How Nida Manzoor Explored the Question of Success in Season Two of TV Series ‘We Are Lady Parts’

Season 2 of WE ARE LADY PARTS sees the band return with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first UK tour, only to find a rival band threatens their delicate status quo. As the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embarks on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and deciding whether ‘making it big’ is really what they want. 

Ever wonder what it would be like to be in a rock band? Watch We Are Lady Parts. But don't just watch it for that - watch it for how creator Nida Manzoor taps into womanhood, female friendship, love, vulnerabilities, and the highs and lows of just being. 

In Season Two, we get to see this band of misfits claim their space, as uncomfortable as it may be. But it's all in the name of art, self-worth, and determination. Something all artists, from writers to painters can surely relate to. 

Nida Manzoor shared with Script what inspired her to create the fictional all-girl punk band, why it was always her intention to adapt the original short into a TV series, why authentic band representation was key to creating the show's visual language, and so much more.

Using your short film Lady Parts as the foundation for the series, can you take a quick step back and talk about what inspired you to create this fictional all-girl punk band?

I think I was frustrated with the kinds of representation of Muslim women I had seen up until that point; always victims, or terrorist’s wives – no nuance, just this fetishized, exoticized BS. So, I was pretty galvanized to create something that reflected the women I know and the world I know.

There are few things I love more than music and comedy – so it was essential to me that the show be a music comedy, where I’d get to write songs with my siblings and lean into my love of silliness. I wanted to create a show full of joy, celebrating the nuances, complexities, and idiosyncrasies of being a Muslim woman.

Additionally, was it always your intention to adapt the short into a TV series?

Absolutely. I knew from the beginning I wanted to make a TV show of short, punchy, unapologetic episodes. I grew up on a solid diet of brilliant comedy television – everything from Malcolm in the Middle to Black Adder, Spaced to Sister Sister. I knew I wanted We Are Lady Parts to be a TV show!

This show 110% authentically represents the rollercoaster of emotions and personality dynamics of being in a band – it’s like being in a marriage that you didn’t realize you were in – what kind of research did you do, if any, to tap into those band and character dynamics of Amina, Saira, Bisma, and Ayesha, and what they individually bring to the table?

Authentic band representation was key to me! Having played in bands myself, and having friends and family that are musicians, I have felt close to the realities of what it means to be in a band. 

For season 2, I interviewed the brilliant black feminist punk band Big Joanie to get even closer to the reality of what it means to be a band with DIY roots entering the sphere of record deals and labels. Also, I interviewed band managers, label execs and the lovely Dan Smith from Bastille for further insight. That was truly eye-opening, keeping the show grounded in authentic band experiences.

Breaking the second season – what did you want to touch upon thematically as this group continues onto their next journey as a band and as a tight-knit group of friends? Maintaining female friendships at any stage in your life is difficult, add in the layer of being in a band and writing music together – just that extra layer of vulnerability – and you tap into that so well!

Thank you! I wanted to explore the themes of creating art within capitalist business models and the uncomfortable tension that can often occur when art meets commerce, and how that can affect friendships.

I wanted to explore the question of success – is fame and fortune, major record deals and stadium shows a true indication of success? Also, I always wanted to get personal with each of the characters, exploring more intimate themes of shame, motherhood and identity. There’s a lot going on in season 2!

This show has its own visual language – from the rhythm of the edit to the color palettes, and what we see and how see what’s in frame – what is your directing process like when approaching each episode and those creative collaboration conversations with your DP, Editor, Production Designer and Costume Designer?

Making season 1 allowed me to find my voice, style and filmmaking rhythm in collaboration with my team. I had deep, long creative conversations with my DP Diana Olifirova, Costume Designer PC Williams, editor Robbie Morrison and all my creative heads. We were discussing color palette, style, rhythm, tone – constantly sharing references – paintings, TV shows, playlists, books. We all had our own mood boards that we were sharing and discussing. We built the world in season 1 and we found our collaboration. For season 2, I trusted my team implicitly so I could lean further into their talents, trust their intuition, collaborate in a deeper, more creatively fulfilling way and ultimately elevate the show beyond season 1.

Saira has a Manifesto for her and the band to live by and be guided by – which is awesome. When putting your writers’ room together, what was your Manifesto?

I wanted to create a safe space for a group of Muslim women to come together and talk with openness and love. Sure, it was a writers’ room but it was also a space for love and truth. For me, I wanted to bring together a group of creatives who I love and admire, who also reflect the diversity of the characters in my show – they didn’t necessarily need to be screenwriters first. For example, I had the brilliant stand-up comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri in my room as well as the awesome Hanan Issa who is the national poet of Wales. I wanted a whole plethora of experiences in that room. It was such a beautiful experience.

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Watching great movies and television inspired me! I grew up adoring big bombastic cinematic spectacles - Bollywood, Hong Kong Kung Fu, musicals, Sci-Fi as well as intricate, fun television. I wanted more than anything to be a filmmaker working across film and TV.

Any advice for screenwriters writing an ensemble comedy?

The biggest challenge in writing an ensemble show is making sure each of those characters’ voices is specific, clear and different to the others. Sometimes if I was struggling to establish the voice of a specific character, I would write long monologues in that character’s voice – shaping them as I went until I felt a clear, distinct feeling for who they were, how they were different from the others and the unique rhythm in which they spoke. 

We Are Lady Parts Season 2 premieres May 30, 2024 on Peacock in the US and Channel 4 in the UK.