“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” “You can’t handle the truth.” “May the Force be with you.” “Kitne aadmi the?”

These lines have outlived the films they came from. They are quoted at dinner tables, in boardrooms and across generations. We remember the actors who delivered them: Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Harrison Ford and Amjad Khan. Yet far fewer people can name the writers who first put those words on paper.

Annsh Maithani is one of those writers.

Originally from the hills of Uttarakhand, Maithani was born in India and completed his schooling at Amity in Gurgaon before earning his undergraduate degree from Symbiosis in Pune. His journey then took him to Los Angeles, where he pursued a Master’s degree in Screenwriting at the New York Film Academy. The institution has also been associated with emerging filmmakers such as Curry Barker, the writer-director behind the breakout horror film Obsession.

Over the past four years, Maithani has steadily built his career in Hollywood. He has worked on a feature film featuring actors from Better Call Saul, Veep and Cobra Kai. He has also written a stage play that opened for the Write Act Repertory Company at the Brickhouse Theater.

His screenplays have received recognition across several film festivals, earning awards and official selections at events including the Austin Film Festival, Sherman Oaks Film Festival, Golden State Film Festival and Bangkok Movie Awards.

From the Page to the Director’s Chair

Maithani’s recent work reflects his growing interest in bringing his stories to the screen. His short film Milkshake, which he wrote and directed, is a dark comedy centred on a kidnapper who holds a young woman hostage in an attempt to expose her father’s crimes.

The screenplay had already secured Best Short Script awards at three festivals before the film went into production.

For the shoot, Maithani collaborated with cinematographer Shivashish Ahuja, whose credits include projects for Billie Eilish, Alessia Cara and Diljit Dosanjh. Milkshake is currently in post-production and is expected to begin its festival journey soon.

A Satire That Saw the Headlines Coming

Another of Maithani’s notable projects is his feature screenplay Please Like Johnny. The story follows a cancelled influencer who joins forces with the Governor of Florida to transform executions into public spectacles, all in a desperate attempt to win widespread approval.

The screenplay earned recognition at the Austin Film Festival, one of the industry’s respected screenwriting competitions, along with awards at several other festivals.

What makes the premise particularly striking is how closely its satire has come to resemble real-world developments. Following reports that the White House was planning to livestream an execution, the screenplay’s fictional premise began to read less like an exaggerated comedy and more like an unsettling prediction.

Writers in the Spotlight

For Maithani, working in Hollywood has offered a different perspective on how the film industry recognises the people behind its stories.

He sees a clear distinction between the industry he grew up watching and the one he is now part of.

“In Bollywood, the focus tends to be on the stars,” he says. “Here in Hollywood, screenwriters are part of the conversation too.”

For him, however, the fundamental purpose of storytelling remains unchanged. The job is not simply about creating entertainment or producing memorable dialogue. It is about leaving an impression on the audience.

“The aim is to tell a story in the best possible way,” he says. “I want the audience to walk away feeling they spent their time well. That doesn’t always mean entertaining them.”

As an Indian writer building his career in Hollywood, Maithani represents a growing generation of storytellers taking their perspectives and creative ambitions to international platforms. His journey also serves as a reminder that behind every memorable film moment is a writer whose words make it possible.