Doodles on another level

Sharma’s videos span between 15 and 20 seconds

If you're an active Instagram user in India, the username @neha.doodles might just ring a bell. Neha Sharma is a Delhi-based illustrator and animator who's been creating quite the stir. "My animations are born out of the fact that I love watching TikTok dances, but don't have the slightest idea of how to do them, which is why I let my doodles do it for me," she shares. With nearly 2,12,000 followers and millions of views, Sharma has managed to put out one quirky quip after another every day.

The 27-year-old took to making short animations in Hinglish on Instagram's Reels, after gauging the popularity of TikTok during the lockdown, and that shorter videos, clocking between 15 and 20 seconds, were what people preferred to watch.

Sharma describes herself as a tech freak, and so, was keen to know more about the process of animating as well. "Initially, my animations would be longer, and they took time to make. But with TikTok introducing itself to the scene, I realised I could make shorter videos more frequently; the challenge was to be funny in that duration. With social media you have to evoke emotion in people," she reveals.

Neha Sharma

Given the grim atmosphere online surrounding the pandemic, she hopes to make people laugh and feel better through her work. She explains, "These days, people can feel overwhelmed with the stories about how grave the situation is but sometimes, you just need to feel good and take your mind off things. That's where my doodles come in."

Log on to @neha.doodles on Instagram