Kathakar is India`s first and Asia’s biggest storytelling festival. The festival features Storytelling sessions from India and abroad, Conversations with acclaimed artists and performers, Musical performances by renowned folk artists. The festival this year will host international storytellers Nell Phoneix (UK), Usifu Jalloh (UK/Sierra Leonne), Polina Tšerkassova (Estonia), Nama Tel Sur (Israel), Julliana (Columbia), Seung Ah Kim (South Korea), Imtiaz Ali, Lucky Ali, Bhupinder Babbal, Mohit Chauhan, Kutle Khan from India.

Prominent dignitaries who have participated at the previous festivals are Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu,; Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President of India, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Gulzar, A R Rahman, Prem Chopra, Imtiaz Ali, Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanjay Mishra, Vishal Bhardwaj, Deepti Naval, Sushma Seth, Divya Seth, Nandita Das, Shantanu Moitra, Manoj Tiwari, and a host of renowned international storytellers Vergine Gulbenkian, Xanthe Gresham, TUUP, Michal Malinowski, Nell Phoneix, Jodie Edwards, Lillian Rodrigues, Spice Arthur among others.

The festival was started in 2010 by the NGOs Nivesh and HHACH under the patronage of UNESCO by the Gahilote Sisters - Rachna, Prarthana and Shaguna in the memory of their father the first Braille Editor of India also known as the Father of Braille Literature in India Thakur Vishva Narain Singh. The Chief Patron of the festival is well-known singer-songwriter-composer Mohit Chauhan.

Schedule of the event

Friday, 31st January 2025 (5 to 10 pm)

Storytelling: Usifu Jalloh, Polina Tšerkassova, Nama Tel Sur 

Kissey Kahani and Matargashti: Mohit Chauhan In Conversation with Imtiaz Ali

Music Performance: Kutle Khan Manghaniyaar and group (Rajasthan, India)

Saturday, 1st February 2025 (5 to 10 pm)

Storytelling: Usifu Jalloh, Polina Tšerkassova, Nama Tel Sur

Kissey Kahani aur Cinema: Mohit Chauhan In Conversation with Anurag Basu

Kissey Kahani aur Mausiqui - Mohit Chauhan In Conversation with Lucky Ali

Music Performance by Bhupinder Babbal (Punjab, India)

Sunday, 2nd February 2025 (5 to 10 pm)

Storytelling: Tariquee Haameed, (India), Usifu Jalloh (UK/Sierra Leonne), Polina Tšerkassova (Estonia), Nama Tel Sur (Israel)

Music Performance: Basant Qawwali by Niyazi Brothers (Rampur Uttar Pradesh, India)

Kissey Kahani aur Cinema - Prarthana Gahilote In Conversation with Sajid Ali

Kissey Kahani aur Music – Aparshakti Khurana In Conversation with Mohit Chauhan

Music Performance: Taba Chake (Arunachal Pradesh, India)

10 am to 3 pm – Sajid and Imtiaz Ali Retrospective: Film Screening of Laila Majnu and Chamkila inaugurated by writer and film director Sajid Ali