The initiative began in August 2021 with the aim of doing a script lab and finding six mentors for the top six entries. This involved multiple rounds of reading scripts in a transparent process. But the sheer number of entries forced SWA to go bigger. SWA had anticipated 45-50 scripts, but the final number exceeded 600. Overwhelmed by the entries, 80 readers had to be hired. In 2025, the fifth year of the script lab and pitch fest, 1,479 entries were received. The organisers expected 45-50 entries in the first year. They got 600.

Mitesh Shah, EC member and Chairperson, SWA Education Sub-Committee, informs, “We try to cull out the top 10%. Every entry goes through two readers in the first round, who don’t know who the writer is, using registration numbers to ensure no bias. Readers go through an orientation to know what to look for, and we average their grades.” Entries consist of a four-to-five-page story and the first ten pages of a screenplay. The idea is simple: in India, everybody has a story, but to be a writer, you must tell it well on paper.