Indian film poster

This poster design uses a triangular structure to link the characters. The differing scales of the images reflect their relative importance to the narrative. At the apex is a profile of the actor Amitabh Bachchan who develops his role as the 'angry young man' in this film. His portrait has been 'painted-over' in shades of pink, the emphasis is placed on his large eyes, heavy eyelid and large lips which have become his trademark.

Below him are figures which represent character types. On the left hand side is the mother figure, on the right is the 'brother figure and the two wives/girlfriends in the middle. The main portrait contrasts with the rest of the poster which is 'painted-over' in shades of yellow. The title runs across the bottom of the poster, the typography is large and particularly distinctive.

Using a pyramidal structure, this poster for Deewaar (1975) depicts archetypal characters from the ‘lost and found’ genre of Indian film. This involves the separation of brothers at birth and their eventual reunification. Amitabh Bachchan is depicted with headband, hooded eyes and brooding look, indicating his role as an ‘angry young man’. The older woman is recognisable as a typical long-suffering mother character, and the other male figure as the good brother. The two women are then associated with the two men as either wives or girlfriends.

IS.95-1988