Founded by visual artist and animation engineer Farha Alam, Taalkatora is a Mumbai-based creative studio that transforms forgotten analog media into interactive, illuminated functional art and optical toys. Launched in May 2026, the studio serves as a culmination of Farha’s diverse multidisciplinary background weaving together her experience in graphic design, animation, storytelling, and filmmaking. Driven by a relentless experimental spirit, Taalkatora produces novel, old-school collectibles that invite tangible curiosity, bridging the gap between historical tech and modern craft and design.
Taalkatora’s first offering is Picture Palace, a completely novel, sleek box light that doubles as a vintage art display and an old-school toy for adults, bringing twelve animated artworks to life through interaction. Born from a love for early cinema, it is designed to bridge the gap between functional decor and kinetic play.
PAWAN JI, CRAFTSPERSON AND MISCHIEF MAKER, ALAM.
SAURABH SHARMA, CRAFTSPERSON, CHIEF FABRICATOR
PAWAN JI, CARPENTER
HANDS OF LALIT JI.
TEAM
At the heart of the studio's philosophy is a deep respect for early visual history. Farha collaborates closely with local fabricators and traditional craftspeople to resurrect the forgotten precursors of modern cinema and early animation technologies. By blending old-school cinematic physics with contemporary LED technology and hand-layered optics, she creates tactile objects that invite physical play and interaction, reimagining old-world wonders for the contemporary home. Rooted in the concept of "rational amusement," these unique objects are designed to surprise, inspire, and offer profound beauty. They move when touched or turned, providing a nostalgic, playful, therapeutic, and enduring experience for the user.
Beyond Taalkatora’s retail collections, Farha is working towards a rigorous independent experimental practice focused on new, innovative art forms. Her portfolio features layered light sculptures, motorized animated installations, and tactile animated games. Guided by a desire to blend science, design, and illuminating visual arts, she is actively developing immersive, site-specific collaborative installations designed to delight and engage public audiences.Farha’s community-minded and collaborative approach has been showcased across various prominent platforms, from presenting her patent-pending opto-kinetic innovations at IIT Hyderabad in 2025 to directing public, community-led installations at the Govandi Arts Festival in partnership with The Storiculture Company. She has also designed commissioned installations for prestigious organizations like the RPG Art Foundation. Her artistic worldview draws profound inspiration from pioneering visionaries such as filmmaker Yuri Norstein and painter Hilma af Klint.
Ultimately, Taalkatora operates as a bridge between popular nostalgia and functional modern aesthetics. Dedicated to revealing the hidden magic embedded within ordinary materials, Farha’s work seeks to re-enchant our spaces and bring a quiet, enduring sense of wonder into daily life.
TEAM
A MOTORIZED ANIMATED LAMP