New Delhi: The journey of an artiste from their imagination, and their thoughts to the final creation is always profound. Doodling and illustration have been a part of us since our childhood, it’s only the tools and methods that have evolved with time. Even if we have not tried our hand at it, we have always marvelled at the doodles on our notebooks, on walls and in so many other places.
Recently, a freelance doodle artist named Roshni Bhattacharya came to the limelight after creating a graphic of Yami Gautam for the film ‘LOST’. Roshni is an illustrator both by passion and profession, who also loves travelling and exploring new cultures. In an interaction with ABP Live, Roshni shared about her doodling journey and also spoke about her experience of being a part of the ‘LOST’ team.
Roshni’s Journey With Doodling:
Just like every beginner, Roshni too started by pouring her ideas on paper using simple tools like pen and ink. But, gradually, she progressed to digital art and also launched her own range of merchandise.
Going down memory lane, Roshni described her journey as “eventful” and shared that she began doodling when she was a child of four or five. She told, ” It has been a part of who I am and how I express my emotions since childhood. After completing my bachelor’s from NIFT in Knitwear Design, I worked as a Menswear designer, but doodling was always a part of life. I started taking it seriously only after 6 years into the design field, hoping to make it a profession.”
“It started really small, with wedding cards and customised caricatures for friends, and slowly by word of mouth and social media, I started getting more and more projects, which helped me to learn constantly, and at a slow and steady pace, I started getting bigger, better offers. Once I realised my art form is being appreciated by people around me, I decided to launch a merchandise brand that would be relatable, funny, and affordable but did not compromise on the quality of both art and the product.”, Roshni continued.
Talking about her exhibitions, she said, “The exhibitions were the first platform where I showcased my merch, and the response has been CRAZY! People are kind, supportive, and wonderfully appreciative of my work and the brand. The best response is when a passerby looks at the stuff, and then ends up spending a long time appreciating, giggling, reading the captions and ultimately buying from my brand”
Roshni also added, “I shifted from traditional pen and ink doodling to digital art about five years ago. Before that, I would create using liner pens, watercolours, pencil colours etc. but decided to shift to save space and time. I was travelling a lot those days, and it was much easier to carry an iPad than a whole bag of stationeries. It helped increase my productivity as well.”
All About Working In The ‘LOST’ Project:
At times, certain things happen in our lives that we least expect. Working as a graphic designer in the film ‘LOST’ must have been something like that for Roshni. She told ABP Live how she felt about getting the offer: “At first, all I knew was I have to make a doodled character to be used in an upcoming Hindi film. But when I got the detailed brief, my first reaction was of disbelief! I think I was out walking my dogs when I got the call and was told the name of the director of the film and the actor on whom I am supposed to base the sketch. I ran back home immediately to share the news with my parents!”
Talking about her experience while working with the team Roshni was all in praise of the team and shared how supportive they were by saying, “Most of the work happened from home, as it was peak COVID when we were working. They were very supportive, and responsive and gave me so much creative liberty. I would create some rough sketches, and send them multiple options. We would get on calls, and discuss openly what more can be done. In fact, they always made sure to hear my opinion as well. I think working with them was super smooth because they showed trust in my process.”
From Doodling To Acting:
Discussing her acting journey with ABP Live, she said, “It was such a surreal experience.” She then threw light on how it became possible by saying, “I had asked them if I could come to the set to watch the scene where the mug with my doodle is used. But instead, I got a call asking me if I would like to be in some scenes in the film. My first reaction was literally a big and rude “Hayy??” (or Whaaat???) I obviously agreed, and suddenly I got details for costumes, dates, locations, and call timings from the production team!!”
Roshni seemed to have been overjoyed on getting a chance to be a part of the production and narrated the details of how it was to watch the process of filmmaking.
“The whole process of how a film set is, how the whole team works like well-oiled machinery to make a film, is so awe-inspiring. My respect for the people involved in the craft of filmmaking and everything that goes behind it has increased triple-fold. Being in front of the camera too was such a cool and fun experience.”, she said.
Meeting Yami Gautam:
Roshni told that she has been a fan of Yami Gautam since she watched the film ‘Vicky Donor’ and also appreciated her work in ‘Bala’ as well. Meeting Yami Gautam on set was indeed a fan moment for her. She talked about it with ABP Live, sharing, “She is so professional, so punctual, and dedicated to her work.”
Recalling a scene that she had to do with Yami, Roshni told, “I had a small solo scene with her where I messed up the dialogue on the first take, but she did not bat an eyelid and continued the scene so beautifully.”
“Besides being gorgeous, she is very sweet to talk to. When I was introduced to her as the artist who drew her, she appreciated my art, thanked me for it and said to make sure to take pics of it on screen. I want to add that when we were in the drawing phase, I had a hard time doodling her because she is so beautiful. I was just not satisfied with my artwork, thinking it doesn’t capture her beauty enough.” Roshni added.
What Next:
Roshni indeed got her big jump with ‘LOST’, but she is still keen to try new things and explore new avenues. Talking about her future plans in doodling, she said, “Besides working on some projects right now, I am working on my next New collection for the upcoming season. I am always on the lookout for new and exciting challenges and am hoping to enter the world of book illustrations next.”
‘LOST’ is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language Thriller film directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and was released on February 16, on the OTT Platform ZEE5. The film stars Yami Gautam along with Pankaj Kapur, Rahul Khanna, Neil Bhoopalam, Pia Bajpiee among many others. The film is inspired by true events and revolves around the story of a young woman crime reporter who is working on a story of the sudden disappearance of a young theatre activist.