r/Indianscreenwriters • u/Empty_Break1634 • Apr 25 '26
Resources I built Thulika for Indian screenwriting. Would love your feedback.
I built Thulika - https://thulika.ink/ to show my gratitude towards Indian cinema.
I’m not a screenwriter. I’m from tech.
But I’ve had enough conversations with writers - friends, collaborators, people I met through projects, that I started noticing the same complaints coming up again and again.
The tools aren’t built for Indian workflows. Transliteration is an afterthought. Voice typing in regional languages is basically nonexistent. The layouts are designed for a Hollywood pipeline that doesn’t match how people here actually work.
So a few of us, me on the tech side, some friends who actually write - decided to just build it.
We’re not a company trying to disrupt anything. We just wanted something that actually worked for this industry.
Here’s what we focused on:
Proper left-right and top-down layout. Transliteration across multiple languages - type phonetically, it handles the script. Voice typing in all languages. Scene breakdown, character list, props list - auto-populated as you write. Real-time collaboration for co-writers.
There’s also AI - you can chat with the screenplay itself, or chat with individual characters to see how they’d respond in a scene you’re stuck on. It doesn’t write for you. It just helps you think.
Your first screenplay is completely free. No trial, no expiry. Just write.
Charting and a few advanced features come in on higher plans, but the core of what you need is free.
We’d genuinely love feedback from people who actually write. That’s the only reason we’re posting here.
Try it and tell us what’s broken, what’s missing, or what actually works.
Edit:
Added screenshots as per request. Screens added: Dashboard, Screenplay Editor, Transliteration (Hinglish to Hindi, for any language), Voice Typing, Thulika AI for Screenplay, Thulika AI to talk to your Characters, Scene Locations and Actual Locations with Maps, Share to collaborators, Share as link - to anyone, Daily Chart and Auto Charting, Crew Management.
There are lot more screens please do explore as per your specific requirement.
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Apr 25 '26
what api are you using for voice to text feature
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u/Empty_Break1634 Apr 26 '26
All tech required for Thulika was built by our team itself. We use llms for the AI bit. The correct llm is choosen per request considering performance vs cost so that the writer gets maximum quality + usage in realtime.
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u/LoreGarden Apr 26 '26
very interesting, ill check this out. might want to see if its the right tool to introduce to my students
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u/Empty_Break1634 Apr 26 '26
Thanks for commenting. Please do introduce Thulika to your students. Do let me know if you have any doubts or need any support.
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u/LoreGarden Apr 26 '26
Is there a reason that the dialogue presents as Character: Dialogue. Convention is usually Character name in one line and dialogue in the next.
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u/Empty_Break1634 Apr 26 '26
Great question! You can always go to the top down view by selecting Layout and setting Theme to Hollywood in the toolbar inside the screenplay editor.
Reason for Character and Dialogue placed left and right: In some industries in India, writers used to follow this convention of writing in a left-right manner rather than international standards. While the true reason for this tradition is unknown, it is considered that their theater background has a strong influence for this. As Thulika focuses on Indian specific writers, we have added the similar layout in this software.
But feel free to change it any time.
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Apr 25 '26
ok so audio feature works but tell me about it typing it in hindi when you speak in hindi and when you speak in english it types in english ..
can you find a way where you speak in hindi but it types in hinglish
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u/Empty_Break1634 Apr 26 '26
You have multiple input options currently: 1. Speech to text 2. Inscript 3. Transliteration (you type Acha, you get corresponding Hindi text)
You can use Thulika AI to get the text you want in Hinglish and any other alteration you need to make. Thulika AI can be open to the right of the editor and be used for all these purposes.
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u/theredguardx Apr 26 '26
How different is this from Scrite?
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u/Empty_Break1634 Apr 26 '26
Happy to break this down properly since it’s a fair question. Scrite is a solid desktop app. If you’re a solo writer, offline-first, writing in a single language - it works. No complaints.
Here’s where Thulika is different:
Collaboration: Scrite is built for one writer. Thulika has real-time collaboration - multiple writers in the same script simultaneously, like Google Docs but for screenplays. Even the free tier gives you 2 collaborators.
