SIVAKASI WEATHER
Cracker of a Diwali: From actors to abstract art

24-10-2014
24th October 2014

Courtesy: The Times of India

Cracker of a Diwali: From actors to abstract art

CHENNAI: The firecracker industry, from the 70s until a few years ago liberally picked its product titles and mascots off Hindi film tabloids. Zeenat Aman, Juhi Chawla, Madhuri Dixit, Sunny Leone, Deepika Padukone and successive bombshells of each era were co-opted to enhance the marketability of fireworks called Raat ki Rani, Siren, Phataka, Item Bomb and Chamak Chalo.

"In the 80s, before the Internet, we-d cut out photographs from magazines like Cine Blitz and Stardust and give them to our "designers"," says D Mathan, director of Lima Fireworks, whose Dragon brand has now upgraded to metallic and glittering packaging that could pass for a mithai box. "As a small player, I have to stand out," he says.

Firecracker art - spectacularly kitschy and panoptic - has evolved through the ages, beginning with hand-drawn images of birds and flowers and goddess Lakshmi, followed by Raja Ravi Varma-inspired calendar art, poster art, screen sirens, cartoons, action figures, to arrive at abstraction.

"Its about fonts that denote the USP of the product, and attractive packaging that uses metallic boards and glitter wrap," says G Abiruben, president of the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association. Sexy women, he insists, are passe as far as packaging goes. "My grandfather Ayyan Nadar who started a firecracker unit in 1923, printed labels that were designed by hand. My own catalogue of 236 products could have anything, from the image of a magician, to pictures of children, to images of Spiderman, Ben 10, Barbie, Chota Bheem and Dora," says Abiruben, MD of Ayyan Fireworks.

"I could buy original images from a photographer, or have my designer put together packaging that combines fluorescent hearts on metallic board with cellophane and cutouts (this packs a brand of flowerpots called Dil Se). For my Shogun Bomb, I designed a Japanese warlord for the label; for Jadugar, I bought a photographer of someone dressed as a magician."

Sivakasi, hotbed of home-use explosives, is reputed to contain about 800 manufacturing units, and while heavyweights like Standard, Ayyan and Sri Kaliswari (brand Cock) are careful about attracting lawsuits through the unlawful appropriation of actresses, there are smaller units that dip into the slow-moving stream of popular culture and pick what comes to hand. This might include a snapshot of an industrial-size explosion.

Dont be surprised to see the image repeat itself next year. Or to see Katrina Kaif resurface even if she flops at the box-office.

"Only about 30% of the labels change every year to keep our outlay low," says Mathan, "In any case, the sales of some products like Lakshmi bomb and bird crackers rely on their unchanging design. However, manufacturers in Sivakasi refrain from printing images of gods and goddesses because they-re discarded after use."Apparently, no such reservations with Sunny Leone.

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