KOCHI: Find a Malayali who doesn’t use a classic movie line during everyday conversation, and we will stand corrected. ‘Saadhanam kaiyilundo’ and ‘Shammi hero aada’ are part of our lives, and now, ‘Filmpatients’ are making it a part of our wardrobe. From Aadu Thoma’s silhouette with Rayban shades and mustache to Mukesh’s awkward ‘But Why?’, this first-of-its-kind Malayalam pop-culture t-shirt brand is made for the cool cult followers of the state.
Filmpatients, a Kannur-based firm is the brainchild of Tijo Thomas Kaliyanil and Sarath Payyavoor, who are visual communication graduates and ardent movie lovers. Vivek Kumar is the business head and third partner of Filmpatients that delivers around the state.
“Filmpatients was initially the name of our group on social media where we used to share ideas and opinions on films. We always wanted to have a career based in the movie industry. The idea for a t-shirt brand happened during one of our group discussions while in college. We had to do a lot of research on e-commerce and digital marketing. We had done lots of research and even did a small course on web designing to have clarity on creating a digital platform for the brand,” said Tijo.
The brand which was launched in 2018 went viral in 2019, after it made the official merchandise for the Mohanlal-starrer ‘Lucifer’. They have also collaborated with films like Kalki and Naam. “We source our T-shirts and cloth materials from Tirupur, where our production and printing unit is also situated. We have opted for screen printing which lasts longer and the colour doesn’t fade after multiple washes. The t-shirts are 100 percent cotton and bio-washed,” he said.
Filmpatients are already in the spotlight for regional film merchandise. Now, they are evolving towards unexplored areas of e-commerce and digital trade. “Our best seller so far is the ‘Spadikam’ collection. The ‘Mothalali – Sherikum Mothalali’ couple collection is also one of the most ordered. We launched a Sathyan Anthikad collection which became so popular that the filmmaker invited us to his house for a meetup. It was a really proud moment,” quips Tijo.
Celebrities including Nimisha Sajayan, Kalidas Jayaram and Saniya Iyyapan are part of the Filmpatients fanbase. The brand also offers mobile covers, t-shirt dresses and crop tops for women, home décor, posters and t-shirts for kids, all based on the cult punchlines characteristic of the Malayali. www.filmpatients.comPriced between `399 and `599.