For a writer, I'm often at a loss for words to describe myself, for I contain multitudes. And as an editor... well, I'd frown at my overuse of adjectives while describing how excited I am about an array of things—writing, books, poetry, film and TV, travel, beauty, and philosophy.
I'm Jinal, an editor with 10+ years of experience, and a writer and poet since... fifth grade, I suppose? My sweet spot as a writer is the intersection of film, television, pop culture, and lifestyle. I've dabbled in academic editing, social media advertising, and one rather brief stint as a 'personal finance for dummies' writer à la Confessions of a Shopaholic. But when I began working for Storypick (an Indian byproduct of the BuzzFeed era), I realised my opinions demanded a wider berth, and features became my forte.
Long before AI models showed us, I believed that if one is a good writer, everything else, including subject expertise, is a matter of research. It can be taught and learnt, as I experienced first-hand when I mentored a team of writers to crack every kind of story. As a senior writer for Mashable India, I dabbled in tech reviews and opinion pieces, some even endorsed by industry giants (like this op-ed on TikTok in India that was shared by the brand's official X handle ). As the editorial lead for Hauterrfly, I discovered my voice for fashion and beauty beyond product reviews, how-tos, and celebrity look decodes. Whether it was travel or relationships, people ultimately want stories about the human experience. The more personal, the better. And telling stories is my favourite thing.
I found my niche in the entertainment beat, getting paid to write about films and TV shows, occasionally even books. Huge deal for someone who talks in pop culture references, reads cast and crew Wikipedia entries immediately after watching something, and reruns Buffy The Vampire Slayer and The Lord of the Rings (extended editions, duh!) every year, like an annual pilgrimage. I take pride in my hot takes ["The best Shah Rukh Khan films are comedies like Baadshah;" "Indian Matchmaking > Materialists"].
I don't want to hand out star ratings or tell people whether they should consume a piece of media or not; my critique lends a deeper cultural context to what the media is trying to say, and hopefully inspires discourse. Did Bridgerton season 3 do justice to the plus-size girl's inner monologue? Is the Studio Ghibli AI trend the end of humanity as we know it? Is Bollywood's franchise obsession killing creativity? Is Mikey Madison's defence of Anora not having an intimacy coordinator okay?
Given the opportunity, I would love to keep creating with the passion of a fangirl, the insights of an expert, and the curiosity of a philosopher (I should know, I'm a university gold medallist in it!). But, of course, growing up means trying out different personalities to see which one fits well. As the Associate Editor of Hauterrfly, I broke out of my comfort zone and mentored a team of writers, redesigned and ran an entire website, and played out my fantasy of the rom-com journalist working at a women's magazine!
Currently, I am exploring freelancing with international publications like The Mary Sue that allow me to write at will, so I can use the spare time working on a book proposal, trying out new things, and dabbling in short-form videos. It's a conscious choice, as the world around me gets increasingly remodelled into a visual-first ecosystem.
And yet, now more than ever, as AI grows imminent, everything is content, and mediocrity is yassified to the detriment of intellectualism, I want to continue championing the written word.