From O Sajni To Lamha Lamha: Prashant Pandey On Crafting Emotions Beyond Words In Aspirants- EXCLUSIVE

Lyricist Prashant Pandey opens up about the emotional depth of "Lamha Lamha" from Aspirants Season 3, balancing love and separation, collaborating with Sangeet Siddharth, and contributing to The Viral Fever, following the success of "O Sajni Re" from Laapataa Ladies, bringing his signature simplicity and emotional honesty to yet another heartfelt composition.

In an exclusive conversation with Filmibeat Chief Copy Editor Abhishek Ranjit, Prashant got candid about his love for writing and how he showcased two emotions in one song.

Reflecting on the challenge of writing for two contrasting emotions in one song, Prashant Pandey said, "The toughest part was not letting one emotion overpower the other. Love and separation often exist together, but very subtly. I didn't want the song to feel like it was shifting between two moods-I wanted it to feel like one continuous breath where love is present even in absence. The challenge was to write lines where even in longing, there's warmth, and even in love, there's a quiet ache. Holding that balance without making it dramatic or obvious-that was the real test."

He further added, "It really helped that director Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish had a clear emotional vision. Having access to the script and visuals gave me a strong sense of the world and characters, which made it easier to place both emotions naturally. Even in the hook-'Lamha lamha mera beetey tujhme, aise jao na tum rahkar mujhme'-I wanted both romance and longing to exist together. That duality became the emotional core of the song."

Talking about the difference between the original and reprise versions, Pandey said, "For me, the original and reprise are like two sides of the same memory. The original comes from a place where everything is still alive, while the reprise comes from distance-like looking back with more silence and acceptance. The shift was also influenced by the visuals, where the characters part ways, naturally bringing in a deeper sense of loss."

He continued, "Even in the hook, there's a subtle shift-'Lamha lamha mera beeta tujhme, aise jaate ho kyun rahkar mujhme.' That change reflects the emotional transition-from holding on to someone to quietly questioning their absence. It's the same love, but now echoing in separation."

Speaking about how Aspirants shaped his writing, he shared, "The show has a very grounded emotional world-nothing feels exaggerated. The characters' love is not loud; it's almost unspoken. That influenced me to keep the lyrics simple, conversational, and internal-like thoughts you don't say out loud. Sometimes restraint says more than expression, and this song allowed me to explore that space."

On collaborating with Sangeet Siddharth, he said, "Working with them for the first time was a lovely experience. There was a natural comfort that made the process very fluid. For 'Lamha Lamha', the melody came first, but it didn't feel restrictive-it felt like an emotion waiting to be expressed. We kept exchanging ideas and refining both melody and lyrics together. It never felt like one was leading-the song evolved organically."

Lastly, reflecting on his journey from being a fan of The Viral Fever to writing for one of its biggest shows, he said, "It feels deeply personal. I've followed TVF since its early YouTube days during my college at MNNIT Allahabad. Shows like Permanent Roommates, Pitchers, and Tripling were a big part of our conversations. I still remember when the team visited our college fest in 2013-it was a huge moment for us. So going from being that student to now writing for one of their biggest shows feels like a full-circle moment. It's nostalgic and pushes me to stay honest and rooted in my writing."