Personal Project: The Sacha Azadaar Handbook

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DISCLAIMER:

This project is a sarcastic critique on my own sect. This does not in anyway represent the actual teachings or beliefs of any sect. The subject chosen in the book is an extreme manifestation, a manifestation that varies in form in almost all religious groups. The purpose was not to mock, but to question traditions that are not usually questioned.

Brief:

The Shia zanjeer zans (a majority) have defeated the purpose of Imam Hussain's sacrifice by focusing on the pain and bloodshed and turning it into a race for the title of "Sacha Ashiq e hussain" instead of the actual message of common humanity. This is due to people being ill-informed and not questioning traditions. My aim is to portray sarcastically, through designing and illustrating a user manual, the do's and don't's of living the "Sacha Ashiq e Hussain" way of life.

Case Studies:

Visual References:

Research:

For a subject as sensitive as this, I needed to do my homework. I conducted interviews with different groups of people who took part in these activities. None of them could tell me the basis for Zanjeer Zanni.

I later found out that all these people, they do it because it's a sort of a race, a competition. If you don't do it, you're not masculine.

I then went to Mochi gate for Chehlum and interviewed the Zanjeer Zanns there. They too had conflicting answers and didin't have any concrete reasons to tell me.

This started to suggest that all this might not actually have been part of the actual teachings of the sect after all.

I then researched online for more information and references, and I found a lot. These are some screenshots taken from a religious site where these blades were being discussed.

Sketches:

Visual Language:

Colour Palette:

Typography:

The Rating System:

I came up with two rating systems for the book. SInce it had been established that 2 things were at play with the people I interview: Competition and attention. The Blood Rating rates the damage each blade causes. The Attention Ratings tell you how much attention each wearable gets you.