What happens to a writer when the Film Industry stops listening?

In this stark & achingly honest episode, Pooja sits down with screenwriter Shagufta Rafique, whose words once powered some of Hindi cinema’s most successful films - Aashiqui 2, Murder 2, Jannat 2, Raaz 2 & 3, Jism 2, Awarapan, and many more. 

This is not a victory lap. It is a survival story.

Shagufta speaks of a life built from lived experience - of wanting to be the 'good daughter' and supporting her mother by becoming a bar dancer. Of learning the language of pain early and of writing not from theory, but from the body.

She reflects on what it means to be labeled “Irrelevant” and a "Has Been" in a system that constantly replaces memory with speed, instinct with metrics, and listening with noise.

The conversation moves through the quiet erasures of the modern film Industry: how corporate gatekeeping reshapes classic storytelling, how female writers are sidelined, how simplicity is mistaken for weakness, and how algorithms now decide what deserves to be heard. 
What remains constant is her refusal to be silenced or disappear.

This is a conversation about dignity and endurance.
It is about the cost of speaking your truth when the room grows deaf. 
About writing - not to be celebrated, or even be read, but to simply remain alive.

 

What happens to a writer when the Film Industry stops listening?
In this stark &amp; achingly honest episode, Pooja sits down with screenwriter Shagufta Rafique, whose words once powered some of Hindi cinema&rsquo;s most successful films - Aashiqui 2, Murder 2, Jannat 2, Raaz 2 &amp; 3, Jism 2, Awarapan, and many more.&nbsp;
This is not a victory lap. It is a survival story.
Shagufta speaks of a life built from lived experience - of wanting to be the 'good daughter' and supporting her mother by becoming a bar dancer. Of learning the language of pain early and of writing not from theory, but from the body.
She reflects on what it means to be labeled &ldquo;Irrelevant&rdquo; and a "Has Been" in a system that constantly replaces memory with speed, instinct with metrics, and listening with noise.
The conversation moves through the quiet erasures of the modern film Industry: how corporate gatekeeping reshapes classic storytelling, how female writers are sidelined, how simplicity is mistaken for weakness, and how algorithms now decide what deserves to be heard.&nbsp; What remains constant is her refusal to be silenced or disappear. This is a conversation about dignity and endurance. It is about the cost of speaking your truth when the room grows deaf. About writing - not to be celebrated, or even be read, but to simply remain alive.
&nbsp;

Join iconic actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt as she takes you behind the scenes of the Indian film industry. A new weekly podcast, where she sits down with some of the most remarkable people from Bollywood and beyond, sharing inspiring stories and rare insights, through conversations with directors, actors, musicians, producers, stylists, singers and more. 

From the highs and lows of her journey to the remarkable tales of those shaping Indian cinema, this show offers an authentic glimpse into the heart of the entertainment industry culture and her life - reflections, both reel and real. 

Nothing is off-limits. Love. Loss. Addiction. Healing. Fame. Failure. Everything will be on the table. She and her guests will talk about it all, with honesty and vulnerability, stories you’ve never heard before

Join iconic actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt as she takes you behind the scenes of the Indian film industry. A new weekly podcast, where she sits down with some of the most remarkable people from Bollywood and beyond, sharing inspiring stories and rare insights, through conversations with directors, actors, musicians, producers, stylists, singers and more.&nbsp;
From the highs and lows of her journey to the remarkable tales of those shaping Indian cinema, this show offers an authentic glimpse into the heart of the entertainment industry culture and her life - reflections, both reel and real.&nbsp;
Nothing is off-limits. Love. Loss. Addiction. Healing. Fame. Failure. Everything will be on the table. She and her guests will talk about it all, with honesty and vulnerability, stories you&rsquo;ve never heard before

The Pooja Bhatt Show

Join iconic actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt as she takes you behind the scenes of the Indian film industry. A new weekly podcast, where she sits down with some of the most remarkable people from Bollywood and beyond, sharing inspiring stories and rare insights, through conversations with directors, actors, musicians, producers, stylists, singers and more. 
From the highs and lows of her journey to the remarkable tales of those shaping Indian cinema, this show offers an authentic glimpse into the heart of the entertainment industry culture and her life - reflections, both reel and real. 
Nothing is off-limits. Love. Loss. Addiction. Healing. Fame. Failure. Everything will be on the table. She and her guests will talk about it all, with honesty and vulnerability, stories you’ve never heard before.

Join iconic actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt as she takes you behind the scenes of the Indian film industry. A new weekly podcast, where she sits down with some of the most remarkable people from Bollywood and beyond, sharing inspiring stories and rare insights, through conversations with directors, actors, musicians, producers, stylists, singers and more.&nbsp; From the highs and lows of her journey to the remarkable tales of those shaping Indian cinema, this show offers an authentic glimpse into the heart of the entertainment industry culture and her life - reflections, both reel and real.&nbsp; Nothing is off-limits. Love. Loss. Addiction. Healing. Fame. Failure. Everything will be on the table. She and her guests will talk about it all, with honesty and vulnerability, stories you&rsquo;ve never heard before.

A Conversation With Shagufta Rafique

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fc895850-6508-4f39-906c-b3df013e92cb/transcript