Madhusudhanan Nair Inde Mol

The Introduction

Capturing The Magic Realism of Kerala

Working with the author Veekshith KH, I developed a storytelling concept for the cover and sleeve design, illustrating them to incorporate various elements and metaphors used throughout the narrative. Because the book is a deeply layered coming-of-age novel, it presented a unique opportunity to evoke nostalgia directly through the cover illustration.

The Story

A young woman trades Mumbai for rural Kerala, navigating adulthood through her family's magic-realist past. With stories of princesses and palaces, love stories and fairy tales told with the flair that drips of the all the writers and filmmakers he admires! What's not to love!

The Approach

It felt exactly like a Mani Ratnam film. Cinematic. I volunteered to illustrate the cover the very first time I read the book. I worked on it in short bursts for years and I wouldn't deny that a little bit of overthinking didn't trickle down.

Capturing the Essence

Exploring the book's cinematic world, reading my favourite parts of the book and playing A.R. Rahman + Mani Ratnam soundtracks on loop, the tools simply vanished into the process and I was in a trance!

Summary & Takeaways

The advantage was the vivid imagination of the author which helped me to visualize the story and the characters. It was important to capture the essence of the book through the illustration foreshadowing the magic realist elements. The final design was well-received by the author and the readers, and it helped to create a strong visual identity for the book.