If poster is the index of a movie, then Anil and Bhanu can narrate the stories through their designs. Their posters are exuberant, vibrant and make people rush to the theatres. Their work is intriguing and builds up a level of curiosity in moviegoers. Hyderabad Express gets into a candid conversation with the duo of Anil Bhanu Core Designs (ABCD) who are reigning the industry with their publicity designs.
Tell us about your initial days in Tollywood.
Anil: We struggled a lot. There were days when we would make designs with so much passion and producers would turn us away or ask us to come later. We would go again, but in vain. It was exhausting. We did well after we started our company.
Bhanu: I aspired to be an actor and I realised it was tough to get a break if we did not have the right contacts. That’s when I felt that as we should start designing film posters, considering both of us studied graphics together, so that we could meet the film folk and make friends in the industry. Thus ABCD was born.
Do you often agree on the design?
Bhanu: We never have conflicts. Anil comes up with an idea and shares it with me. I concur or add some more ideas to it. But we never had conflicts of interest. Each poster has a theme and we closely work on it.
Anil: Each poster has different sets of highlights. Some movies have the hero as the highlight point. Some have the title, some have the story, and some the crew. So we listen to the story and decide which should be highlighted and design accordingly.
Posters are the index of movies. Were there any low points where your posters were superb but the movies tanked?
Bhanu: Of course. People would blame us for making such beautiful posters and they would feel cheated as the movie disappointed them. But we did our job. It is hard to explain the equation to the fans or audience. But yes, we do face the music.
Anil: We do our job passionately. We make sure we deliver the best. Our posters are always exuberant and vibrant and they pull the audience into the theatres. So, we do get disappointed when the movie fails.
How do you face the competition in this field?
Anil: There are nearly 100 registered publicity designing companies in Tollywood. Yes, we do have our competition. But we deliver the quality work, and that’s our niche.
Bhanu: Earlier we used to approach the producers or the directors. But now, they come to us.
We built our success purely on networking and good work. So we do face the competition, but we know we have a class.
Also, the technology is changing day by day. So, we make sure, we keep ourselves updated and use the latest technology to design the posters.
Tell us about your personal lives.
Bhanu: My wife Manjari and I are blessed with a daughter (Teertha) and son (Neel). I make sure I am with my family when they need me.
Anil: My wife Aruna and I are blessed with a son (Viraat). We are a small family and we enjoy being together. We do have tight schedules. But we make sure we hang out.
So who is the funniest between the two of you?
Bhanu: Anil is funny when it comes to selfies. Whenever we are taking selfies, he makes sure, he has all the light on his face, perfect angle and posture and then he asks all of us to fill in the gaps. So in all his selfies, we look like zombies except for him. Also, whenever I am on call, he is always whispering in my ear. I would never understand a word of his and I often get confused. I keep telling him to stay calm. But he never listens.
Anil: See, this is the funnier side of Bhanu. He makes fun of all of us. He is the elixir of our parties and there’s no fun without him. You should see him in the parties. You have to see him to believe him. Overall, I love his company.
