Every time a film gears up for release, its posters act as the best promotional materials. A poster doesn't just grab people's attention but encompasses the message and mileu of the movie.
But when director Jeo Baby asked Linku Abraham to create posters of the Malayalam movie The Great Indian Kitchen, the former demanded that it shouldn't let out the message.
How the kitchen saga began
Linku Abraham, who designed every poster for the widely debated film TGIK recounts how the journey evolved.
"Director Jeo and I knew each other since a long time ago and I was with him when he discussed the project. So, in the course of time, he was very keen about not letting out the gist of the movie," recalled Linku.
He further added, "Since the title itself had kitchen, many opined that things found in kitchen would be fine. But after discussions, we zeroed in on a wedding photo. In fact, with the wedding begins the movie and with it begins the protagonists' entry into the kitchen. That wedding photo, in a way, is relatable to every kind of audience."
The first poster featured lead actors Suraj Venjaramoodu and Nimisha Sajayan as a married couple.
Talk to him about giving a twist in the approach to the poster, Linku admitted, "The film challenges traditional gender roles and inequality and what better way can there be tha to begin it from the moment of a marriage."
Freedom leads to creativity
"A designer should be with the crew right from the pre-production stage of a film. And that's what helped me in making my work easier," Linku pointed out.
He also mentioned that it was the director's input at each stage of film-making which ultimately made the right excitement and anticipation for the movie. "Jeo Baby allows freedom to all his team members for improvisation. There's thus a space for creativity allowing one to bring out the best.
Wall poster v/s digital campaign
"Minimalism is what is prevalent throughout the movie. Take any scene for instance, the sequences in the movie are tied to emotions in a very subtle and controlled manner and so, my approach was also the same," said Linku.
In view of the pandemic and lockdown, all posters were released digitally. And the designer said that trying out too many gimmicks in the digital era would take away the significance of the poster.
"Even the typography with all capital letters were used to highlight the emphasis on the title. Simple, yet powerful was how we made it," he added.
The designer-cum-lyricist connection
Meanwhile, Linku's passion for Malayalam has turned him into a lyricist as well. Though a designer by profession, Linku has penned songs for a few projects including Jeo Baby's movie Kunju Daivam as well.
"Being a designer is something I wanted to be in life but becoming a lyricist is something that happened by chance. Earlier, when I was in Muscat and I used to write. Initially, the writings happened on blogs and on Orkut. Later, I tried a hand at devotional songs. After sharing the same with a few of my friends, they motivated me to continue and further I tried writing for a few singles as well.
Ongoing projects
Linku has made his presence in Mollywood as a lyricist too. Shylock movie promo song, Dhrithangapulakithan crooned by Dulquer Salmaan and Jacob Gregory from the movie Kalyanam are to name a few.
A musical video titled Hitham starring actor John Kaippalil in the lead is the latest project for which Linku is a lyricist. The last project that Linku worked as designer before The Great Indian Kitchen was Tovino Thomas-starrer Kilometers and Kilometers.
"Among penning songs, I finished working three songs for the upcoming movie, Grahanam. Meanwhile, I also have three more projects lined up which are yet to be announced," signed off Linku.
