Bollywood lyricist Ginny Diwan, best known for her contributions to projects such as Mirzapur 1&2, Jugg Jugg Jiyo, Masoom (which won ITA Award for lyrics and music), Modern Love Mumbai, OMG 2, Baaghi 2 & 3, and Jai Mummy Di and many more, has penned lyrics for the songs in upcoming Hotstar's series Showtime. Set to release on March 8, the series stars Emraan Hashmi, Mouni Roy, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajeev Khandelwal and others.
Ginny opens up about her working experience and challenges of writing lyrics for Showtime.
Reflecting on her experience crafting lyrics for Showtime, she shares, "To me, songwriting is akin to embodying a character artiste, adapting to various personas and scenarios. Showtime, delves into conflicting ambitions, nepotism's shadows, underdog struggles, and industry egos, providing a rich tapestry for lyrical exploration. From profound darkness to moments of resilience and joy, it was a journey across the spectrum of human emotions."
Shedding light on the songs in Showtime, she says, “The Showtime album is a mixed bag, not only in terms of emotions but also in the style of writing. With a total of seven songs, I had to shift gears from penning a sufi romantic song like Maahroo to dark and introspective tracks like Haara and Bikhre, to a retro vibe in the song Dil Ye Churaaya, or incorporating rap elements in Armaanian Rhapsody. Therefore, it was challenging and demanding at the same time.”
She further elaborates on director Mihir Desai's briefing style, by sharing, "Mihir is a person who, once he has briefed you on the project, gives you a free hand to write. This trust also becomes a greater responsibility. But having said that, he has a musical ear, so each song is briefed with crystal clear vision. For instance, when he briefed Anand Bhaskar (the music composer) and me on Bombae, he knew that it had to be from the perspective of a person trying to find ground in the City of Dreams despite all the struggles that come along with it, yet one never loses hope. However, using rap along with the song was a pleasant surprise."
Regarding the ensemble cast's influence on her writing, she notes, "Knowing the ensemble cast, including Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Mouni Roy, and others, informed my writing process, enabling me to tailor lyrics to suit each character's nuances and situation. Ultimately, slipping into the shoes of these characters allowed me to authentically capture the essence of their stories through my lyrics."
Apart from this, she's set to lend her lyrical prowess in upcoming projects such as Mirzapur 3 and Ranneeti on Jio Cinema, starring Lara Dutta and Jimmy Shergill in the coming months.
