Writing a postcard, posting it and then, the bittersweet wait as you look forward to a reply - these feelings are alien to most of us today. But among us is a youngster who wants to acquaint us all with the process and that warm feeling too. Meet Samiksha Agarwal who missed designing postcards and sending them out, something that she used to do as part of college fests while studying at NIFT Bhubaneswar. She missed them so much so that she started Kora Kaagaz. Via this initiative, what this 23-year-old hopes to achieve is making messages a lot more personalised and a lot less instant.
Another very important personality trait that you should know about this Hyderabadi is that she is a true blue Bollywood fan, she is often found quoting movie dialogues and songs during her day-to-day conversations. So, she decided to couple this madness she has for Hindi movies with her innate and professional love for photography and turn that into postcards that not only feature beautiful pictures she's clicked but also quotes from movies that go with the vibe of the picture. "For me, the entire process is more important than the end product. That's why even when I get orders, I work with my customers to select the perfect picture and quote, I send it back to them so that they can write a personal message and post it themselves," says Samiksha who is a freelance photographer. Since she set this idea in motion in December 2020, she has worked on over 150 postcards and it has been a beautiful journey for her and all those who have opted for her work.
Now, imagine the dialogue from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, 'Kuch logon ke saath sirf waqt bithane se hi sab theek ho jata hai' (Just spending some time with certain people rights everything) juxtaposed against a picture of a sunset. Or those Rumi-like couplets from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara against the picture of Charminar. Now that's what we are talking about when it comes to Kora Kaagaz, which essentially means 'blank paper' in Hindi. Just reach out to her on Instagram if you like the sound of it and consider the deed done. "I've been receiving such a phenomenal response for this. It's teaching people how to wait in this fast-paced world plus, there is no backspace option when it comes to a postcard, right? The whole experience is very wholesome for me and for those who decide to undertake the journey with me," she says and signs off.
For more on it check out instagram.com/korakaagaz.in
