World Storytelling day: 'This day is a celebration of geniuses', says filmmaker Kahanikaar Sudhanshu Rai
In an exclusive interview, filmmaker Kahanikaar Sudhanshu Rai talks about storytelling as one of the oldest professions and more. Here are the excerpts
FollowStorytelling is one of the earliest art forms; if it had been a job, it would have been the oldest profession since knowledge was handed down through written, spoken, and pictorial means. Currently, art itself is becoming a career.
Today, as we celebrate World Storytelling Day, we'd like to learn about the evolution of stories from a renowned storyteller, actor, and producer Kahanikaar Sudhanshu Rai.
What is the importance of World Storytelling day?
Stories as well as storytellers, are as ancient as mankind and have always been an inseparable part of cultures across the world. The stories passed through generations have been much more than momentary entertainment, for they also played an instrumental role in passing across cultures. Every conversation happening before one self, or every creature of nature doing its chores, they all weave together innumerable stories in our day-to-day lives. While some fail to register them and it goes to their subconscious minds, a few can keenly observe and later weave them into tales to entertain and educate others. Such people are storytellers who can captivate a large audience with their words. World Storytelling Day is a celebration of these geniuses.
On this day best storytellers in India and around the world come together to exchange their stories across diverse cultures and languages, thus keeping alive the region's language, culture and traditions. In the modern times, technology is also aiding these storytellers in reaching out to larger audiences, enriching their stories with the help of sound or light effects, yet preserving them for eternity by recording the sessions. However, it must not be confused with allied forms of storytelling, for the World Storytelling Day is all about celebrating the oral form of storytelling, along with all aforementioned aspects of the same.
Who was the first storyteller of this world and who inspires you the most?
Well, nobody will ever know who the first storyteller ever was. We have discovered carvings on stones of Paleolithic period, dating back to centuries and millenniums, which over time, with the evolution of speech and language, and traversed to oral and subsequently written forms. Hence, humanity is the first storyteller, and individuals only came to the fore later.
As for my inspiration, Malgudi Days by eminent literary genius RK Narayan, influenced the storyteller in me for sure. Malgudi Days had everything that a good story must have. Based on the life of Swami and various incidents occurring in his life, every chapter opened up an entirely different dimension. When the story was telecast on television in episodic form, it enchanted the entire generation due to its compelling storytelling, amiable characters and visual appeal. Besides, as a storyteller and human, I have drawn the most inspiration from common people and revered saints.
World storytelling day coincides with World Happiness day, what kind of correlation do you see between both?
Any story can captivate the listener's attention, evoke their senses and make them feel positive, motivated, thrilled and eventually happy through distinct characters and plots. A story as it unravels can evoke different emotions, be it fear, pain, awe, amusement, anxiety, confusion, entrancement or/and happiness. Therefore, it would be absolutely appropriate to state that storytelling and happiness go hand-in-hand, complementing and enhancing both.
Storytelling used to be the responsibility of grandparents or parents, now, how this professional dimension has evolved?
Grandparents, as the elders of the house always had time for the little children, and passed down the legacies and tales of epics and puranas to the next generation through their stories. It was never their responsibility but they took this role upon themselves. Today, we have many platforms to gain access to stories, be it books, puppet shows, the much prevalent audio books and also audio stories accessible through digital channels. A few popular storytellers in India have in fact taken the storytelling experience several notches higher. They are bringing alive various stories and distinct characters replete with sound effects, light effects, and voice modulations to create a theatre like experience for the listeners.
While storytelling has proven itself to appeal across age groups and walks of life, the audience between age group of 13-50 are demanding much more than run-of-the-mill formats and genres. Alongside inspirational and feel-good tales, they are seeking thrillers, horror or sci-fi stories. In fact, at one of my recent shows the audience was asking for more horror stories as they couldn’t have enough of them. This insight can open many new vistas for storytellers in the professional domain. Basically, the whole paradigm of storytelling has been elevated, thanks to the best storytellers in India.
You started your journey as a storyteller, then moved towards acting and producing. Which is the most satisfying form for you to connect with the audience?
My perseverance and intrinsic zeal has till date led to approximately 200 odd stories to my credit. The readers have adored them in different forms – YouTube, social media and digital podcasts, FM radio show, and even motion pictures – since my acting and directorial debut with Chaipatti to web series Detective Boomrah and Chintaa Mani. Even when I deliver my stories during live storytelling shows, the response from the audience is encouraging and motivating. As you rightly suggested, connection with the audience is intrinsic to every hat or role I have donned, and it is irrespective of the format. Making the audience/listeners dwell into an unseen world of unlimited possibilities and positivity is more satisfying than any other feeling on the earth.
You have recently shot a film in Gorakhpur. Is it an adaptation of one of your stories? Could you brief us about the cast & crew and your experience?
Yes, we shot a major chunk of the film in Gorakhpur, which happens to be my native place. This psychological sci-fi thriller may have some resemblance to one of my popular stories, but it is being translated into a spectacle that has never been seen before on the Indian screen. While it is a blend of diverse genres, each film character weaves along a story that is bound to strike a chord with the audience.
Being directed by Puneet Sharma, the feature film has powerful larger-than-life characters and storyline that would keep everyone at the edge of their seats. Speaking about the film's cast, it has been quite a journey for us to zero in on all the actors. Since powerful characters weave the story together, each actor was finalized after elaborate due diligence and discussions. Alongside myself, the film stars Hiten Tejwani, Sourabh Raaj Jain, Shobhit Sujay and Manisha Sharma, among others, in pivotal roles. The majority of the shoot has already concluded around January and February, which timed perfectly with the storyline's setting, and we would soon satiate the audience's anticipation.
Any word of advice to budding storytellers?
Every storyteller is unique and they need to develop their own style, that can differentiate them from others. If the storyteller is a writer too, then it makes the perfect scenario as it enables them to maintain appropriate coherence right from conceiving the first character to the narration before audience. Gauging the interest and choice of the audience is the first step to creating stories that will be liked. Then creating likeable characters that listeners can identify with is also important. And lastly, during the presentation, there should be necessary sound effects, light effects to supplement the storyline and create a theatre-like experience for the audience, something that they can take back home in their memories.