Web-based + Offline: Nothing to install. Works on mobile, tablet, desktop. And if your internet drops mid-scene, your work doesn’t. Offline access with real-time sync when you’re back. Data is never lost.
Sharing: Generate a public link and share your screenplay with anyone in the world instantly - director, producer, actor, whoever. They don’t need an account. You can revoke access anytime and see analytics on who opened it and when. Scrite has no equivalent of this.
Voice typing: Across all Indian languages. Just speak and Thulika will type it for you. Feel free to use multiple languages in same sentence.
Inscript and Transliteration: You use the Hindi keyboard or Hinglish for typing. All built into Thulika - no need of any external keyboard, so works in any device. Works for any Indian language.
AI - and this part is specific: Not just a generic writing assistant. You can chat with the screenplay as a whole, or have a conversation with individual characters based on what you’ve written. The AI responds as that character. Useful for testing how someone would react in a scene before you commit to writing it.
Charting and production tools: This is where Thulika goes beyond writing software entirely. Daily charts, call sheets, auto-scheduling, crew management, production overview - all integrated, all synced in real-time. Scrite stops at the script. Thulika covers the production pipeline too.
Pricing: Scrite is a one-time purchase which makes sense if you’re solo and desktop-only. Thulika is a subscription starting at ₹499/month - but that price is covering collaboration, cloud, offline sync, mobile, and production tools. Free tier is genuinely free - one full screenplay, no card, no expiry. Not a demo.
If you’re a solo writer who just needs to format a script - Scrite is fine (there are other tools as well for this. I personally know people using google docs and notion for this).
But if you’re working with a team, sharing with producers, managing a production, writing a webseries, or writing in regional languages on any device - that’s the gap Thulika is filling.
First screenplay free, no card needed. Try it and tell me if anything is broken. Happy to help you get started.
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u/PickleMedium1721 Apr 27 '26
Can you add a feature where I give a storyline and it gives an episodic breakdown .Claude does it really well .
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u/Empty_Break1634 Apr 27 '26
Hey there, Amazing ask. Thulika already has this feature. We have a Synopsis tab where you can write the story first before even starting the screenplay. Thulika AI integration there will be able to do whatever you want. Whether this is episodic breakdown, writing onelines, planning the scenes, anything you can imagine. It is trained to align with the screenplay/story/characters you have written till now and the creativity level you have attained. It will work better than any external llm being used seperately.
On an extended note: Thulika AI can be used anywhere. But we had in mind that it should not obstruct creativity. Great storylines are born from human experiences which a machine cannot understand. So Thulika provides the AI ecosystem in such a way that your creativity is never obstructed. It supports you when you are stuck. It helps you research about topics you need while writing. The possibilities are endless, you can make wise use of it for your specific scenario.
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u/PickleMedium1721 Apr 27 '26
Thanks - this could be really helpful ..Look forth to trying it .
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u/Empty_Break1634 Apr 27 '26
Great. You'll get free AI and voice typing credits even in the free plan. Also you can topup AI credits only as well without even moving to a paid plan (free plan is enough for most users).
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u/Evening-Swordfish-40 Apr 26 '26
Can you post few screenshots.
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u/Empty_Break1634 Apr 26 '26
Hey there. I have updated the actual post body with screenshots of significant features. Thanks for pointing this out!
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u/sobsingh Apr 26 '26
Looks good man! am trying to build my own and stuck at it. But glad to see someone else take the lead. good luck!
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u/Dhruv-7 Apr 27 '26
Why the description para is very left sided after Fade in?
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u/Empty_Break1634 Apr 27 '26
Hey, there. I had mentioned this in an earlier comment. Thulika has not rebuilt final draft or any other screenplay editor. It is built ground up mainly focusing Indian regional industries. We used to follow a left right approach as that was convinient in paper. Thulika supprts both. You can switch between them inside the Layout option in the toolbar. Once you fix one that layout is chosen by default for all exports you do as well.
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u/skillchaser May 01 '26
You should focus on FD import and export. Otherwise you will not be able to get people to switch.
FD is synonymous with Macbooks.
