Video Courtesy: Aditya Mishra

MADHEERA

Madheera by Shauharty, ARSLAN & Pakeezah is an experimental hip-hop mixtape blending theatre, grit, and cinematic storytelling. The anniversary edition reimagines the original CDs with a more mature, polished lens marking a coming-of-age moment for the project.

Concept

This was the anniversary edition, so my approach switched up quite a bit from the original red and yellow. I think Shauharty and I always had this idea in mind; the album just gives off gold with its old Indianised sound. The Bollywood movie still on the cover is a tacky ode to that. The photo on the CD, on the other hand, shows a bunch of people gathered at a desi theka, stocking up on the cheapest alcohol (because well, Madheera). The stamping on the bottom half is scanned from a vinyl record from the Denver Public Library. The tracklist follows a strangely arranged sequence, full of type crime. My idea back then was to partially show the beard of what I imagined the protagonist would look like. I then stepped out with a couple of friends late at night just to figure out where I could photograph the CD and ended up at an old defunct phone booth and well, what you see now are the images i created

Black and white portrait photo
Black and white portrait photo
Black and white portrait photo
Black and white portrait photo

Brief

To design the complete physical packaging and promotional visuals for the Madheera (Anniversary Edition) EP; including the CD, disc art, cover design, and posters. The goal was translating this "experimental" cinematic mixture of hip-hop and literature references into a tactile artifact.

Outcome

The design evolved into a limited-edition object for fans and collaborators, aligning with the cinematic and gritty tone of the mixtape.

The CD format and print-driven aesthetic contrasted the digital nature of modern releases in an attempt to give the anniversary (and the project) a physical, lasting presence.

Additional Deliverables/ideations

Smooth Scroll
This will hide itself!