A Post for Posters

The ecstasy on Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha’s face,and the anguished look on Jaya in the backdrop,on the poster of Silsila,the 1980s Bollywood hit,is etched in the memory of Aarti Kapur Singh. “At a time when promos and teasers were non-existent,it was the hand drawn Bollywood posters that gave the complete picture and pulled the crowd,” says 30-something Delhi-based Aarti,whose undying love for movies has resulted in an enviable collection of 6,000 plus posters from Hollywood and Bollywood.

Collected over the years from India and abroad,from chor bazaars and flea markets,and purchased from the dying breed of poster artists and friends who are equally passionate about films,Singh and her husband,Gursimran Singh,have now made the prints of the originals and are putting them on sale on Facebook. Titled Bollywood/Hollywood poster art exhibition,this is on only today. “It’s a test run and I hope to make it a weekly feature,with themes like animation,drama,Elvis Presley,action and so on,” says Gursimran.

The prints will be available in all sizes and start at Rs 800 onwards.

While the couple will be retaining their original collection,which also includes film memorabilia and books,they have documented all the posters into high quality,high gloss products. “Posters remind one of pop culture and are very kitschy.

They are unique because they are hand drawn and have immense value,” says Gursimran,who feels that this is a treat for movie connoisseurs,and most importantly for poster art collectors. “Posters have a look and a feel that is rarely seen these days. Among others,we have a poster of Gone with the Wind. We also have the first poster of Sholay,which didn’t even have the final starcast painted on it. Did you know the poster for Mother India was especially made for the Oscars? In those days,a poster was a must for an entry to the Oscar,and this was designed on the lines of an Italian film’s poster,” says Gursimran.

Interestingly,the duo points out that almost every poster has a story,a trivia and a little anecdote attached. Of course,they make sure that the information is put across in a manner that appeals to the masses. “There are a handful poster artists left and this collection is a tribute to them. We have been gifting them to friends,till someone suggested us to hold an exhibition,” says Aarti,who has reworked,restored,colourised,photoshopped and scanned every poster and even customises posters on request. “For our anniversary,I gifted my husband a picture of us together,hand drawn and painted in a ‘Bunty-Babli’ style,” she smiles.

Till a while back,Aarti was also retailing posters on a site called Creativegarh.com and to stores in Mumbai and Delhi,like Manan in Khan Market and Rio Grande in Greater Kailash. “I tried selling from the Dancing Video store in Panchkula,but one needs to have buyers,” says Aarti,hoping that the online response is encouraging. For more,log on to Facebook and search for the ‘Bollywood/Hollywood on July 6.