Lyricist Alok Ranjan Srivastava Turns Singer-Composer on Debut EP ‘Ishq Mein’

Alok Ranjan Srivastava has often shone as a lyricist in Indian music, working with everyone from Abhay Jodhpurkar to Shashaa Tirupati and most recently, internet-famous singer-composer Yashraj Mukhate. Srivastava wrote the lyrics to “Rasmalai” by Mukhate, a sweet ode to the Indian dessert, but the lyricist’s debut EP Ishq Mein turns to matters of the heart.

Sure, the lead single and music video for “Bhapp” is described by Srivastava – who has turned singer and composer – as “the cutest song of the lot,” but quietened, understated pop of Ishq Mein leads listeners in a different direction for the most part. With producer (and childhood friend) Siddharth Pandit on the four-track EP, there’s a lo-fi guitar-infused approach at times, reminiscent of international artists like Bruno Major.

“Bhapp,” though, is not just a love song, but also has lyrics that nod to legendary lyricist Gulzaar, whom Srivastava counts as having a “strong impact” on his work. Srivastava says Ishq Mein has “songs that I never sat down and wrote.” He adds, “These are songs that just started brewing inside me, because I was in love with someone […] I was very nervous while creating it [‘Bhapp’] because in terms of poetry and structure, this is the most unconventional song. But when I played it to my close friends, they loved it.”

The inspiration behind “Bhapp,” is a girl that Srivastava fell for a few years ago, according to the artist. “She had this habit of saying ‘bhapp’ when teased or irritated. And I used to love making her say this as many times as possible,” he adds. The rest of the EP – “Gire Gire,” “Kuch Nahin” and “Humesha” – carry forward the lovestruck thoughts of Srivastava, who says it’s dedicated to “four special people” that came into his life.

With the release of this EP, Srivastava’s tally this year – whether as singer, composer or lyricist – goes past 20 songs across different albums. His work will next be seen in Amazon Prime’s Bandish Bandits 2, the second season of the music-driven romantic drama series.

Collaborating with the likes of Sameer Rahat as well as Nihira Joshi Deshpande, Mumbai-based Srivastava got into lyric writing and poetry as a profession after working in advertising for about six years. His prominent projects include Siddharth Pandit’s albums Azaad Sangeet S1 & S2 (running from 2019 to 2021), coming-of-age drama Kota Factory S2 (2021), romance anthology Modern Love: Mumbai (2022) and thriller/action flick Faraaz (2023).