A little over a week ago, Hollywood filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was trending in India. So was filmmaker Thiagarajan Kumararaja, known for his Tarantino-esque filmmaking, for his second film Super Deluxe was screened at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2019 (IFFM). But, the film was trending for other reasons too. An anonymous user tweeted a minimalist illustration of the world of Super Deluxe, which was largely shared on social media. So much so that even Samantha Akkineni couldn’t resist herself from posting it on her Instagram account. Take a good look at the poster and you will find the plot-defining scenes, conveying the core idea of the movie. “I’ve been doing 2D animation for quite sometime now. But I never imagined that my illustration would go viral,” says 2D animator Abishek Kalainjan, whose illustrations for movies such as Vada Chennai, Kumbalangi Nights and 96 have been getting good response on social media.

An illustration of ‘Kumbalangi Nights’   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Artist at work

A compulsive gamer, Abishek is an avid fan of the popular mobile game Clash of Clans. He says that he took inspiration from the game to design an isometric view of movie characters. “Clash of Clans has an aerial view, where you can see the atmosphere, the characters and the entire set. Since I’m in the animation industry, I thought: ‘What if I use the isometric view for movie illustrations?’ That’s how I came up with my designs,” says the 26-year-old. By his own admission, he started “reading” movies differently and thinking what sort of inventive poster design can be done.

2D Animator Abishek Kalainjan   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The first illustration he did was for the Kannada blockbuster KGF: Chapter 1, but it was Super Deluxe that shot him to fame. Abishek is a Thiagarajan Kumararaja fan and he says he admires the director for his unique approach to cinema. “Ahead of Super Deluxe’s screening at IFFM, I sent my poster to actor Gayathrie. She loved it and posted it on her Instagram. That’s how people got to know about me,” he adds. How does he select frames for his illustrations? “Our perception about a movie differs from person to person. When you watch a movie, there’s a chance that you may not remember its entire scenes. Which is why I take scenes that strongly register, making it relatable to the viewers.” says Abishek, who sketches his illustrations on iPad, developing them layer-by-layer.

The characters of ‘Vada Chennai’   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

What lies ahead?

During his growing up years, he was drawn to comic books such as DC, and toyed with the idea of becoming a comic book creator. “Since the scope was limited, I had to forgo my passion and settled for commerce. Even during my college days, I used to read The Hindu and other magazines for their comic strips,” says Abishek, who’s working in a software company called Animaker Inc. He says he hadn’t intended to make sketches about movie characters. Now that people have started noticing his work, Abishek says he hopes to dedicate his weekend for movie illustrations. “I’ve not yet decided on my future. I wish to explore the field of design. The appreciation for my designs shows that I’m on the right path. Let’s see what the future holds,” he signs off.