This Kerala man is breathing new life into classic Malayalam films with stunning remastered posters

The remastered poster of G Aravindan’s Thampu.

However, the quest to find the poster of a beloved old Malayalam film proves to be an arduous undertaking. Many of these posters have not been digitised, especially since a significant number of original copies have succumbed to decay and neglect. Hence, obtaining a high-quality digital version of posters from the 1970s or earlier is nearly impossible.

Lainoj TV, a professional publicity designer from Neeleeswaram in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, had an epiphany when he discovered last year that the Cannes Film Festival was set to screen the remastered version of G Aravindan’s Thampu (1978). Upon hearing this news, Lainoj began searching online for a high-quality poster of Thampu, but his efforts were in vain. This led him to think, “Why not create a poster of the film myself?”

The remastered poster of MT Vasudevan Nair’s Nirmalyam.

The remastered poster of G Aravindan’s Vasthuhara.

“At that particular time, there was no top-notch print of Thampu available online. I found the idea of crafting a remastered poster for the film both challenging and enjoyable. Hence, I decided to undertake this project on an experimental basis,” shares Lainoj, who has already created remastered posters of nearly 200 films, with indianexpress.com.

However, it was the remastered poster of MT Vasudevan Nair’s Nirmalyam that gained widespread popularity and garnered Lainoj a multitude of fans.

The artist distinguishes himself from his contemporaries through his unwavering dedication to the artists who came before him, particularly those who hand-drew the titles for old movies in the absence of advanced technology. “In present times, when designers recreate posters of old films, they often completely redesign the title using new fonts and their own creative ideas. However, I believe this is unjust to the pioneers who originally crafted those pieces. Back then, technology was severely limited, and these artists would paint the titles using brushes and paint, relying on the limited information provided by the filmmakers. They might not have even had the opportunity to watch the films themselves. Yet, they created extraordinary posters that became the iconic representations of those projects. Therefore, I consider it unfair to redo the title. Instead, I recreate the title style by drawing them using modern technologies, paying meticulous attention to every detail.”

The remastered poster of TK Rajeev Kumar’s Chanakyan.

The remastered poster of G Aravindan’s Esthappan.

“When I first began, many people claimed that I was unemployed and that’s why I was embarking on this venture. Even when I started working as a publicity designer, I encountered the same scepticism. None of them took me seriously until I achieved a notable feat by entering the India Book of Records last year for re-creating the highest number of movie posters,” he recalls.

Delving into the process of creating remastered posters, Lainoj explains, “The most challenging aspect is locating a decent quality print of the movie. It’s quite arduous as many movies available online have very poor prints. However, since that forms part of the challenge, I proceed with it. The next step involves watching the movie as a viewer, comprehending its tone, aesthetics, and essence. But the watching doesn’t stop there. We have to rewatch it, perhaps even a third time, to identify the frames we can capture as screenshots for inclusion in the poster. Only after obtaining the appropriate screengrabs can I commence the poster design process. The initial phase entails enhancing the images to improve their quality. Since the print quality is often subpar, the colour palette gets affected. Therefore, we have to carefully correct the colours, including the characters’ skin tones. It should appear natural, as any deviation would impact the overall aesthetics of the poster.”

The remastered poster of Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Anantaram.

The remastered poster of Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Mathilukal.

“Occasionally, it becomes challenging to capture screenshots of specific characters exactly as we envision them. In such situations, I proceed with the most significant moment in that character’s journey, capture a screenshot, and work around that. However, in some cases, the obtained images may not be complete. For instance, part of their hair may be missing from the print. To address this, I employ my drawing skills to complete these images.

“While working on the remastered poster of Athisayan (2007), I realised the significance of obtaining a complete shot of the enormous figure the child had transformed into. However, the film lacked such a full shot. Consequently, I carefully captured a series of images, frame by frame, featuring different parts of his body, and then skillfully combined them to create a unified image. This process carries a certain level of risk, as any oversight could make it apparent that the images were pieced together. It is crucial to ensure a seamless flow in such cases,” he adds.

The remastered poster of Vinayan’s Athisayan.

Referring to the poster he designed for Bharathan’s Malootty (1990), Lainoj explains, “It is not always possible to acquire all the necessary images for a poster solely from the film itself. In such situations, we must search for images that closely resemble specific scenes from the movie and work with those.”

In terms of selecting colours for each element of the poster, Lainoj emphasises the significance of carefully watching the film and understanding its overall atmosphere. He illustrates this by referring to the poster he designed for Nirmalyam, where the background prominently featured the colour red, which holds great importance in the movie.

