Storytelling is seeping into the city's cultural scene. The ancient art form got transformed from being a personal experience confined to bedrooms, living rooms or classrooms to a pop-up event, hosted at cafes and restaurants. And, the change is being spearheaded by the members of Bhubaneswar Storytelling Forum, a non-profit and informal group that has been formed through social media linkages. The group organized a storytelling session at Bocca Café in city’s Master Canteen area on last Sunday.
Eight storytellers from different backgrounds narrated some enticing tales based on monsoon at the event. The audience consisted of 40 like-minded individuals. While some of them read out self-composed pieces, others presented stories by famous novelists or authors.
An English teacher by profession, Swati Mohanty of DPS Kalinga associated monsoon with an excerpt from Dame Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. For Swati, storytelling has become a part and parcel of her life. Being a teacher and a mother, she has been telling stories to teenagers and children for long. But, telling stories at a public forum was a completely new experience for the teacher. She claimed one should act as a book to be able to become a good storyteller.
The meaning of rain changes with a person's mood. If you are happy, your joy is intensified by rains. But, if you are sad, it can make you feel lonely and add to your agony, she observed while narrating the excerpt from Rebecca.The event turned out to be a platform for some budding writers like Swagatika. She presented her self-composed story on monsoon, titled 'Chatta'. Not all were professional writers or storytellers, though.
Retired doctor Sagarika narrated scenes of monsoon as witnessed in rural Odisha. She went on to explain how the season is celebrated in villages and the significance of Raja festival.
An HR consultant, A K Sahoo shared one of his personal experience associated with rainfall. Modulating his voice, he let the audience get a feel of enjoying a long drive on a rainy night. The storytelling forum of the city is the brainchild of Bharati Chainy, an HR professional. During her stay in Bangalore, she had been a part of a similar forum there. When I returned to my city, I felt I can start the same here. Storytelling can kill loneliness and bring people close, she added. The forum started as an informal social media group.
