New Delhi: ‘Kathakar 2022’ will be curating stories and music from the deserts of Thar during its two-day festival starting on May 20 at Sunder Nursery in the national capital.
The festival will witness attendance by Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and singer Mohit Chauhan, among others.
Organised by cultural organisations, Nivesh and Babaji Music, at the capital’s Sunder Nursery, Kathakar, which has been instrumental in reviving storytelling as a standalone art form through dramatic performances, will be presenting its 14th edition this time.
With Himalayan Hub for Art, Culture and Heritage as partners, Sunder Nursery as the venue partner and Italian Cultural Centre as an international artist supporter, the 10-session event brings to stage India’s rare folk stories as well as native tales from Rajasthan and Gujarat, alongside those from Italy, the UAE and Poland.
Italian artist Paola Balbi will be travelling in the footsteps of her ancestor, a 15th-century explorer, who travelled to India through the deserts of the Middle East.
Paola thinks it is like coming a full circle as she now lives in Dubai, was born in Italy, and has been invited to India where her ancestors had travelled many centuries ago. She will be narrating stories of the deserts of the Middle East and from Italy at the festival.
The festival will also witness the release of the book ‘Curious Tales from the Desert’ by the Dehradun-based Gahilote sisters, Shaguna and Prarthana, who are also the curators of the festival along with Rachna Gahilote Bisht.
On the inaugural day, Kiren Rijiju will launch the book, part of the ‘Curious Tales’ series.
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and musician Shantanu Moitra will be in conversation with Rijiju and musician Mohit Chauhan, the festival’s patron.
The duo at the segment titled ‘Kissey Kahani aur Mountains’ will formally inaugurate the event at 8.30 p.m, which is to be moderated by Prarthana Gahilote.
Theatre artist Sikandar Khan will be narrating in his inimitable style, the folk tales of Rajasthan, including the ones from Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi Award winner Vijaydan Detha.
The concluding day will witness a session on ‘Stories from the Himalayas’ by Shantanu Moitra and ‘Kissagoi’ with Imtiaz Ali in conversation with Mohit Chauhan.
–IANS