Our story

Some stories aren’t written in scripts — they unfold in real life.
Cinemeals is one of them.

It all began after college, when three friends — Ashique, Deepak, and Manu — decided to turn their shared love for cinema into something more. We didn’t start with a business plan or investors. We started with friendship, passion, and a Facebook page. People loved what we posted. Soon, small cinemas began approaching us for online promotions.

In 2017, with a little capital and big dreams, we stepped into merchandise. At first, we sold on WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram — and the response was overwhelming. Orders poured in, and soon we couldn’t keep up. That’s when we launched cinemeals.in on January 1, 2018.

Our first movie merchandise was for the Malayalam film Queen. From there, we went on to work on Odiyan, starring Mohanlal — Kerala’s most hyped film at the time, and a true turning point for us. The contacts, the sales, the recognition — it was like watching our own success montage unfold.

Over the years, we also created merchandise for Maradona starring Tovino Thomas, Madhuraraja starring Mammootty, and countless others. Whether it was a celebrity or a common man, our products became loved across the board. We began with phone covers and soon expanded to T-shirts, becoming Kerala’s most loved T-shirt brand with desi designs. Film buffs and merchandise lovers eagerly awaited every Cinemeals product drop — and even during our break, customers kept asking when the next design would arrive.

We started from Deepak’s home in Chullikkal, Kochi, moved to a small office in Mattancherry, and later to Panampilly Nagar, where we added something new to Kerala — the state’s first “Pay What You Like” café, Happy Kochi. Our office, outlet, and café lived under one roof. It felt like a dream… until local laws banning commercial establishments in residential buildings forced us to shut down.

We returned to Chullikkal, but late 2019 brought the greatest heartbreak of our lives — the sudden passing of our closest friend Badrinath, who was more than a team member; he was family.

By early 2020, hype was building for Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, starring Mohanlal, and we were ready to rise again — but the pandemic struck. Sales slowed, then stopped. Financial struggles followed, and life took each of us in different directions — Manu prepared for bank exams, Ashique and Deepak searched for private jobs.

Life moved on. Ashique and Deepak got married. But deep inside, the passion for Cinemeals never faded.

And so, in 2025, the reel begins again.
A new website. A fresh look. Bold new products. Exciting activities.

From 2017 till today, we have loved and cared for each other — and for you, the people who’ve stood by us through every high and low.

This isn’t just merchandise.
This is friendship stitched into fabric.
This is cinema you can wear.
This is Cinemeals — Kerala’s most loved T-shirt brand, reborn.