: 62-YO Accidental Entrepreneur is Taking Ancient Indian Board Games to the World #IndiaNEWS #Entrepreneurs The year 2020 brought in both uncertainties as well as new experiences, and the lockdown was

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62-YO Accidental Entrepreneur is Taking Ancient Indian Board Games to the World #IndiaNEWS #Entrepreneurs
The year 2020 brought in both uncertainties as well as new experiences, and the lockdown was a bit of both. The positive side to it was that we all got a little bit more time to spend with our families. For me, one of the highlights were the evenings after dinner, when we would all sit around and play a board game together. It was a great way to unwind before we called it a night.
According to this report, the lockdown has led to a record rise in the sale of board games, so much so that they’re out of stock at several stores. Big Bazaar, Snapdeal and Paytm Mall recorded the highest-ever sales of board games once the government allowed sale of non-essential items in some markets. While demand for traditional board games including ludo and carrom continued to soar, people were also open to exploring other traditional board games.
Sophie Johari (62) the creator of SoSophie, a brand that specialises in making traditional Dawoodi Bohra board games, experienced a similar rise in demand for her creations.
“It’s amazing how many enquiries and orders we received during the 2020 lockdown. It gave me a new kind of visibility. �
Sophie Johari
Speaking to The Better India, she says, “I have also customised other regional board games to include South Indian games such as Thaayam (played between two, three or four people, this game was popular in South India), Pretwa (this game has its origins in Bihar and is played between two people) and Tablan (originated in Mysore, and is played between two players). What’s amazing is that some of these games are at least a 1,000 years old, if not more. I feel like the preserver of these ancient games. �
Besides these, Sophie also does embroidery work on baby clothing, handkerchiefs, clothing and handbags.
How a homemaker became an entrepreneur
“I would describe it as an accident,� she says.
In 2017, Sophie’s daughter, Aarefa, had requested her mother to make a board game as a wedding present for a friend. Once it was made, Sophie and Aarefa decided to post about it on Facebook. “The next morning, when I logged in to Facebook, I found I had twelve messages inquiring if I could make more games. This was how I forayed into entrepreneurship,� she says.
She adds, “As a child, I remember seeing my mother do a lot of tailoring work and I picked up that skill from her. I have always enjoyed embroidery work more than stitching. Even after marriage and two kids, I kept at it. From making clothes for my daughters, which included their uniforms, to doing embroidery work on cushion covers at home – I never lost touch. � While Sophie never ventured into this field commercially, when a relative would ask for something to be done, she was always happy to oblige.

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