Here's an uncomfortable truth: Indian cinema never had a single, universally followed screenplay format. Hollywood's format — the one-page-per-minute standard using Courier 12pt — has been around since the studio system era. Indian cinema, for decades, operated on narrations, bound scripts that looked more like novels, and handwritten notes.
That's changing. The OTT revolution, international co-productions, and a new generation of formally trained screenwriters have pushed the Indian industry toward more standardised formatting. But the "standard" is still a hybrid — part Hollywood convention, part Indian adaptation.
Here's what working screenwriters in India actually use in 2026.
The Foundation: Modified Hollywood Format
The overwhelming majority of Indian screenplays submitted to production houses and OTT platforms today use a modified version of Hollywood's standard screenplay format. The core elements are the same:
Sluglines (Scene Headings). Every scene begins with a line indicating whether the scene is interior or exterior, the location, and the time of day.
INT. MUMBAI APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHTor for bilingual scripts:
INT. MUMBAI APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
(मुंबई अपार्टमेंट - लिविंग रूम - रात)Action/Description. Present-tense descriptions of what we see and hear. Written in English, even in Hindi film scripts, because the action describes visuals that are language-neutral.
Character Names. Centred and capitalised when introducing dialogue. First appearance of a character includes their name in ALL CAPS with a brief description.
Dialogue. Here's where Indian screenplays diverge from Hollywood. Dialogue is often written in the language of the film — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, etc. — sometimes in the original script, sometimes transliterated into Roman letters. More on this below.
Parentheticals. Brief acting or delivery notes placed between the character name and dialogue. Used sparingly in professional scripts.
Transitions. CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO, etc. Used less frequently in modern screenwriting but still present.
The Bilingual Question
This is the single biggest formatting question in Indian screenwriting: what language do you write the dialogue in?
Option 1: English action, Devanagari dialogue. The action lines and scene headings are in English. The dialogue is in Hindi (Devanagari script). This is the traditional approach and many established Bollywood writers still prefer it because Devanagari captures the nuances, idioms, and rhythms of Hindi dialogue that transliteration cannot.
Option 2: Everything in English with transliterated dialogue. All elements are in English, with Hindi dialogue written in Roman letters (transliteration). This approach is increasingly popular, especially for submissions to international platforms and for scripts intended for a wider readership.
Option 3: Everything in English. Some writers, especially those working with international co-productions or writing in English for Indian settings, write entirely in English.
What OTT platforms prefer: Most platforms accept any of these formats. Netflix India and Amazon Prime Video are accustomed to bilingual scripts. The key is consistency — pick a format and stick with it throughout the script.
ProofScript's recommendation: Use whatever format lets you write your best dialogue. Format is important, but story and voice are paramount. Just ensure the format is internally consistent and professionally presented.
The One-Page-Per-Minute Rule
Hollywood's golden rule — one properly formatted screenplay page equals approximately one minute of screen time — applies to Indian screenplays with modifications.
A standard Bollywood feature film runs 130-150 minutes, which would suggest 130-150 pages. In practice, Indian screenplays tend to run longer because Hindi dialogue often takes more space than English, and song sequences (still present in many productions) may be described differently.
For OTT content, episode scripts typically run 45-55 pages for a one-hour episode, depending on the density of dialogue versus action.
Don't obsess over page count, but be aware that a 200-page screenplay will signal to a reader that the script needs tightening.
The Key Elements of a Professionally Formatted Indian Screenplay
Title Page
SCREENPLAY TITLE
(Hindi: स्क्रीनप्ले का शीर्षक)
Written by
[Your Name]
Draft: First Draft
Date: March 2026
Contact: [Your email]
[Your phone number]
Registered with SWA: [Registration number if applicable]
ProofScript Timestamp: [Certificate ID]Including your ProofScript timestamp ID on the title page is a subtle but powerful signal. It tells the reader that this script is protected, dated, and verifiable — which sets a professional tone from the first page.
Scene Headings
Use standard INT./EXT. formatting. Include specific locations relevant to Indian settings:
EXT. DHARAVI LANES - DAY
INT. SOUTH MUMBAI SEA-FACING FLAT - BEDROOM - NIGHT
EXT. NH-48 HIGHWAY - MOVING CAR - DUSK
INT. CHAI TAPRI - CORNER TABLE - MORNINGBe specific. "INT. HOUSE" tells us nothing. "INT. JOINT FAMILY HAVELI - COURTYARD" tells us everything.
Action Lines
Keep action lines tight and visual. Write what the camera sees and the audience hears. Avoid internal thoughts (this isn't a novel) and avoid directing (that's not your job in the script stage).
Good:
PRIYA (28, sharp eyes, kurta with rolled sleeves) strides through
the newsroom. Reporters glance up. She doesn't notice.Avoid:
Priya is a strong, independent woman who has always fought for
justice. She walks through the newsroom feeling confident because
she just got a big tip about a corruption story.Dialogue Formatting
For Hindi dialogue in Devanagari:
ARJUN
तुम्हें लगता है मैं यहाँ अपनी मर्ज़ी
से आया हूँ?For transliterated Hindi:
ARJUN
Tumhein lagta hai main yahaan apni
marzi se aaya hoon?For English:
ARJUN
You think I came here by choice?Some writers include both — transliterated Hindi with an English translation in parentheses for the reader's convenience. This is helpful when submitting to platforms where readers may not be fluent in the dialogue language.
Song Sequences
Indian screenplays still frequently include song sequences. The format varies, but a common approach:
SONG: "DIL KI BAAT"
(Montage set to music)
A series of images: Arjun and Priya at Marine Drive
at sunset. Dancing in the rain outside VT station.
Sharing chai on a rooftop as the city lights come alive
below them. The song captures their falling in love
across the rhythm of Mumbai.
END SONGDon't write lyrics in your screenplay unless you're also the lyricist. The song description should convey the emotional beat and visual content.
Formatting Software for Indian Screenwriters
Scrite. Built specifically for Indian screenwriters. Supports Devanagari and other Indian language scripts natively. Used by over 40,000 Indian writers. Free and open-source.
Final Draft. The Hollywood industry standard. Excellent formatting but limited native support for Indian scripts. Best for English-language screenplays.
WriterSolo. Indian-developed screenwriting software with bilingual support.
Fade In. Professional-grade and more affordable than Final Draft. Good for English-language scripts.
Highland 2. Minimalist writing tool for Mac users. Clean interface, exports to standard screenplay format.
Whichever software you use, export to PDF for submissions. Never submit a screenplay in .doc or .fdx format unless specifically requested — PDF preserves your formatting across all devices.
Common Formatting Mistakes
Inconsistent language switching. If you start with Devanagari dialogue, don't suddenly switch to transliterated Hindi in the middle of the script.
Overwritten action lines. Every word in an action line should earn its place. If it's not visual or audible, cut it.
Camera directions. Unless you're also directing, avoid "CLOSE UP ON" or "CAMERA PANS TO." Write what we see, not how to shoot it.
Missing scene numbers. For shooting scripts, scenes should be numbered. For submission scripts, scene numbers are optional but helpful.
No page numbers. Always include page numbers. It sounds obvious, but scripts without page numbers signal amateur hour.
Format Matters — But Story Matters More
Here's the final truth about formatting: no script was ever bought because of perfect formatting, and no great script was ever rejected solely because of formatting mistakes. Format is the container. Story is the content.
But poor formatting creates friction. It tells the reader you haven't done the basic professional homework. It makes the script harder to read, harder to evaluate, and easier to put down. In a pile of hundreds of submissions, you don't want friction.
Write a great story. Format it professionally. Timestamp it before you share it. That's the formula.