In the historic bylanes of Mattancherry, where weathered walls and wooden facades carry echoes of the past, a small roadside venture has been drawing curious visitors over the past couple of months.
Amid Jew Town’s antique stores and drifting tourists, ‘Old Town Press’ offers something refreshingly simple in a digital age — a printed memory that can be held, kept and carried home.
The modest postcard booth blends seamlessly with its heritage surroundings. Behind it is 27-year-old Akshay Kumar from Thrissur, who chose to step away from the security of a monthly salary to build something of his own.
For two years, Akshay worked at a coffee shop chain. During breaks between serving customers, he would scroll through social media reels. During one such break, he stumbled upon an idea that would alter his path.
“I came across a reel showing a vintage newspaper-style photo booth in Paris. I loved the concept,” he says. “I thought, why not try something like this in Kerala?”
And what better place than Mattancherry? He began by printing photographs in an old-school newspaper format, turning customers into headline features.
The concept was playful and unique. “Visitors enjoy seeing themselves framed like front-page news,” he says.
One day, he received a physical postcard from a bank. That small piece of mail made him reconsider the format. While the newspaper-style print looked striking, it was not easy to fold, store or carry.
The postcard, however, felt practical and intimate. “It’s something that could rest inside a journal, be slipped into a book, or sent to someone far away,” he says.
Akshay merged the vintage newspaper aesthetic with a compact postcard design. Customers gave a thumbs-up. The blend of headline styling and postcard convenience set Old Town Press apart from typical photo booths.
An old trunk box, which belonged once to his grandmother, adds to the booth’s vintage charm. Akshay not only clicks photographs on the spot but also customises images sent in by customers.
A postcard costs `150, while the newspaper-style print costs `200. Within a minute, the souvenir is ready.
“Starting my own business was always the dream,” he says. “I just did not have enough funds and I was waiting for the right idea. Everything changed when I saw that reel.”
While working at the coffee shop, Akshay would share his aspirations with regulars. “One remark stayed with me: ‘First you stop talking and start doing.’ Those words pushed me to finally take the leap,” he says.
But turning an idea into reality required more than creativity.
“When I first came here, most people rejected my idea. I needed a pavement space, but none would allow it. Eventually, the Malabar Emporium let me use this small space in front of their shop,” Akshay says.
That one-day trial became the beginning of Old Town Press. In the initial weeks, his biggest challenge was explaining the idea to strangers. “But my experience at the coffee shop helped me. The job taught me how to deal with customers politely and professionally, and how to make people feel comfortable,” he says.
Two months on, the booth is a hit. Akshay has also begun receiving customised orders, including designs for school students and wedding photographs.
“I want to expand this concept to many places,” he says. “By the end of March, when the Biennale is over, I will try my luck in Goa.”