Childhood was undeniably the happiest phase of our lives. And if you have lived through the early 90s, you have lived through the good old days of Doordarshan (especially Chitrahaar). Now, when we see something distinctly similar to the good ol’ days, our nostalgic vein is triggered. The virtual throwback through animations, doodles, graphics and music satisfies our thirst for the innocent days. Bohra Sisters (@bohrasisters) is one such Instagram page that we discovered recently. This sister-duo animates GIFs and slow-motion graphics inspired from their lives set during the 80s-90s with music from our lovable Indian cinema.
Bohra Sisters take you through the lanes of their lives which are hella relatable! The gramophone, the flavoursome chuski, the lonely letter box, the lalten to the rescue days are some recurring symbols that are unmissable. Bohra Sisters through their videos infuse a sense of homecoming. We talked to one of the Bohra Sisters aka Zainab Bohra to gather a perspective of their work:
So who are sister-creators of the Instagram handle @BohraSisters?
My name is Zainab and my sister’s name is Sakina. We two are the creators, curators, runners of the Bohra Sisters. Professionally, we both are engineers but soon after, we shifted into the field of designing. I used to work as a graphic designer in a digital marketing agency and my sister was into marketing. However, we both quit our jobs and are currently concentrating on Bohra Sisters. We also enjoy motherhood this way (since we both had a baby last year!). While I am based in Kuwait, Sakina resides in California. Yes, we are working virtually from two different continents (giggles)!
What motivated you both to pursue a business in designing?
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We actually started the Bohra Sisters page as a side hobby. My sister always loved to draw everyday life. Once I became interested in designing and animation, we thought this would be a good side project to work on, together. We started small, but slowly yet soon, we started receiving major appreciation from our viewers. It was the love for the art that was very familiar to them. This motivated us to continue pursuing our passion.
Which is the personal favorite innocent day’s memory of the Bohra Sisters?
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All the videos that we make are in a way inspired from our favorite childhood memories. Be it the old, gadget free days motifs and symbols like nani ka batua, knitting/stitching, gramophone, chuski days, or the radio. If I had to choose one, I think one of my most cherished memories was having a sweet tooth for Gulaab Jamun with my Dadaji. Every sunday, he used to get Gulaab Jamuns for us. Despite his diabetes, he used to covertly bring them in by hiding them in his pocket.
Another one, especially close to my sister’s heart was sipping malai chai with our Naniji. Naniji used to save some extra malai everytime as she loved it.
That is adorable! I am guessing you have shared some of your childhood with Indian cinema as well. How long have you stayed in India?
We moved to India during the gulf war and resided there for almost 7 years. Our most precious childhood years were in India! Undoubtedly, we love the Indian Cinema and routinely incorporate its songs in our animations. Oh, and we visit India often!
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Any favourite musicians/songs/movies that you would like us to know?
Sakina loves all the Shyam Benegal movies! It will be really hard to pick one song but I think no song can come before Aayega Aane Wala from the movie Mahal for her. And I am a big fan of animation movies and my all time favorite is Lion King. My favorite singer is Asha Bhosle and my favorite song is Oh Mere Sona Re from Teesri Manzil.
There is so much diversity in your posts. What other themes and values will we be seeing in the future?
There is too much negativity in today’s world and all we want to do is spread love through our posts. Our videos are inclusive of souvenirs of childhood (like kite flying and chuski), festival motifs (like Diwali torans and plum cakes), promoting Indian tourism (like Charminar) and social initiatives (clean environment and Yoga).
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Talking about the millennials, do you think they are drifting away from their cultural roots?
Everyone is entitled to their likes and dislikes. We are no one to judge others for the choices they make. In fact, India itself is very culturally diverse and millennials add their flavour to this culture.
How do the Bohra Sisters earn from their stop motion illustrations? How are people outsourcing your service?
Our clients pay us to make customized videos for them. They range from invitation videos for various occasions to product marketing videos.
And how do you seem to intermesh the present world with the classic cinema and cultures?
It’s not that tough. India has been blessed with amazing talent and artists. Our classic cinema, which was called the golden age of cinema, has plenty of evergreen content that’s actually timeless and remains relevant over generations.
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What is in store for us as social media consumers in the future?
Our mission and vision has always been to bring a smile to people’s faces and spread love by showcasing our loving memories through the lens of the most popular thing in our culture – our Indian cinema. And we will try to continue that in the future as well.
To get your customisations, drop them a DM on Instagram at @bohrasisters
Thank you so much dear Prarthana ❤️❤️
Thanks!