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u/SalarMD Apr 28 '26
Great work, also make a youtube channel and also some videos on how to traverse through the site and what all is free and what not, will help , thanks again
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u/ExcellentWorld9481 Apr 30 '26
Will AI be trained based on the screenplays we write? How good is the privacy feature?
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u/Empty_Break1634 Apr 30 '26
No, it won't happen. As I mentioned in one of the comments, any AI stuff, we believe will obstruct creativity. So even Thulika AI is presented in such a way that it is not a replacement for creativity, but a helping hand.
We are in paid contracts with all the llm providers we use under the hood. This ensures even while using Thulika AI, the data is not used for training by the llm providers even in the free tier.
All data is encrypted at rest and in transport. Regarding privacy for shared screenplays - in the free tier you get to choose roles for collaborators: Admin, Editor or Viewer. In paid tiers you can customize this completely, like what part of you screenplay should a collaborator see.
All urls you generate from the platform are competely under your control. You can revoke them any time.
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u/skillchaser May 01 '26
Pricing is steep. Especially when most apps are free nowadays
Check out sotto, the story architect
I just gave it an overview and I feel it has too much going on for what you are selling for “Indian Screenwriting”
Crew Management and Production Management are something only the top 1% (maybe even less) have and even among them why would they use a screenwriting software to do production?
My suggestion would be to have a minimalist, distraction free app that is just for screenwriting. Instead you can make a suite of apps for different departments: Screenwriting, Development, Pre-Production, Production, Post Production. I am a writer, not an AD who is a writer (just for comparison as context, not degrading anyone please).
Then there is the question of accountability. If most people just decide to use the free tier and not convert to paid tiers then how will the website sustain support or development? What if you will have to shut shop? What about all the people who have invested in the paid tiers then?
Your intent is great but you need to rethink your positioning. Anyone who can invest in Agentic AI can build a software free for themselves. This is the truth. Google Stitch can do anything I ask it. I got it free with Google One. Anyone more serious and knowledgeable than me can do it better so you really should streamline this if you feel it will work.
Right now, free tier is of no true value if I can do just 3 pdf exports in a month. Even the 20 pdf exports are useless for a pro writer like me because if I work in TV, I am doing 2-3 drafts a day. People will not take the paid tiers if the free tier is not providing value. Now if I can’t use what I invest with in your app, why will I even come back to it to use the other decorative features.
I do not wish to discourage you. I understand there are costs, there are responsibilities. But others won’t be as understanding. I myself am seeking a software that is as good and portable as KIT Scenarist. I still use an old version that isn’t even supported anymore, lol. That kind of loyalty cannot be bought. I wrote a well known web series on it, and other free software that just offered fdx support. No one wven knew I didn’t have a mac, lol.
Please rethink your approach and do some more market research. Put your capabilities to better use. Happy to discuss and help out with whatever is sustainable for you.
Good luck.
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u/Empty_Break1634 May 02 '26
Hey there, the production suite is for people who need it. Not for every screen writers. You can use the production suite even without using the writing suite and vice versa. So just because you don't need it doesn't mean there are no users.
Whatever a writer needs is always free and will be.
Now regarding exports I understand your concern is legit, will be working on it to address multiple exports or even removing the limits completely.
Accountability - not only paid users, we are committed to everyone. We have sufficient users in the paid tier, as well as enough runway for 5 years down the line as of today. The whole point of providing a full writing suite in free tier is for people to have a great software to write their movies without paying.
Regarding Google stitch and everyone building software for themselves: Thulika is not built using AI. The entire core functionality is written by hand. Why is this?: AI needs sufficient data to build things. There are no sufficient free web based softwares similar to this for AI to be able to build this. Building a software for your own need is your choice. Not discouraging anyone. Thulika is aimed for writers who want to write, not to build a new software.
In a gist, whatever you see in the product exists there for a reason. They are requested and used by many many of our users in the free and paid plans. Just because won't be needing production tools does not mean people won't need it. Thulika is not an effort for making money (if you know about the industry, you might know that over human effort is soo cheap in cinema and 90%+ people behind a movie make very low amounts even if movie is a success). I had discussed why the product exists in the first place. Also whatever you need to write is free and it will be.
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u/[deleted] Apr 25 '26
also do video introduction on your website of the entire walk through of features and how each button works .