Meet Instagram’s Bohra Sisters Who Are Taking Folks Into Their Lovely Past With Animated Art

Why does the ordinary have to be boring? For 115K folks, it’s not just beautiful and heart-rending, but also makes for that much needed pause in their busy, stressful lives. These are all the people who follow Sakina and Zainab Sabunwala, aka Bohra Sisters, on Instagram—the siblings who have turned modern-day therapists, as they create and share beautiful animated art posts of their childhood.
Each one takes you back into a time you’ll yearn to snatch back from memory—kids playing on swings and flying kites, the neighbourhood chai stall, a local vendor selling sweets, your grandma watching you paint, you sitting by a quaint balcony reading, we could go on… These little vestiges of the past—that have been making for a comforting cultural connection—are actually a nod to the sisters’ own lives. While they now reside abroad, they continue to sketch and keep their memories alive through their works. We chatted with Zainab on what fuels their creative sisterhood, their mission to make others feel good and why sharing the value of beauty in the everyday, matters.

Tradition, framed…

 

ELLE: Can you take us back to the moment Bohra Sisters was born? What inspired you both to start creating animated artworks and cartoons together?

Zainab Sabunwala (ZS): We started our Instagram journey back in 2015 as a fun collaboration between the two of us combining my love for animation with Sakina’s passion for drawing. Our idea was simple to create hand-drawn animation videos that captured our childhood memories, something we could look back on and smile.

ELLE: How has your upbringing in Udaipur and as part of the Dawoodi Bohra community shaped your artistic voice? Can you go back into your past and share on this?  

 

 

ZS: We had a simple yet beautiful childhood one filled with the comforting aroma of home-cooked meals, the charm of old Bollywood classics playing in the background on weekends, and a deep connection to our cultural roots and tradition. Those little moments, so ordinary back then, now feel like pure nostalgia and they continue to inspire everything we create today. 

ELLE: When did you both first start drawing or experimenting with illustration? Was art always part of your lives growing up?

ZS: Sakina has loved drawing and painting since she was a child, art has always been her thing. I got interested in animation later, when I started working at a digital marketing firm. That’s where I realised how storytelling could come alive through motion and I was hooked.

ELLE: How would you describe your art? Is it whimsical, nostalgic?

 

 

ZS: When we started, the idea was simple: to create videos that helped us revisit our favourite childhood memories. Each animation is based on something we actually experienced growing up, moments that felt small then but now feel so special. Even the songs we use are the ones we listened to as kids, tunes that instantly take us back to lazy afternoons or long car rides. While much of our work is rooted in nostalgia, we also enjoy creating whimsical, playful pieces.

ELLE: The whole premise is just about daily life. Do you believe that simplicity and a finding joy in the smallest moments matters; is it the message you are conveying, too?

 

 

ZS: Yes, absolutely. If you look at our videos, they’re almost always rooted in the small, everyday moments that often go unnoticed. We truly believe there’s beauty in simplicity and joy in the ordinary. Whether it’s sipping hot chai on a rainy day, sharing a samosa with friends at a crowded street corner, or quietly watching a tiny chidiya peck at grains on the ground. These simple scenes carry so much feeling. That’s what we try to capture in our daily lives that connects us all. 

ELLE: Please describe some of the beautiful scenes in your artworks.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bohra Sisters (@bohrasisters)

 

ZS: Yes, many of our artworks are inspired by everyday life around us. Along with the chai stall and schoolgirls, we love drawing scenes like: a little boy flying a kite on the terrace, a grandmother cutting vegetables while listening to the radio, a street-side bangle seller arranging colourful bangles, kids playing hopscotch in the lane and more.

ELLE: Food, grandparents, and childhood memories seem to be recurring themes—why do these feel important to document through your art?

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bohra Sisters (@bohrasisters)

ZS: We were born in India but raised in the Gulf, so our visits to India during summer holidays were really special. Those trips meant reuniting with our grandparents, playing with cousins, and, of course, indulging in all the amazing home and street food. Those simple joys have stayed with us.

ELLE: What’s it like working together as sisters? How do you divide the work — or do you create everything together, especially as you stay in different countries?

ZS: Working together as sisters has been wonderful. We definitely have creative disagreements; it’s part of the process! We usually work through them with a few arguments, some back and forth, and eventually, a middle ground. Living in different countries has its challenges, but it’s never stopped us from creating together. In fact, it’s made our process even more intentional and meaningful. Sakina handles the design and illustrations, while I take care of the animation.

ELLE: How do you see your work as a reflection of the Dawoodi Bohra culture and values?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bohra Sisters (@bohrasisters)

ZS: Our work is deeply rooted in who we are, and being part of the Dawoodi Bohra community has shaped so much of that. The values we grew up with, love for family, tradition, and beauty in everyday life naturally flow into our art. Whether it’s scenes of togetherness, respect for elders, or the joy of food and festivity, we often find ourselves drawing from those lived experiences.

ELLE: Do you have any plans to take your artwork offline — maybe a book, exhibition, or merchandise?

ZS: Yes, we do sell our illustration prints on request, and it’s always lovely to see our work find a place in someone’s home. We haven’t explored exhibitions or merchandise just yet, but it’s definitely something we’re open to in the future. For now, we’re focused on creating and sharing stories that resonate and seeing where that journey takes us.

ELLE: What’s a dream project you’d love to work on together in the future?

We’ve had the joy of collaborating with many renowned brands, and through it all, our core purpose has remained unchanged, to spread smiles. Our dream is to continue using this platform to share pure, unfiltered joy and happiness with the world.

Read More:

Labubu Cakes: The Lil Doll Has Now Become A Buttercream Brat!