The 7th edition of the Screenwriters Association Awards celebrated the finest storytellers in Indian entertainment, with Aryan Khan emerging as one of the biggest winners of the night.
His Netflix series The Ba**ds of Bollywood* swept the Web Comedy/Musical/Romance category, marking a powerful debut for the young filmmaker and writer.
The event honoured writers across feature films, television, web series, and lyrics. Acclaimed projects like Black Warrant, Paatal Lok Season 2, and Stolen also secured major wins.
Aryan Khan’s Big Night
Aryan Khan won the Best Dialogue award for The Ba**ds of Bollywood*. He also shared the Best Screenplay award with co-writers Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan.
The series converted both its nominations into wins, making it one of the standout projects at the awards ceremony.
Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan collected the Best Screenplay trophy on behalf of the team.
SWA Celebrates Human Creativity in the AI Era
During the ceremony, lyricist and Screenwriters Association General Secretary Raj Shekhar spoke about the importance of writers in today’s rapidly changing entertainment industry.
“In this era of AI, I am happy to see so many living, breathing, whole human beings,” he said.
Raj Shekhar also announced a landmark achievement for Indian writers. He revealed that 2026 would become a historic year as Indian screenwriters are expected to receive royalties for the first time.
According to him, the long legal and creative battle finally paid off with support from the Screenwriters Rights Association of India.
‘Stolen’ and ‘Black Warrant’ Shine
The thriller Stolen emerged as another major winner at the Screenwriters Association Awards 2026.
Karan Tejpal, Gaurav Dhingra, and Swapnil Salkar “Agadbumb” won both Best Story and Best Screenplay in the feature film category.
Meanwhile, Black Warrant earned recognition in the web drama segment. Satyanshu Singh and Arkesh Ajay won Best Dialogue for the prison drama.
The celebrated crime thriller Paatal Lok Season 2 also impressed the jury. Sudip Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee, Rahul Kanojia, and Tamal Sen won Best Screenplay in the Web Drama category.
Gulzar and Anvita Dutt Among Top Winners
Veteran lyricist Gulzar won Best Lyrics in the feature film category for Hum Fanaa from Gustaakh Ishq.
Anvita Dutt received the Best Lyrics award in the TV/Web category for Naseeba from Black Warrant.
Full Winners List – Screenwriters Association Awards 2026
Feature Film
- Best Debut: Aranya Sahay – Humans in the Loop
- Best Story: Karan Tejpal, Gaurav Dhingra, Swapnil Salkar – Stolen
- Best Screenplay: Karan Tejpal, Gaurav Dhingra, Swapnil Salkar – Stolen
- Best Dialogue: Reshu Nath – Haq
- Best Lyrics: Gulzar – Hum Fanaa from Gustaakh Ishq
Web Drama
- Best Story: Smita Singh – Khauf
- Best Screenplay: Sudip Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee, Rahul Kanojia, Tamal Sen – Paatal Lok Season 2
- Best Dialogue: Satyanshu Singh, Arkesh Ajay – Black Warrant
Web Comedy/Musical/Romance
- Best Story: Chirag Garg, Avinash Dwivedi – Dupahiya
- Best Screenplay: Aryan Khan, Bilal Siddiqi, Manav Chauhan – The Ba**ds of Bollywood*
- Best Dialogue: Aryan Khan – The Ba**ds of Bollywood*
Television
- Best Story: Rajesh Joshi, Shabia Walia – Pushpa Impossible
- Best Screenplay: Harneet Singh – Itti Si Khushi
- Best Dialogue: Sneha Desai, Tushar Ishwer – Pushpa Impossible
TV/Web Lyrics
- Best Lyrics: Anvita Dutt – Naseeba from Black Warrant
A Landmark Year for Indian Writers
The Screenwriters Association Awards 2026 highlighted the growing influence of writers in Indian entertainment. From debut creators like Aryan Khan to legendary names like Gulzar, the evening celebrated storytelling across generations.
With discussions around AI, royalties, and creative ownership taking center stage, this year’s awards signaled a major turning point for Indian screenwriters.
