Scripting His Own Pat

Calligraphy speaks to the soul of Sudeep Gandhi and as an independent designer he is able to successfully nurture his special talents.

What drew you to Calligraphy & Typography?

SG: I heard the word 'Calligraphy' for the first time at Callifest 2008, organized by Achyut Palav at Sir J.J. School of Arts in Mumbai. The entire experience was magical and gave me a feeling of ‘I want to do this'. I never knew it would turn out to be my passion one day.

I learned the basics of Calligraphy from Shri. Ram Kasture and did my graduation from Rachana Sansad College of Applied Arts & Crafts. Calligraphy & Typography was a subject on the syllabus. In the 4th year of college, one of my mentors, Prof. Vinay Saynekar, made me understand that I needed to create my own identity if I want to excel. I took his advice and my calligraphy work began to distinctly stand out. I realized I had a knack for it and should take it further.

I chose to dive into it and learn from on-field work and self-study. I did a lot of research and understood that most prominent designers/creative directors/ calligraphers hadn’t necessarily had the relevant formal education – it was passion that drove them to be established in their respective fields.

Realizing that choosing a career in Typography & Calligraphy is a rare thing provoked me to pursue it further. I started freelancing while still in college and went on to work as a Visualizer in ad agencies, where I tended to come up with Typo/Calli based ideas. To create something different in Calligraphy & Typography has been a challenge and overcoming this has made me passionate about it. I have been freelancing as a designer fulltime since May 2016.

What, in your opinion, makes freelance collaboration successful?