S hraddha Jahagirdar-saxena
Zooming in on a curated list of 100 definitive objects, Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan’s book Pukka Indian is a vibrant celebration of desi design. Through its pages, it presents images of products drawn from an Indian context and spotlights familiar shapes — like the lota, matka, dabba, agarbattis, the Sumeet mixer, the Ambassador car and more — that have dotted everyday life in the country.
Believing that the form of anything is largely driven by innovation and utility, the author looks at issues, causes and events that have been instrumental in creating things that are today icons of India. It is fascinating to read the tale of each item — as the narrative gives a historical reference to the chosen products that are part of the lifestyle and social fabric of the country.
Interestingly, the Lucknow-born writer lives and works as a perfumer in Paris. Having studied perfumery and armed with a doctorate in architecture design, she has also penned Tokyo Style File: A Shopping Guide. In an interaction with Verve, Jahnvi speaks about how her passion has shaped her life….
HOW WOULD YOU INTERPRET DESIGN?
The word is hard to describe. One must look at its starting point through materials, designers, forms, and also the purpose for which the product was created. For me, design is as R. Buckminster Fuller once described it — the deliberate ordering of rather disparate components.
WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN THIS FIELD?
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