The remastered poster of Bharathan’s Malootty.

“Although it may seem that each poster consists of only four to five layers at most, the reality is that a poster typically incorporates a minimum of 50 to 60 layers. Creating a remastered poster for a film with an average-quality print takes a minimum of three to four hours. This is in addition to the several hours spent carefully watching the movie, searching for moments that can be captured as screenshots. If the print quality is exceptionally poor, the process can extend to six to eight hours.”

When asked about obtaining high-quality prints of very old films, Lainoj said that such prints are often difficult to find. However, due to his passion for the craft, Lainoj has established connections with organisers of film festivals and similar events who possess superior prints of certain films. Building a network has become crucial in this regard. Lainoj cites an example of creating the remastered poster for John Abraham’s Vidhyarthikale Ithile Ithile (1972), which was made possible with the assistance of such a network.

The remastered poster of KS Sethumadhavan’s Anubhavangal Paalichakal.

The remastered poster of John Abraham’s Vidhyarthikale Ithile Ithile.

Referring to the process of crafting posters for black-and-white films and the criteria for selecting colours in such cases, Lainoj states, “In contemporary times, many films adhere strictly to a colour palette that aids viewers in understanding the emotional nuances of each scene. When working with black-and-white movies, I closely analyse the tone and essence of the film and then incorporate colours that enhance the portrayal of emotions and themes. For instance, while designing the poster for KS Sethumadhavan’s Anubhavangal Paalichakal (1971), which was a black-and-white film, I opted to give actor Sathyan’s shirt a vibrant red hue and placed a red flag in the background, as the movie revolved around subjects like Communism and the labour movement. I followed a similar approach when creating posters for Pancha Thanthram (1974) and Taxi Car (1972).”

“While I do consider it as a future prospect, my intention has never been to make money out of this. My ultimate goal is to inspire more and more people to watch these films. And what better way to attract them than through captivating posters? If someone approaches me for hard or framed copies of my posters, I would gladly assist them. I ensure that the final outputs of these posters are of the highest quality, allowing people to obtain HD print-outs. However, rather than transforming this into a business venture, my dream is to compile my works into a book someday, providing younger generations with the opportunity to explore and be inspired by these timeless movies,” Lainoj responds when asked about the possibility of collaborating with companies that sell film merchandise.

The remastered poster of Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay.

The remastered poster of Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali.

He has also ventured into creating remastered posters for non-Malayalam films, including Pather Panchali (1955), The Burmese Harp (1985), Iruvar (1997), Vikram (1986), and Ramayanam (1997) among others.

While Lainoj utilises Adobe Illustrator to design the title, the image enhancement process is performed using Topaz Labs’ Gigapixel AI. Adobe Photoshop is employed for the remaining aspects of the work, such as crafting the overall poster and getting the final output. He says he also maintains a strict quality standard and will not share any work that fails to meet his satisfaction. Despite investing hours of work into some posters, he occasionally deletes them if he isn’t pleased with the final result.

The remastered poster of Prathap Pothan’s Daisy.

When questioned about the most challenging poster he has created, Lainoj points to Prathap Pothan’s Daisy (1988). “I initially undertook the project at the request of actor Koottickal Jayachandran, a devoted fan of the film. However, to my surprise, it turned out to be a time-consuming endeavour. I personally drew many elements of the poster, which ultimately brought me great joy upon its completion.”

Among his works, Lainoj’s favourite is the one he made for G Aravindan’s Chidambaram (1985). “That poster still brings me immense joy. I believe I was able to capture the essence of the film in it.” Currently, Lainoj is focused on creating remastered posters of films by master directors like KG George and IV Sasi. He has already covered the filmographies of G Aravindan, John Abraham, and Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

The remastered poster of G Aravindan’s Chidambaram.

“The poster of a movie is the initial and most prominent aspect that catches people’s attention. It serves as a key factor in attracting viewers to watch the film. Therefore, I kindly urge the authorities and the government to recognise the significant role of publicity designers and establish an award specifically for their contributions. Furthermore, it is crucial for the government to take the initiative to restore and enhance copies of old movies, ensuring that future generations can appreciate our remarkable cinematic treasures.”

Having been closely associated with the Malayalam film industry for over 10 years, Lainoj’s most recent work as a publicity designer was in the 2022 film Vazhakku, directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and produced by actor Tovino Thomas, who also played the lead role. He nurtures the aspiration of making his own feature film one day.