks in the world, living through what climate experts now describe as a “new climate normal” of intensifying heatwaves, cyclones, droughts, and floods. According to the World Bank, more than 750 million people across India and South Asia were affected by one or more climate-related disasters over the last two decades. The cruel irony behind these numbers is that the 33 extremely high-risk countries — including four from South Asia — collectively emit only 9 per cent of global CO2 emissions. And yet, this stark climate reality is oddly absent from the stories we tell about ourselves on the screen.
Launched jointly by Netflix India and Pluc.tv under the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, the Climate Scriptwriting Lab aims to address this gap. The Lab will support an inaugural cohort of 60 writers with the tools, resources, and networks needed to develop short and feature-length fiction films that reflect the urgency and complexity of a changing world.
Open to emerging writers working in any Indian language, the lab is not limited to climate-focused narratives alone but places equal emphasis on the craft of writing for the screen. It recognises that the most compelling stories are rooted in character, emotion, authenticity, and immersive world-building. Participants will develop their screenplays under the mentorship of film and television industry veterans such as Sumit Roy (Gehraiyaan, Rocky Aur Rani), Saiwyn Quadras (Neerja, Maidaan), Akshat Verma (Delhi Belly), Chirag Garg (Dupahiya, Mandala Murders), Kiren Dhadwal, and Pluc founder Tamseel Hussain.
The Lab looks at climate and environmental realities as lived contexts embedded within storytelling across genres — whether drama, romance, thriller, science fiction, or comedy. Spanning eight months, the lab follows a hybrid format that combines virtual sessions with two-day in-person workshops held in Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati, and Hyderabad followed by a five-month development period. This structure ensures a steady pace of development while allowing participants to balance the programme alongside their existing professional commitments.
Applications are open until May 9, 2026.
Follow @climatescriptwritinglab to learn more, or apply here.
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