Director Rajkumar Hirani feels film industry has often short-changed writers and it's high time they get due respect and value for their work. "A good story makes the film good. The script has to be right. Writers are backbone of a film. I feel writers are not given their due...They should be given respect and (be) valued," Hirani said. He was talking on the sidelines of the third annual Mumbai Mantra-Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab in India.

Hirani has been a writer of all the three films he has directed, 'Munnabhai MBBS', 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' and '3 Idiots'. "It is great that these people are providing platform and right guidance," Hirani said. Echoing his views, actor Boman Irani said, "Writers must get the importance they deserve, they should be respected and must be paid well.

If we want our industry to grow we must ensure we have good writers." Boman said, "Despite having the greatest and richest literature in the world, we are not using it in right way...which would form great stories".