Vaaqif
Project
College Thesis Project
Year
2025
Info
What began as an attempt to unpack lies turned into a deeper investigation into the idea of authenticity, especially in the context of India’s culinary culture. Vaaqif is a speculative brand that questions the singular, rigid ways authenticity is often defined and sold. While most labels use it as a shortcut to trust, Vaaqif leans into experience, where you engage with histories, share meals, exchange stories, and become vaaqif (aware) through immersion, not instruction. The identity system is rooted in calligraphic exploration, with a logo that suggests emergence rather than finality. It resists closure, just like the concept itself. The design extends into three languages to signal openness and inclusivity. Though not yet active, Vaaqif is imagined as a space for ongoing conversations, potentially through events, discussions, and shared meals in Delhi, always inviting you to reconsider what feels familiar, and why.
People who made this possible
Aparna Raman for facilitating the thesis; Aastha Chauhan, former director of Delhi Walk Festival 2017, for her guidance on exploring the city on foot; Siddhi Gupta for insights on brand identity and conceptualisation; Sohail Hashmi ji (WalkWithSohail) for historical context on Delhi’s evolving culinary landscape since the 1960s; Abu Sufiyan (Tales of City) for his perspective on how Delhiites engage with street food and how social hubs emerge; Anubhav Sapra (Delhi Food Walks) for stories from age-old food establishments across Delhi; Ajit Bhaskar (Run for Thindi) for insights into how newcomers connect with Bangalore’s food scene and how curiosity shapes food walks; Chef Yaseen Reshi (Yas Kitchen) for highlighting how Kashmiri cuisine is often misrepresented and stripped of its nuance; Chef Rahul Wali for context on the lesser-known traditions of Kashmiri Pandit cuisine; Aakriti Todi (Lemon Bowl) for emphasizing how subtle details like temperature and water impact the experience of authenticity; Sanithra Raju (Tijouri) for sharing her vision of bringing regional chefs together to recreate home-style food and shared experiences; Ramit Mitra (DelhiByFoot) for reflections on how food walks foster interaction and storytelling; Mritunjay Tiwari (Digital Butler Hub) for raising the issue of chefs not receiving their due recognition; Kush Sethi (Harame.co) for explaining how foraging and communal cooking enhance understanding among food walkers; Chef Gul Ali for stories from her journey learning Lucknowi cuisine; Kusum Rohra for her knowledge of Indian culinary history and shared recipes; Samriddhi Bhat for her reflections on the arrival of sourdough culture in India; Azmat Khan (Sarposh Kitchen) for sharing the vision behind Sarposh and recreating authentic Kashmiri cuisine in Bangalore; Pranav Joshi (Floydian Cookery) for his take on the complexity of authenticity and lesser-known culinary stories; Reetika (Fooding Around) for her approach to discovering new places and recipes; Subbu Rao (SambharPot) for insights into launching SambharPot in Delhi; Nihar Desai (Bay101) for his perspective on documenting Indian cooking traditions; and Taresh Bhatia, Meghna Bhatia, and Bhavya Bhatia for their unwavering love and support.
