M Bava

M. Bava is a Mollywood Art Director and has also worked in Production Designs for the Indian film industry. He started his career in 1997 as the art director and got appreciated as a debutant. In 2003, he was honoured and awarded as the ‘Best Art Director’ at the Kerala State Film Award Show for his work, “Mullavalliyum Thenmavum and CID Moose.” Bava’s most difficult project was back in 1998 when he had to research and deliver the best in making a red vintage car for the film “Sindabad.” The amount of hard-work and time taken to have an exact replica, was a difficult job in the pre-technology scenario.

He considers post-Google time as one of the advantages for newcomers in the art direction field. Nowadays, the creatives can make up any object and with the cinematography advancement. The artist idolizes the famous graphic designer, Sabu Cyril Sabu Cyril was born on January 27th in Kerala’s Ko >> Read More... when he joined Cyril’s graphic agency and later assisted him in advertisements. Syril gave him the chance to aid in films too, as an apprentice in movies like, “ Muskurahat Muskurahat is a Hind TV serial. It aired on the DD >> Read More... ” and “ Kalaapani Click to look into! >> Read More... ,” Bava got to test his skills in the latter while working in a small team of four, Cheif Assistant, Second and Third assistants.

He assisted Sabu in over twenty-movies and went solo in 1996 in the film “Azhakiya Ravanan” with Kamal. Bava is highly obliged to Cyril and considers him as his Guru and Magician. Bava considers the Malayalam based romantic-comedy movie “ Niram Click to look into! >> Read More... (1999),” as his important work, wherein he experimented and developed his individualistic styles. He was able to experiment with all the colors and gave an outlook to the cinematic-scenes. In 2013, Bava art directed the project “Amen,” a Malayalam-Musical/Drama film, and bought in his revolutionary work. Amen got shot between a period movie and folklore, the director wanted a church that was to be razed down, and Bava suggested putting up a set. Later, the director relented, and they found a landscape near the village Cherthala, which was the exact sketch of the village described in the script.

The work was praised and highly known around. Some of his remarkable work was seen in projects like; “Mosayile Kuthira Meenukal (2014),” where he made a forty-feet whale in fiber unlike today when we have all the raw materials available in hand; “Virasat (1997),” a Bollywood movie where he recreated a village; a Nigerian market for the ad directed by V.K. Prakash; designing a ‘lodge’ for VKP’s “Trivandrum Lodge;” Rupees eight-lakhs set erected for an opening song in the film “Niram;” a forty-feet sculpture made of plaster of Paris for movie, “Mullavalliyum Thenmavum;” the plush apartment and morbid jail in film, “22 FK;” an American interior for “ Peruchazhi Click to look into! >> Read More... ;” Bachelor’s pad in the movie “Kilipoyi” and a refurbished flat of Nazriya and Fahad in “Banglore Days.” The movies “Rakthasakshikal Sindabad” “Krishnagudiyiley Oru Pranayakalathu” and “Niram,” are his favorite works.

For him shooting an Ad is different than a film, the commercials are about coordination in colors and designs and films are relatively flexible. Bava later worked on the Bollywood blockbuster project “Baahubali” as an art director and still remarks it as one of the prized works. Bava is appreciated due to professionalism throughout his work. The coordination with the director, cinematographer, editing team and creative team is always commendable. He has the principle to work for two movies each year, to concentrate and create better. The art director learned through his experiences and built the stardom today. Starting as an assistant, and gaining the reputation of a qualified art director, M.Bava still believes to work more and learn.