Vinayak Sasikumar: Words That Travel Between Generations
Born in Trivandrum and brought up in Chennai, Vinayak Sasikumar’s journey into cinema feels less like a calculated career choice and more like a slow, inevitable gravitation towards words and music. His formative years in Chennai, coupled with his education at Loyola College, became the ground where his creative instincts quietly but firmly took shape. It was here that his career as a writer truly began not in a moment of sudden discovery, but through a steady engagement with music, language, and storytelling.
Interestingly, Vinayak’s first relationship with creativity was through music rather than literature. During his school days, he began writing songs, driven by an instinctive love for melody and rhythm. His musical interests were wide and serious. Carnatic music, Hindustani music, piano, each shaping his understanding of sound and emotion. In fact, his original ambition was to become a composer. Lyrics entered his life almost organically, as an extension of this musical curiosity. Even when he eventually stepped away from actively pursuing music, writing never left him; lyrics stayed, evolved, and began to define him.
What makes Vinayak’s early career particularly remarkable is how young he was when cinema found him or rather, when he found cinema. At just 17–18 years old, still in the first year of college, he wrote for his first film. This wasn’t a result of industry connections or inherited access. By his own account, there were no shortcuts. He reached out to people, pitched his work relentlessly, and allowed the strength of his writing to speak for itself. From 2012 onwards, he steadily began writing for films, learning the rhythms of the industry while still discovering himself as a writer.
Over time, this perseverance shaped him into one of the most sought-after lyricists in the Malayalam film industry today. Yet, what sets Vinayak apart is not just volume or visibility, but range. Though deeply connected with Gen Z sensibilities, its pace, its hooks, its cultural references his personal taste in music is firmly rooted in the 1980s. This unique overlap allows him to effortlessly bridge generations. He can collaborate with senior composers and filmmakers while remaining equally relevant to younger creators, because his musical vocabulary spans decades.
This adaptability becomes evident in projects like Kalamkaval, where his approach to language made the work stand out. Even beyond melody, he is acutely aware of how songs travel in the modern world. The now-noted hook word “Jaalakaari” from Balti is a perfect example. According to Vinayak, today it’s not just about making a song. It’s about cracking the algorithm. Along with composer Sai Abhyankkar, he consciously searched for a word that could function as a sonic hook, something memorable, repeatable, and emotionally charged. “Jaalakaari” emerged from that discussion, and once it did, Vinyak found himself drawn deeply into its possibilities.
Despite having written lyrics for over 200 films across genres, he has never been interested in settling into a single musical identity. Melody, experimental sounds, hybrid genres, everything excites him. His constant desire is to break patterns and mix forms, to avoid being boxed into one style. This hunger for exploration keeps his work fresh, regardless of how prolific his career becomes.
His versatility extends beyond lyrics. Vinayak has also worked as a writer for story, screenplay, and dialogue in the Hotstar web series Secret Stories: Roslin, further proving that his relationship with cinema goes far beyond songs. Screenplay, structure, and narrative rhythm interest him deeply, suggesting a creative future that continues to expand rather than narrow.
Now based in Cochin, Vinayak Sasikumar stands at a fascinating point in his journey rooted in strong musical traditions, fluent in contemporary storytelling, and unafraid to evolve. Whether it’s writing Tamil lyrics for Malayalam films, collaborating with legends like A. R. Rahman in Malayankunju, or shaping the next hook that stays with an audience long after the song ends, his work reflects a writer who listens carefully to music, to time, and to change.
Discography
Bheeshma Parvam
Aavesham
Kumbalangi Nights
Romancham
Ambili
Thudarum
Kalamkaval
Kannur Squad
Balti
Drishyam 2
Neru
Kaanekkaane
Sita Ramam
Upcoming Projects
Drishyam 3
Kattalan
