Creating Charlie’s quirky world

Charlie’s room, a reflection of Dulquer in the film, is a character in itself and serves up the mystery that carries the film to the end.

Jayashree says how she gave life to the room and building that’s got everyone talking, “Martin chettan briefed me on the basic idea of how he wanted the room to be and then he let me play around with the ideas I had in my mind. I had discussions with Jomon and decided on the colour palette we wanted. We didn’t use colours just to make it stand out but used it to subtly play at the audience’s mind with regards to the mood of each scene.”

She adds, “Art direction and cinematography are parallel zones that help create the space for actors to perform. Since most of the films deal with realistic themes, one never notices art direction, but with Charlie being the film that it is, it stands out. Charlie is a blessing in disguise for designers,” says Jayashree.

Jayashree, much like Charlie, enjoys travelling, “Nature is something which continues to amuse me and I’m more than happy traveling as part of my job.”

Being a junkie art fan helped Jayashree give Dulquer’s character a unique twist, “India is such a vibrant place. I love collecting objects wherever I go and I’m always on the lookout for intriguing objects. I am a proper flea market person. I could easily get lost in there,” she says.

Jayashree moved to Mumbai five years ago to pursue her dreams and assisted on a few Bollywood projects.

Starting out as an independent art director wasn’t planned, she says. “I had gone to Chennai to visit my family and by chance I got the opportunity to work for Mysskin’s Pisasu. My impulsive journey has carried me thus far.”

Cinema has always been a part of Jayshree’s life. Movie marathons are a regular thing for Jayashree and her friends. As an art director she looks upto the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Stuart Craig, Federick Gibbons and Sarah Greenwood.