ABOUT THE EVENT

This month, Harkat brings to you Dastan-e-Sahir: a storytelling performance of Sahir's work, a dastangoi.

Through Sahir Ludhianvi’s own poetry and incidences shared by his friends as wells as contemporaries, the performers throw light on the life and literary stature on the celebrated poet and lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi. His sensitive lyrics on various aspects of society made him immensely successful in Bollywood and the magic of his poetry is relevant even now.

ABOUT DASTANGOI

Dastangoi is an old Urdu oral storytelling art form. Dastan means “a tale”, the suffix - goi means “to tell a tale”. One of the earliest references in print to dastangoi is a text containing 46 volumes of the adventures of Amir Hamza titled Dastan-e-Amir Hamza. At the centre of dastangoi is the dastango, or storyteller, whose voice is the main artistic tool in orally recreating the dastan.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS | DASTANGO

Dr. Himanshu Bajpai is a leading dastango of the country. He has performed more than 300 shows worldwide. Moreover, he has been honoured by the Honourable President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind for storytelling. His book Qissa Qissa Lucknowa published by Rajkamal Prakashan has been a bestseller and he won Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021 for it. He has a PhD on the historic Naval Kishore Press in Lucknow from Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya in Wardha. He writes a lot on the culture of

Lucknow and is known for conducting interesting heritage walks in the city.

Dr. Pragya Sharma has performed several shows in different parts of India. Qissa Jhansi ki Rani ka was her premier dastangoi along with

Himanshu Bajpai. A series of this dastan was organised by UP Police - 112 Emergency Services in different districts of Uttar Pradesh under the Mission Shakti Abhiyan promoting women empowerment. Her dastangoi on Rani Durgavati, Tulsidas and other such historical topics is widely popular and loved by the people. Pragya has a PhD in Economics on the issue of Groundwater Sustainability in India’s Agriculture Sector. She has formerly worked with National Green Tribunal and has published multiple research papers and book chapters on different aspects related to environment.

EVENT DETAILS

22nd January 2023

Sunday

6 PM and 7:30 PM

Harkat Studios

Versova

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KINDLY NOTE THE 7.30 PM SHOW IS SOLD OUT!! YOU CAN STILL BUY TICKETS TO THE 6 PM SHOW.

ABOUT HARKAT

Harkat is an international boutique arts studio with a passion for film, new media, community art spaces and contemporary art. Based in Mumbai & Berlin, Harkat takes many forms and identities across disciplines & related creative industries. As an alternative performance & arts space, we have hosted more than 150 shows in the past year in the mediums of theatre, film, music, community projects & contemporary art. We support the new, unheard, upcoming, exciting, cutting edge, the political, the forgotten, nostalgic, melancholic, soul stirring, the beautiful & more. And that's what Harkat is. Harkat.