The 14x8 colorful behemoth

Hush hush mural production

May 02, 2024

Happy New Year :)

I know I have been out of the loop for a bit, but I’d been - let’s just say “a little busy“. But now I am back with a bang! :)

I DID A THING!!! A 14x8 this time, my personal biggest till date. So here’s the backstory….

But first don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already done so - the show has just begun!

Subrata Das the founder of SETU (Stage Ensemble Theater Unit) asked me if I would work on a #mural backdrop for his comedy play 'Hush Hush', which is based on a famous Bollywood movie, 'Chupke Chupke'. I found it difficult to say no and I’m glad I didn’t. I hadn't said yes either, but I was so drawn to the idea that it automatically began ruminating in my head.

What started as a potentially tiny project ended up becoming a beautiful full blown 14x8 feet of colored wall space.

Initial conversation with the director:

- He asked me to watch the movie to get a reference. All he said was to make a conglomeration of the 2 cities and that the Ganges needed to flow from left to right i.e. Allahabad to Calcutta

- When we were discussing the canvas material, I suggested we use discrete foam boards; which he took a step further and added the idea of staggering the original canvas to make it look like a staircase with some spacing in between each board for artistic effect

- There was complete transparency and I knew the deadline and also the buffer I had in case of problems (which there were!)

An initial rough digital mock of the concept was created and I ran it by him to ensure we were both on the same page. And that was it! He left me to be, and did not get in the way at all - sign of a true leader!

Here’s some moments from the process.

My personal takeaways:
- It is easy to have endurance to push through rough times when you are passionate about the thing at hand and want it to be a success (there were a LOTTT of late nights, maybe some tears and a couple of sleepless nights this past month)
- Hard work is a basic prerequisite for success, but NOT the only one and doesn’t guarantee it. Success depends on timing and a lot of other factors

The end product was phenomenal, beyond my wildest imagination and people loved it! Needless to say the play was hilarious, the mural added a new dimension to it and made the amazing actors look even more amazing. (Rumor on the streets are that there might be a re-run, but hush hush - don’t tell anyone ;))

Finally the mural acted as a perfect selfie station - and I didn’t fail to remind everyone that I will be in every single shot :D

I would like to thank Subrata Da from the bottom of my heart for recognizing the talent in me and fully trusting in me to fulfil his creative vision for a backdrop to his fantastic play.

Only A Decade Late ... Because it's never too late to get creative

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