Our story
बूँद | Boond was founded by siblings, Krati and Varun during the lockdowns in 2021 when they saw the struggles of the artisans and perfumeries that support most of their hometown, Kannauj.
A note from the founders
It was during the times of peak pandemic in 2021, away from our working cities and left without a choice to go back, we were stuck at our home in Kannauj.
Away from the hustle bustle of city life, we had a lot of time to ponder about our lives and where we were headed. It was during this time that we saw the fragrances and perfumeries of our town in a new light, honestly it was something we had taken for granted.
We realised their unmatched beauty and the great heritage value they hold. It was like someone had finally opened a magical window in our minds and we saw what was hidden in plain sight.
It was also during this time that we saw the artisans and perfumeries struggle firsthand, and were worried that the pandemic could be the final blow to our indigenous art. We just knew that we had to do our bit. We wanted to try and help the artisans and to revive the ancient Kannauj art of perfume making. Without really knowing what lay ahead of us, we started बूँद | Boond. It started as a passion project and continues to remain so.
Our mission
With बूँद | Boond, our mission is to revive the ancient art of Indian perfume making, support the artisans and take Indian fragrances to the world.
Reviving an ancient Indian perfumery
All our fragrances are handcrafted using the millenia old Deg-bhapka technique of slow distillation. The technique results in pure, natural and alcohol-free fragrances that can be used as perfumes and fragrances for candles, diffusers, soaps etc. Popular for centuries, natural fragrances struggled for their place among Indian consumers after the liberalisation of the economy in the 90s. As cheaper, alcohol-based perfumes from marketing-heavy brands became available, natural perfumes or attar lost out. The natural fragrances industry that supports most of Kannauj has seen a steady decline in the decades since. With बूँद | Boond, we want to revive the ancient art of Indian perfume making.
Supporting artisans and local communities
We are an artisan-led brand. Each element of a बूँद | Boond box has been thoughtfully crafted by artisans. Skilled perfumery artisans craft the perfume by growing and sourcing the right ingredients and overseeing each aspect of the slow distillation process. Our packaging too is handmade from recycled paper and screen printed by artisans. Each perfume box includes a locally stitched pouch and a note and a poem handwritten by local school teachers for additional income.
Ensuring sustainability
We are conscious of our responsibility towards the environment. Our raw materials are locally sourced. Our production is free of chemical waste. Our packaging is completely plastic-free and made from handmade paper crafted by recycled cotton scraps. A large part of our team is fully remote.
Special initiatives
The Boond Artisan Support Fund
We launched this fund on our 2nd birthday. With this initiative we aim to support the perfumery artisans of Kannauj and their families. In May 2023, we supported the deg-artisan Shivanthji with the educational needs of his three children. We hope and plan to continue to support many more artisans and their families in the future.
The Boond Art Initiative
As patrons of the arts, and filmmakers ourselves, we’ve always loved our conversations with artists at Boond. Their perspective and interpretation of our fragrances have been endlessly fascinating and inspiring for us. With this initiative, we collaborate with artists from around the world to share their interpretation of our fragrances and the emotions that they evoke in them. The initiative was launched in April 2023 with Marigold Dancers by artist Srijan Jha. We unveiled Sukoon, an interpretative art work on our fragrance Maati by graphic designer Manasi Mathur in July 2023.
About the founders
Boond is co-founded by siblings Krati and Varun. They’re independent filmmakers who’ve made over 15 films since their days in St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Their last short film SYAAHI won a National Award in 2016. They’d just finished co-writing a new film THURSDAY SPECIAL when the pandemic hit and changed the course of the world. They spent the lockdowns in Kannauj and created बूँद | Boond to support the artisans and crafts of their hometown.
Varun Tandon
Varun is an independent National Award-winning writer-director. Passionate about all things art and poetic, he is dedicated to telling deeply humane stories through his work. Varun brings clarity of vision, authenticity, and creativity to all aspects of Boond. He is passionate about art, classical music and perfumes. He always meant to pay homage to his hometown Kannauj someday. When he found himself in his hometown during the pandemic, the question he asked his sister was not why but why not.
Krati Tandon
Krati is an Indian School of Business (ISB) alumnus with over a decade of experience as a senior executive in the corporate world. She has travelled extensively around the world and is supremely skilled at solving problems, working through ambiguity, and leading big teams. Also a poet, screenwriter, and film producer, she loves dabbling between multiple worlds. In her travels, she realised just how special the craft of Kannauj. Both in that it has survived for centuries and that the practice is completely sustainable.