KOCHI: For many who grew up in the 1980s and 90s, the adventures of the righteous imp Mayavi from the iconic eponymous comic strip was perhaps an indelible part of their childhood. As one of the most read children’s comics in Kerala, Mayavi is sure to evoke nostalgia. But did you ever wonder how its many characters inhabiting a dark, secluded forest would look if they were donned by popular actors? Kottayam-native Anoop Velayudhan has the answer.
Through his digital paintings which are being shared extensively on social media platforms, Anoop has transformed the classic comic strip by recreating the characters of Luttappi, Kuttusan, Dakini, Vikraman, Muthu and Puttalu with the faces of actors Bijukuttan, Mamukkoya, Philomina, Shammi Thilakan, Ramesh Pisharody and Chemban Vinod Jose.
“I have the VCD of Mayavi. However, the animation didn’t impress me much. At first, I painted the character of Kuttusan based on the original comic itself but soon lost interest. One day, my friend sent me a sticker featuring Bijukuttan on WhatsApp. I found it compelling and thought about matching familiar faces of actors with these characters,” says Anoop.
Although he found the exercise amusing, picking the celebrities for each character was tricky. “The sticker inspired me to try Luttappi with Bijukuttan; that was well appreciated. Since it’s an old comic strip, I needed to match an actor from the 80s for Kuttusan. I wanted people to relate to the painting, that’s how I chose Mamukkoya. Philomina was my obvious choice for Dakini.
Shammi Thilakan has acted in some villainous and comic roles. So I chose him for Vikraman. The face of Ramesh Pisharody was in my mind from the beginning for Muthu,” adds Anoop, who publishes his works through the page ‘Art of Anoop’.
The latest painting from him was that of Puttalu featuring Chemban Vinod Jose. “The character is a serious one when compared to others. The painting of Mayavi will be revealed only in the end as I want people to be absorbed in the series,” says Anoop. He’s getting tremendous response for the paintings.
“I knew that the series would work only if I incorporate familiar faces. However, I never expected it to be so well received or that people would be sharing my work on various Facebook groups. I’m elated with all the messages I have been receiving. The encouragement is a driving force to draw the other characters in the series.”
Anoop has been settled with his family in Bengaluru for the past 15 years. A self-taught artist, he does watercolour, acrylic, pencil, and digital sketches. “I recently started painting again as a stressbuster. Now, with my works being appreciated, I wish to do new ones whenever I get time.”