Starting this weekend, Augmented Reality Snapchat lenses will allow Bollywood fans to experience a new take on the archival Bollywood Arts Project - an initiative that celebrates iconic Hindi cinema, the yesteryear veterans and the current heartthrobs.

As a tribute to the multifaceted Bollywood industry, graphic designer and artist Ranjit Dahiya started the Bollywood Art Project in Mumbai. Also known as B.A.P, the project is an urban Street Art initiative that transforms streets in Mumbai into memorials dedicated to Bollywood legends. With truck-art style renditions using enamel paints, Ranjit has single-handedly curated wall murals of actors such as Rajesh Khanna, Madhubala, Amitabh Bachchan, and many more Bollywood icons. These murals have added a touch of cinema and character to the upbeat suburb of Mumbai.

The Lenses were built by Superfan Studio, a studio focused on building AR, VR, and XR experiences. They used Snap’s Lens Studio to create seven lenses that leverage Marker Tech to recognise the murals and bring them to life with animation and sound. Snapchatters can access the lenses by scanning Snapcodes located close to the murals or by simply searching the name and ‘BAP’ in Snapchat. Once the Snapchat camera recognises the artwork, it triggers a creative and fun lens experience.

“We created the Bollywood Art Project as a way to celebrate and memorialise the cinematic history of Bollywood and so it’s really amazing to see how technology is furthering this mission in such a unique way. I love the lenses that have been created and hope Snapchatters in India enjoy them too,” said Ranjit Dahiya, Artist and Founder, Bollywood Art Project.

Here are a few popular art projects:

The mural of Anarkali and her lover Prince Salim  marked the beginning of the Bollywood Art Project. Located on Chapel Road in Bandra West – that links to Mumbai’s scenic sealink, this depiction of the 1960 Indian epic historical drama will find fans across generations.

Artistic rendition of Indian cinema’s finest female superstar Sridevi is located once again on Chapel Road in Bandra West as well. It was created on her first death anniversary, to honour the legendary actor after her sudden demise in February 2018.

This masterpiece of Irfan Khan was curated amidst the lockdown due to the global pandemic. Mr. Dahiya was so deeply moved by the passing away of this versatile actor, that he completed this project in just 4 days! Irrfan gained appreciation and acclaim for his acting skills not just in Bollywood, but also in Hollywood. This is on Bandra’s Waroda Road.