Construction sites, Bollywood, Chai Biscoot -- tiny things that shape the character of our city and its people -- find their way onto funky objects of everyday use, created by the design team at Red Lion

Click. We press the button and what unfurls is a gorgeous hand-painted poster of 1949 Raj Kapoor and Nargis-starrer Barsaat -- on an umbrella rather than a 70 mm screen. Printing innovations have meant that movie poster artists -- those who deftly added the red to Rekha's lips or the twinkle to Dev Anand's eyes, as they precariously perched over scaffoldings -- are relegated to yesteryears. But Rajesh Kulkarni's one-man army is trying to keep the art form alive by having it spill over onto umbrellas. "Since my father was a movie poster artist, I've grown up in the thick of this phenomenon," reveals Kulkarni, creative director at brand design agency Red Lion.

"This is my way of salvaging a dying art form." Kulkarni has got these artists to paint posters of movies inspired by the rain gods -- Sawan Bhadon, Saawan and Barsaat Ki Ek Raat -- on to sturdy umbrellas that will help you brave the showers.

The design team at Red Lion (a division of advertising agency Publicis India) converted their concepts into funky postcards, envelopes, boxes, wall framesu00a0 and the like, and were first displayed at the Mathuradas Mills Culture Crawl in December last year.

"It all started when Priti Rodricks from our team started taking pictures of what she saw on her way to work. It resulted in wonderful pop-art collages of cats snooping around and fisherwomen at work -- things that typify the buzzing mill we are based in," says Ritu Kejriwal, executive brand manager with the team. These colourful collages have found their way onto canvases, mounted or loose postcards and roomy storage boxes, that you can place an order for.

Another team member, Deesha Patel has put classic Bollywood one-liners ('Main kahaan hoon?!' and 'Driver, gaadi roko') onto recycled cotton bags, with the font encompassing iconic Bambaiya and Bollywood images. We loved the adorable Chai Biscoot coasters that resemble the jam cookies you find in glass jars at the tapriwala. There are also Kulkarni's lovely glass quarter bottles that are individually dedicated to each star sign, with a cheeky description of what sort of a drinker you might be, depending on your zodiac sign.

The unceasing constructions that seem to devour our cityscape come printed onto spongy cushions, a table and boards (managing partner Elsie Nanji's idea), while moustaches droop or curl over to form conversation-starting plastic hangers. We found the prices a tad steep for our pockets, but with the detailing and the thought that has gone behind each of these pieces of usable art, it might be difficult to resist bringing home these city-centric items.

To place an order oru00a0for details, email punit.jagasia@publicisindia.com