February 2025 (WIP)
animatics // motion design
Dar-ul-makhfi
Dar-ul-Makhfi (The Abode of the Hidden) is a short animated film that blends history and fiction to explore the overlooked roles of women in the Mughal era. Set against the backdrop of Chandni Chowk, it peels back the present to reveal the layers of history still echoing beneath the market’s modern-day chaos.
Concept
At its heart, this short film is a story about what gets remembered and what gets erased. Set between the past and present, the film imagines a hidden space where women once gathered in defiance under Mughal rule, a space now lost beneath the noise of modern-day Chandni Chowk. Blending fiction with history, the film reclaims forgotten moments of resistance and quiet power, revealing how the past continues to echo through the present in ways we often overlook.
“I am the daughter of a king, yet my heart is in chains.
I was born to be free, but my fate is the veil.”
Zeb-un-Nissa 'Makhfi'
research
The project was sparked by on-ground research and personal exploration of the Chandni Chowk area, where the enduring traces of its original architecture inspired a deeper inquiry into its past. I was particularly drawn to how these architectural remnants still live on today, hidden in plain sight amid the market’s modern chaos.
With prior knowledge that Jahanara Begum, daughter of Shah Jahan, was the architect behind Chandni Chowk, I often found it surprising how little-known this fact is—that one of Delhi’s most iconic spaces was designed by a woman. This became a foundational thread in my narrative.
As I delved further, I came across the compelling story of Zeb-un-Nissa, Aurangzeb’s rebellious daughter, whose resistance, expressed through poetry and acts of defiance, was repeatedly silenced by her father, even leading to her imprisonment. Her poetry, under the pen name of ‘Makhfi' (The Hidden One), was mystical, passionate, and rich in Sufi symbolism, which already clashed with Aurangzeb’s more rigid Islamic views.
“I was confined behind the curtain, unseen, unheard,
but my heart was restless longing for the world."
Zeb-un-Nissa 'Makhfi'
Their stories, both powerful and underrepresented, shaped the core of Dar-ul-Makhfi, which became a story not just about two women, but about the erasure and resilience of women’s voices in history.
As I progressed with the storyboarding, the project transformed into a reflection on everything that has been buried beneath modern-day Chandni Chowk. What began as a tribute to powerful women became a layered exploration of forgotten histories, revealing how the past quietly persists beneath the surface of today’s chaos and commercialism.
narrative
ACT I
Set during Shah Jahan’s reign, Chandni Chowk is vibrant and alive. Designed by Jahanara Begum, the market thrives with music, poetry, and freedom as women move through public spaces freely. Jahanara watches her vision come to life.
ACT II
With Shah Jahan imprisoned and Aurangzeb in power, the city becomes grey and oppressive. Public life shrinks, especially for women. Jahanara and Zeb-un-Nissa secretly create Dar-ul-Makhfi, a hidden space for women to gather, create, and resist. When Aurangzeb’s men discover it, chaos follows. Amid the violence, the two women lead survivors into a hidden tunnel and seal the space behind them.
ACT III
The sealed tunnel fades into present-day Chandni Chowk, still bustling, but disconnected from its layered past. We glimpse modern scenes: a rickshaw puller, a jalebi maker, and women walking to the mosque. The past lives on, quietly buried beneath the noise and motion of the present.
Design process
The entire visual development of the film was created digitally on Procreate, including both individual scenes and animatics. Each frame was hand-drawn in a style that balances impressionistic texture with narrative clarity. The animatics were later exported and timed in Adobe After Effects.
Rendering has been a particularly time-consuming part of the process, requiring close attention to mood, lighting, and pacing while preserving the painterly feel of each shot. While several scenes, animatics and transitions are still in progress, the visual narrative is nearly complete.
Sound design, including ambient sound, musical elements, and narration, is still a work in progress and will be integrated in the final stages to heighten the emotional tone and bring the full atmosphere of the film to life.
