Some of the timeless and classic stories in India are said to have originated from under a Banyan tree and sitting under its shade invariably meant story time.
‘Under The Aalamaram’, presented by Kathai Kalatta, a collective based in Chennai, and The Hindu Young World, brought this age-old tradition of storytelling back into the age of cellphones, tablets and other gadgets, with more verve and exuberance.
Held at MGR Janaki College and Museum Theatre, ‘Under The Aalamaram’ is one of the largest storytelling festivals in India.
From mime, ventriloquism, puppetry to dance and songs, the freshly concluded three-day workshop and storytelling sessions saw a gamut of international, award-winning storytellers, including those from the US, UK and Singapore, sharing their commendable skills, expertise and stories with the participants.
Randel McGee, Jeff Gere, Antonio Rocha, Sheila Wee, Craig Jenkins, Diane Ferlatte and Jeeva Raghunath animated the various characters of their stories and seasoned the renditions with wit that inspired interaction, laughter and won plaudits from the audience. The workshop for adults covered topics such as how to effectively pass on a story, how to rivetingly tweak old stories for teenagers, seamlessly throw in songs, rhythm and chants into stories and interactive storytelling for children with special needs, among others.
“People are taking storytelling more seriously today,” states Jeeva. “Eighteen years ago, when I started, there was hardly anybody in the field. Today, it has transformed into a healthy trend and is gradually segueing into multiple avenues such as education, health and even corporates. From womb to tomb, people used storytelling as an effective tool to communicate,” adds the storyteller, who is also the winner of the Best Entrepreneur Award in the field of storytelling.
Jeeva, along with Kanchana Manavalan and Kausalya Padmanaban, founded Kathai Kalatta.
