veerszaara (Shubhangi Singh)
Shubhangi is a teenager in her 20s. A student of Political Science and Women Studies, she is driven by curiosity and a desire to create meaningful change. When she’s not overwhelming herself with research papers and deadlines, you can find her concocting patisserie magic in the kitchen or ranting on Twitter about Kuch Kuch Hota Hai being a misunderstood classic. Shubhangi expresses the filmy-keeda in her through journaling and video editing. Her film journal is like a shrine to her favourite films, filled with ticket stubs, quirky doodles, and references to iconic scenes and unforgettable characters. It’s her way of preserving cinematic magic. Equal parts academic and fangirl, Shubhangi is still figuring out how to be an adult, but she’s having fun along the way. Feel free to connect with her over politics, Bollywood, or the perfect recipe for brownies!
Shubhangi’s film journal pages have been published in Issue II: Desiring Bollywood, a red-veiled, gold-spun ode to Hindi cinema. It is open for orders now, and we would love to send it to your doorstep.
Anushka Bidani: Do you think of yourself as a fan page or a personal blog?
veerszaara: I started this account two years ago in October as a fanpage for SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) and Deepika [Padukone], but I realized it was very limiting and stopped me from sharing my other interests. So, I decided to turn it into a personal blog. Moreover, having a blog instead of a fanpage helps me avoid this account becoming a chore where I need to post new content every day, instead I share ideas as they come to me.
AB: What makes you say that running a fan page is a chore?
veerszaara: To keep your audience engaged and for the algorithm to push your content, you’re supposed to post regularly, in fact on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I don’t have the mental capacity to create quality content every day. Some pages do it really well, while others become victims of “reach” and share mindless, copied content. This is the reason I don’t wish to monetise my page either. Capitalism ruins everything it touches, so something that is a source of joy shouldn’t become a task that leads to burnout.
AB: Why the name veerszaara?
veerszaara: I could talk all day about how Veer-Zaara is the best thing to come out of Bollywood. Even as a kid, when I didn’t understand the complexities of its plot, I would still enjoy the film for its songs and, of course, loverboy SRK. And now, every time I watch it, there’s always something new that I discover and fall in love with all over again. So that’s why, veerszaara.
AB: What fascinates you about Bollywood?
veerszaara: I believe nostalgia plays a big part in this. I’ve grown up in a very filmy family, where everyone has a Bollywood dialogue for every scenario. My mother tells me that even before I learned how to walk, I learned to dance on “Chaiyya Chaiyya.” My parents had to turn on the music channel every morning to convince me to go to school. I guess, I just carried that. And now, just how everyone has their own way to escape from reality, Bollywood is my escape.
AB: I am yet to meet anyone else who uses handmade collages and scrapbooks to express their love for a film. Why did you choose this particular form of art?
veerszaara: While scrolling through Pinterest one day, I came across accounts who journaled Hollywood films and TV shows but I couldn’t find any similar content for Bollywood films. As a teenager, I used to carry a diary to school where I would write song lyrics and doodle related imagery whenever I got bored during classes. In retrospect, that might’ve not been the best use of my time but I think all of that brought me here today where the creators of these movies themselves are sharing my art.
AB: You also make beautiful edits. How did you learn visual editing?
veerszaara: I’ve learned it over the years by observing other creators. I started with InShot, then Picsart, and now I use VN or CapCut.
AB: People are often hesitant to use their platforms to speak up about political issues, as it could result in a loss of followers. But you have done it, repeatedly. Do you think people with large platforms have a responsibility to leverage their space for the social good?
veerszaara: Of course! In my context, specifically, I’m a Political Science major so speaking about politics comes very naturally to me. Also, it’s very interesting that even though my page focuses more on cinema, it’s always the political reels that garner the most attention and I’m very grateful that over the months I’ve managed to gain a politically aware audience.
This interview by Anushka Bidani is part of the series, The Fan Page Project.