From lyricist to screenwriter: Vinayak Sasikumar on his debut series ‘Roslin’, Jeethu Joseph's key role

What do ‘Pavizha Mazha,’ ‘Aaradhike,’ ‘Rathipushpam,’ 'Illuminati', 'Sthuthi' and ‘Eyy Banane’ have in common? All these widely popular songs were penned by celebrated lyricist Vinayak Sasikumar, who is now making his debut as a scriptwriter with the web series ‘Secret Stories: Roslin’. Vinayak is excited to embark on this new journey, as both screenwriting and writing lyrics are equally close to his heart.

In an interview with Onmanorama ahead of the series’ release on Disney+Hotstar, Vinayak shared that the idea for ‘Roslin’ was born during the Covid lockdown, when he found himself confined at home. “I have always been passionate about writing and directing movies. 2019 was a milestone year for me, as I got my first major break, though I had been in the industry since 2013. When Covid hit, we were all forced to stay home, and that’s when the concept for ‘Roslin’ took shape. From the outset, I knew this was a story suited for OTT and not for theatres. Luckily, that was also when OTT platforms were eager to showcase regional stories. I narrated the story to my friend Sumesh Nandakkumar, who is now the director of Roslin. Both of us had worked as assistant directors with Anwar Rasheed on ‘Trance’. Although several directors approached me for a script, I chose to collaborate with Sumesh because he consistently followed up and shared my enthusiasm for mystery thrillers. We immediately got to work, and as I started writing, it became clear that the story was best suited as a web series rather than a film,” he said.

He mentioned that it was actor Renjith Sekhar who first encouraged him to pitch the script to Hotstar. 'Renjith and I live in the same flat, and he was the one who nudged me to approach the platform with the idea. This is how I approached director Rahul Riji Nair, who had been associated with the platform for ‘Kerala Crime Files.’ He helped us connect with them. We needed a showrunner for the series, so we decided to approach Jeethu Joseph, who is Sumesh’s mentor, for the same. Securing his backing was a big deal, especially since he’s an extremely busy director. Being a showrunner comes with significant responsibilities, including attending meetings and communicating directly with the team and he was willing to do all that for us,” said the lyricist who has also written songs for Jeethu Joseph’s films in the past.

Vinayak also revealed that it was Jeethu’s wife who played a key role in bringing actor Meera on board the project. 'We wanted someone like her to portray the role, as we were looking for an experienced actor to play a mother. Her role is central to the series. She was excited to be part of the series as the character allowed her to break free from the subdued mother roles she played in Drishyam and Bro Daddy,” he added. He also mentioned that the actor underwent a physical transformation for the role, even shedding significant weight to portray her character."

He also spoke at length about actor Vineeth, appreciating his dedication to the craft. "Vineeth chettan also plays a central role in the movie. It’s been truly fascinating to witness how he approaches his scripts. By the time we began shooting, he knew every detail of the script better than any of us. Even when he wasn’t directly involved in the shoot, he remained actively engaged. His method is undoubtedly influenced by his years of working with literary legends like Padmarajan and MT Vasudevan Nair," he shared.

Constant drive to bring something new to each project

Vinayak spoke about his passion for diversity and his constant drive to bring something new to each project. "I hope to direct a film one day, but it would be completely different from the script I’ve written now. I approach each song with the same mindset—I don’t want to repeat myself. If I sense I'm falling into a pattern, I make an effort to break away from it. For example, after 'Pavizha Mazhaya' and similar songs became a hit in 2019, people assumed I was only capable of writing melodic songs. Back then, I wasn’t approached to write fun songs. Now, I am known for vibe-driven tracks and people are under the impression I can’t do soft tracks, which is why I’ve taken on genre-defying projects like 'Aashan' recently."

The lyricist-turned-screenwriter believes understanding one’s audience is crucial to his writing process. "Before I sit down to write anything, I make sure to analyse the pulse of my audience. For 'Roslin,' I looked into the demographic of the OTT platform’s viewers and tailored my writing accordingly. I approach my songs in the same way, always considering the type of audience I’m catering to."

When discussing songwriting, he spoke about the importance of balance. "Not all directors or music producers give you the freedom to explore with lyrics, but when they do, that’s when the songs truly become hits. It’s all about finding a middle ground. We have to align with the director’s and music director’s vision, and everyone needs to be on the same page. The decision-making process often ends there. I have heard some senior lyricists say it is frustrating when you want to write something fresh but can't, especially when you’re part of a larger team," he said. ‘Roslin’ will start streaming on Disney+Hotstar on February 27.