He does cute, very cute, steampunk, realistic illustrations. Be prepared to spare several hours on Instagram to go through the captivating illustrations of Doodlemuni.
Happy-go-lucky artist and illustrator Arosh Thevadathil from Avittanallur, Kozhikode, dubbed himself Doodlemuni on Instagram a few years ago to showcase his heartwarming doodles. His rocketing Instagram fanbase now stands at a significant 21.1K followers.
“I chose to be Doodlemuni because I prefer my doodles to be as desi as possible without losing its profundity and fun,” says the young illustrator. Arosh transfigures his own reality into fantastic doodles by flavouring them with immense detailing and shades of red, yellow and orange.
When the hoardings of a popular cloth brand’s “celebrating manhood” campaign in the city show scribbled images of the 'great men' of Kozhikode, people accurately recognise it to be Doodlemuni's handiwork. “Without knowing who I am, they recognise my work as Doodlemuni’s. That gladdens me a lot; I enjoy being identified as Doodlemuni,” says Arosh.
Though hailing from a humble background, Arosh’s parents encouraged his passion for colours. The decisive moment of his life came when his art teacher introduced him to the RLV College of Music and Fine Arts, Tripunithura, where he pursued his studies in applied arts.
Arosh began his career as a senior visualiser and progressed into an art director. His illustrations for campaigns of a leading Malayalam daily, a women's empowerment initiative, Kerala Tourism, Bekal Tourism and Tamil Nadu Tourism gained wide attention. The illustration for the Suchitwa Keralam campaign bagged the Olive Crown awards of 2015, instituted by the India Chapter of International Advertising Association (IAA).
He is now with Funchershop, a creative design studio based in Bengaluru, co-founded with his friend Suresh Ramakrishnan. Funchershop's art occupies pride of place in many celebrity walls, and they also deliver customised gifts and home décor ideas.
The posters of 'Absolut Malayali' and 'the great queue of Kerala' which trended on the internet were recreations of some Keralite quirks by team Funchershop. “I wish to make Funchershop emerge into a global name,” says Doodlemuni, for whom doodles are dream-catchers.