JOIN USSuperheroes have always amazed us. And when one decides to create them through paper craft, dreams come true for a whole lot of young people.
‘Doodle Adda’, a social media store on Facebook, run by Sanjay Gupta, is a unique world of paper craft comprising greeting cards, finger puppets, room signs, craft models etc based on superhero themes.
After working as a senior merchandiser at a garment export company, it was Sanjay’s passion for designing that convinced him to follow his heart.
In today’s times when people have switched on to fancy gizmos and toys, Sanjay says that the old-world charm of paper craft and the compliments he receives inspire him to be more creative. Sanjay started ‘Doodle Adda’ a year back. “I had a fun artistic side to me and I wanted to explore that. I started designing as a freelancer and that’s when I started making superhero greeting cards for friends and family. Seeing the positive response, I stuck to the idea and went ahead with it.”
He later designed superhero character models and other products as he saw an increasing number of theme parties in the City. “There were many birthday parties and events for children, which were based on ‘Chhota Bheem’, ‘Doraemon’ etc. Initially I made cards, then I moved on to more elaborate craft, which was also received well,” he says.
Sanjay’s products feature popular superheroes like ‘Superman’, ‘Batman’, ‘Dora the Explorer’, ‘Pikachu’ and ‘The Avengers’. “I’ve made other 3D models like one of Ganesha. I also made a denim-based model for a denim store launch, where they handed out these models to people,” he says. His latest innovative creation was a puppet made specially for ‘International Yoga Day’.
The idea of customising the products makes it even more attractive and appealing to the children. “Parents tell me how their children’s faces light up when they receive the cards that are customised for them. A parent even told me that her child kept aside all the other gifts he received on his birthday and was bowled over by the card.” Customised cards have the child’s photograph, his or her name and a customised message on it. While these cards are available for Rs 250 each, paper models will cost one Rs 80 and customised photo frames are available for Rs 350. “The finger puppets are a set of six characters for Rs 50. They are a favourite among the little ones,” he says.
“The concept of greeting cards is diminishing nowadays. So when I see people interested in my designs, it keeps me going and wanting to explore more possibilities,” says Sanjay, with a smile.
He has been working on a certain set of characters for a while. “Pikachu has been a trend for a while. I am open to working on any character according to suggestions. And that is a passion for me,” he concludes.