Art is in his heart

When the viral video Dear CSK crossed one million views on YouTube, and many more on other social media sites, everybody was talking about Fully Filmy or Fully, the team behind it. The video talked about women empowerment in our part of the world and the role of sports in it. The man behind the graphics is a Malayali, Najeeb Thottungal. Born and brought up in Karalmanna in Palakkad district, Najeeb and team Fully have once again made the headlines by releasing another animation video Safest Country for Women, which is based on the Kathua incident. With all the recognition and praises pouring in, Najeeb still remains humble with an everlasting smile on his face always.

“Dear CSK was a big break for everyone. Though the team Fully Filmy was already a hit as a company that sells clothing, mugs, posters and other merchandise that are inspired by movie themes, their YouTube channel Fully got a big breakthrough with this video,” says Najeeb.

But like any artist, Najeeb had to struggle at first. “This might sound cliché, but my story too begins with school festivals! I was a regular participant in painting and drawing competitions. I always found happiness while drawing something. I was in school at a time when parents insisted their children become doctors and engineers. I too joined the College of Engineering, Trivandrum, after completing grade XII, but I chose architecture because I loved designs and space. But after the studies, when I joined a firm in Chennai, I realised I was missing the artistic space. So I quit my job and started doing wall paintings. That’s my life’s  turning point,” says Najeeb.

That change took him to team Fully Filmy and as a film buff, he started making posters and other merchandise with film dialogues, characters and became an instant hit.

 A regular day at the office became the best day in his professional career when his senior asked him to do the graphic works for their new video about a girl who dared to come to the stadium to witness the IPL team CSK’s match for the first time in her life, by breaking all the stereotypical chains around her. Najeeb’s drawings chronicled the young lady’s life and garnered many praises all around the city.

“We never thought of getting one million views for that video. Following its success, I was asked to do something based on the Kathua incident. Personally, I was so saddened those days when I drew that poor girl’s animation. While drawing the climax scene, I even broke down. But I was shocked after the release of the video. We could not get enough views as our previous one. I was sad not just because it was our work but because it was a more important topic,” he shares, adding that an artist’s life is a roller coaster.  

Though he is a spirited artist who dreams of making a feature animation film in the future, Najeeb says our society still has not given artists full credit. Now he is working with team Fully on another video.

Apart from his works with the company, he does commissioned paintings, wall designs and wall paintings in his free time.