Screenwriter, dialogue writer and lyricist Divy Nidhi Sharma, who recently worked as the showrunner on the web series Chiraiya starring Divya Dutta and Sanjay Mishra, believes there is no shortcut to creating stories that truly connect with audiences. Currently writing for Anupamaa, Divy says honesty remains the only formula he follows as a writer.
“I really wish there was a success mantra. I would have chanted it all the way to the bank,” he says with a laugh, adding, “But on a serious note, honest and wholehearted effort is the only mantra I believe in. No one can second-guess what will resonate with audiences, so I write stories that resonate with me and my belief system. Then I hope they find acceptance with a larger audience. Honest, heartfelt and rooted stories will always hold people’s attention because they are the rarest to come by.”
A diverse body of work
Over the years, Divy has built a diverse body of work across television, films and OTT platforms. On television, he has been associated with popular shows like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi, Kitani Mohabbat Hai, Kulfi Kumar Bajewala, Yehh Jadu Hai Jinn Ka!, Namak Issk Ka and Ishk Par Zor Nahi. His work in films and streaming platforms includes projects such as Freedom at Midnight, Heeramandi, Laapataa Ladies, Sitaare Zameen Par and the web series Tanhaiyan.
Creative demands across mediums
Having worked extensively across mediums, Divy says each format comes with its own creative demands. He shares, “There can be creative fatigue in television because of the high volume of content being produced. A writer constantly has to find new ways to keep the creative juices flowing. But television is also the best training ground to understand the rigour of writing.”
Drawing a comparison between formats, he adds, “Writing for television is like writing a newspaper column, writing for OTT is like writing a short story collection, and writing for films is like writing a novel that will probably have the longest shelf life.”
Encouraging phase for writers
At a time when content demand is rapidly growing across platforms, Divy sees this as an encouraging phase for writers. He says, “There is definitely more demand for writers and more opportunities. It’s a lovely time to be a writer. We just need to deliver the goods.”
However, he also believes that despite being one of the most important pillars of storytelling, writers often hold themselves back by constantly seeking validation instead of owning their worth. He says, “First, writers need to change themselves and their mindset. We must take pride in our work and create work worth being proud of. We have to believe we are the biggest stars, only then will the world accept it.”
He further adds, “We need to stop telling our tales of woe and start writing our tales of triumph. We cannot directly change the system, but we can force it to take notice by delivering strong work and successful stories.”
Upcoming projects
Talking about his upcoming work, Divy reveals, “I have written the screenplay and dialogues for a film called Nayyi Navelli, which is currently on floors. I am also writing director R. S. Prasanna’s next project.”
