Mastering the format of Storytelling: Sushmita Singha

EE News Desk Feb 28, 2020

It was around 4 years back, Salil and I were sitting in the courtyard of our Udaipur home, sipping chai and talking about the various beautiful and ancient rich history of this city of lakes. From there the conversation slipped into the number of stories our country has and how there are multiple stories for the same concept from different regions of India. It is immensely beautiful. We both are equally passionate about stories. We believe each one of us is a story, our lives tell so many stories, each experience is – When one narrates to others, how his or her child took that first step, the gibberish or the first word he uttered, the learning experiences – do you see the genuine passion in that narration, the emotion that gets transferred to those listening – so, storytelling comes very naturally to us.

Having said that, it wasn’t making us very happy to think how most of us today have distanced ourselves from this art of storytelling. Stories have a great influence on our lives, especially as children. It makes us who we are. However, parents and grandparents are no longer telling stories. Where are the storybooks, where are the hours spent with the grandma when she would tell stories 6-7 decades old, why are we depending on the phone or television so much before hitting the sack and same for our children. Reading to your child before putting them in bed use to be such a logical end to the day, for them and for us. We need to bring that love for oral storytelling back, for kids and for grown-ups.

Oral storytelling has flourished in several ancient civilizations. In India our epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata were recited orally by storytellers travelling from one town to another. As humans, we have a natural predilection for stories, which is why their preservation and perpetual narration is crucial.

So that is when, both Salil and I decided to take this subject seriously and Udaipur Tales shaped up over conversations like such. And now, with the 3rd edition of Udaipur Tales, we are ever so determined to revive the lost oral tradition of storytelling. It is a platform where both young and old can participate and enjoy. Although still in its embryonic stage, the festival is a haven for the spoken word. The stories need to give a message —that’s the aim of Udaipur Tales. We want our audiences to go back home with a piece of history or a crucial takeaway which will stay with them.

At Udaipur Tales, we work towards an international platform, bringing together a variety of traditions - from folk ensemble to shamanic storytelling and dastangoi. Stories from near and distant lands. Stories we have never heard before.

Expanding the horizons of storytelling, the 3rd edition of Udaipur Tales was fully packed with breath-taking performances by over 32 professional storytellers, artists and authors from across the globe. This year’s edition hosted close to 2000 children and approximately 4000 adults across all 3 days.

Udaipur Tales, from then and now, of mystery and magic, will not just aim to revive the oral narrative tradition, but also help the audience immerse themselves in the power of stories.

Look forward to see you in Udaipur for Udaipur Tales 4.0!