Illustrations and maps for of "Film City Urbanism in India"

Dr. Yamini C. Krishna approached me to make some printable maps for some of their research work for their book "Film City Urbanism in India". The research, as far as I saw it, was about tracing the history of cinema halls in Hyderabad and they needed to

1. Recreate some older historical maps to a printable format as re-drawn images
2. Create newer OSM-based retrospective maps that marked these halls by decade in a readable format. The challenge was to create a visually appealing and informative map that highlighted cinema halls with labels, specific localities like Abids, Musheerabad, and Khairatabad—areas known for their rich history of cinema. The centerpiece of the map was Hussain Sagar, a landmark that helps orient anyone familiar with Hyderabad to the map.

This kind of spatial work sits within a broader interest in South Asian digital history. The Mapping Process Step 1: Stylizing the Map in Mapbox The first step involved using Mapbox, a powerful tool for custom map design. The objective was to simplify the map to enhance its aesthetic appeal and readability. This was achieved by:

• Colour Stylisation: Choosing a colour palette that was visually pleasing yet functional.
• Hiding Unnecessary Layers: Removing layers that cluttered the map, such as minor settlements, road names, and highway icons.
• Filtering Specific Features: Ensuring that important features like Abids, Hussain Sagar, and the Outer Ring Roads were prominently visible. {{< figure src="e4fe9b0bde5cc60671cde313f37e7f27_MD5.jpeg" alt="Stylized basemap in Mapbox" caption="Stylized basemap in Mapbox" >}} Step 2: Exporting and Georeferencing Once the map was stylized:
• Export as PNG: The map was exported from Mapbox as a PNG file.
• Georeferencing in QGIS: The PNG file was then imported into QGIS, a free and open-source geographic information system, where it was georeferenced to align with geographical data accurately. Step 3: Enhancing Map Details in QGIS In QGIS, further enhancements were made:
• Stylizing Labels: Labels were styled using callouts and offsets to improve visibility amidst a high density of points.
• Manual Adjustments: Labels were manually adjusted to avoid overlap and ensure clarity.
• Creating a Layout: A layout was designed, incorporating a scale and map title for professional presentation.

{{< figure src="dc219fb4923ac748e9cfeaf724e923a4_MD5.jpeg" alt="Georeferenced map in QGIS" caption="Georeferenced map in QGIS" >}} {{< figure src="8e0d88668c4521c62c62f7240aeae4f5_MD5.jpeg" alt="Creating a Layout" caption="Layout Creation" >}} Step 4: Final Touches in Inkscape The map underwent final refinements in Inkscape, a vector graphics editor:

• Importing the Map: The QGIS-exported PNG was imported into Inkscape.
• Adding a Legend: For labels that could not fit directly on the map, a legend was created to accommodate them, ensuring no information was lost. {{< figure src="1982 v1 c.png" alt="Setting up the final layout and legend in Inkscape" caption="Final Layout in Inkscape" >}}

Other Maps A few like this one was redrawn in Procreate using a Telangana State Archive map that Dr. Yamini discovered {{< figure src="trimulgherry.png" alt="Trimulghery map - redrawn" caption="Trimulghery map - redrawn" >}}