Two storytellers will bring to life the tales of Amir Hamza that have influenced Urdu literature and have even found parallels in our cinematic traditions to a stage near you

Two storytellers will bring to life the tales of Amir Hamza that have influenced Urdu literature and have even found parallels in our cinematic traditions to a stage near you

They are going to tell you a story. There won't be any loud music, dance and props. But pure and powerful storytelling in its ancient Persian style with Mahmood Farooqui, Dastango (storyteller) and Co-director of Peepli Live.

It first came up when he encountered the Dastan-e Amir Hamza in 2002 and hence was revived an ancient Persian art form, brought to life for the contemporary world.

Danish Husain and Mahmood Farooqui

Known for its literary brilliance, the compilation of the exploits of the paternal uncle of Prophet Muhammad, Amir Hamza and his companions, Dastan- e Amir Hamza or Hamzanama has deterred translations for as long as a hundred and twenty five years.

Coined from the Persian words, Dastan meaning an oral story or epic and goi translates to the act of reciting a Dastan. An ancient Persian form of dramatised storytelling, where a single performer called the Dastango would recite a tale, the art has now been revived by Farooqui with two people in an interchange of narratives, where one acts as the listener while the other speaks.u00a0

This weekend Farooqui will be performing with poet and co actor Danish Husain, all sorts of stories from Tilsim- e Hoshruba, an eight volume chapter of the Dastan-e Amir Hamza. Farooqui divulges details of this oral tradition and the show with MiD DAY.

How did you begin Dastangoi and how did the idea translate into performances?
I began Dastangoi because I had a background as a theatre actor and director and when I read the Dastan at the urging of Urdu's legendary critic SR Faruqi, I was totally bowled over. They were crying to be read aloud. Once the first show happened in May 2005 and was so enthusiastically received, we started getting invited to perform in other places and so it continues.
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How is Dastangoi different from other means of storytelling?
Dastangoi is different from other forms of storytelling because it uses no music or dance or any other device. It builds purely on language and narration and also has a very diverse linguistic range, from the high literary to the most colloquial.
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What makes Dastangoi different from a full theatrical performance?
In Dastangoi, two people sit down and recite a story, it is obviously very different from a theatre performance, in every sense, except that Dastangoi can be performed in a theatre as well as a baithak, as well as on the streets.
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Does language act as a barrier in your storytelling performances?
Yes, language is a barrier but it is a barrier for almost everyone who sees it, so it is a universal barrier. Over the last five years we have had only a handful of people who have watched our show and understood each and every word. But we find that people enjoy themselves even without understanding every word.

Any plans with the art form in the future?
My plans are to train as many people as I can and help them start with Dastangoi, after that they can take it wherever they want to. I want to turn it into a genre than just a show.

Do you plan to take Dastangoi, the art to different media?
No I have no plans to take this to different media, it is live storytelling and I don't see why I should change the media.
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At Chowdiah Memorial Hall, On September 25, 7.30 pm, Call 2341 4681 For Rs 500 and Rs 1,000

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