Hansa Thapliyal conducts doll-making workshops. (Source: Hansa Thapliyal)
A few years ago, in the middle of the night, Bengaluru-based filmmaker Hansa Thapliyal realised it was her friend’s birthday the next day and decided to make a doll for her. In the kitchen, were some tissue papers and, on her worktable, bottles of red and blue inks. “I mixed the inks to a purple shade and dipped the tissue into it. Soaked in ink and crumpled, the tissue became the body,” she says. Next, Thapliyal found a little piece of wire, which wound with thread, became a face. “I discovered a bit of gota from the edge of a dupatta and made a crown. My friend wears a nose pin, so I put a nose pin for the doll and she started becoming her own person,” says Thapliyal. With white thread, she made four or five thin braids for the doll. “I gave the doll a little pair of eyes, looked at it, and said, ‘You are Bhooti Devi,’” she says.
On May 17 and 18, 3 pm-6pm, Thapliyal will conduct a doll-making workshop where it would “be fine to create weird things”. Traditionally, dolls have been charming playthings for children or finely crafted artefacts for collectors. A slew of films have popularised the scary doll. Thapliyal’s dolls, however, defy the conventions. “”We have tyrannical ideas of beauty. I don’t find my dolls looking weird but I can understand somebody else might,” she says.
Rose-skinned doll. (Source: Hansa Thapliyal)
In the crowded world of documentary filmmaking, Thapliyal, who graduated from FTII in 1998, is well-regarded for her work on the histories of technologies that predated cinema. The films she has made, The Outside In and Ghar Ek Studio, have been screened at IAWRT and Open Frame festivals in Delhi, among others. Another film, Cinema ka Sapna Dekha Hai, revolves around three women who live close to film city and their relationship to cinema. Thapliyal was also associate director in She Was Once a Queen, a film on the ideas of peace and justice and what these mean to women in Kashmir.
Dolls are her less-known passion. “I never understood my fascination with dolls, which is why I make them without asking too many questions about why I liked them. But, over time, making dolls has become something I can do without inhibitions. I may be more inhibited about my film work and think. ‘This is not good enough and that is not the correct way do it” but, with dolls, I have no prior ideas about what it should be or look like,” she says.
She uses the same creative instinct she did as a child, growing up in Lucknow, when she cut the golden hair from a ripened corn cob and used it to make blonde tassles for a doll. Her films The Outside In, produced by PSBT in Delhi, revolves around two women who make dolls, and Ghar Ek Studio that revolves around her family home features another doll she has made, whose skin is pink fabric with rose print. “I find that I carry the freedom of doll-making to my other work. I feel the sense of not getting scared of the chaos of things. There is something pleasurable in making things,” she says.
A participant begins with any material at her workshops, from a piece of plastic to paper. As the first step, they transform every piece of material. “You can take a pair of scissors to the material or stitch it or yank it. You need to just make your mark on the material. These are ways in which you come out of yourself,” she says. At Shristi in Bengaluru, her doll-making workshops extend to two weeks and involve sharing of material and memories. At the online workshop, which lasts three hours, there will be a break to talk to each other about different things, such as observations to about the present situation. “In the next phase, participants can look at anything that seems to suggest a form and start putting the things together to create a shape. They keep working on it till they are satisfied. It is my hunch that they will get their doll. Some little fellow will come out at the end of the workshop that participants will recognise for themselves and feel attached to,” she says. The dolls don’t have names but “their appearance gives them personalities”.
Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life.
Professional Background
Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint.
Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series).
Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season:
1. Climate & Environment
"Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week.
"How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
"Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner.
2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage
"Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle.
"Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport.
"The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle.
3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc"
"Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema.
"Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups.
"How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor.
Signature Style
Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune.
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Hansa Thapliyal conducts doll-making workshops. (Source: Hansa Thapliyal)
Rose-skinned doll. (Source: Hansa Thapliyal)
