Keeping the art of storytelling alive

Known for enchanting audiences with his tales, Bengaluru-based Vikram has been doing his bit towards reviving the fading art of oral storytelling over the past few years. Vikram, who also coowns Tahatto, a popular theatre company in Bengaluru, says, “Storytelling for me is all about connecting my interest and work in theatre, wildlife conservation and social work. Using the performing art of theatre and storytelling, I talk about flora and fauna and take it to various audiences today. My initiative, Around The Story Tree, was also formed for this very reason in 2013 — to connect the modern day listeners to the environment around us through the power of stories.” Vikram’s upcoming workshop that will be held at Backyard, on May 13, touches upon the nuances of oral storytelling for adults, the different themes that can be explored from nature to mythology while telling a story, and the finer aspects of what makes for a compelling tale. 

Speaking about teaching the art to different age groups, he says, “With children it’s a simple act of entertainment and they come with lesser baggage and bias. Children live in a wonderful world of imagination. So, stories involving wildlife, mysteries and travel appeal to them. Whereas in the case of adults, although all folklore and mythology was written directed at a mature audience, they are not aware of that. Many of them come with the notion of ‘what’s in it for me’ which takes time to dissolve. Having said that, when you’re performing in front of adults, who enjoy personal stories with lot of emotions and depth, you need to create an environment where you start conversation, question stereotypes and change narratives.” 

While most of us grew up listening to our grandmother’s tales, which also serve as important life lessons, in the 140-character generation, storytelling has taken a backseat. However, Vikram begs to differ. “An art can never die. It just changes its medium. With various visual mediums available, the oral mediums over the last few years have been side-lined. However, with people from different backgrounds taking up storytelling, it is being revived,” says Vikram who has a full-time corporate job too to support himself financially. “Internationally, there are a lot of full-time professional storytellers. But here, there are hardly any. Nevertheless, it’s slowly growing in India and there is viability in it with acceptance. I plan to take it to the next level and explore the art full time.”

For the nonce though, he says, “Technology can never match direct human-to-human interaction. Storytelling in like water. It can never cease to exist. The range of emotions one experiences while narrating or listening to a story – laughter, sadness, anger, sympathy and empathy – is unparalleled. It’s how nature speaks to us; it’s how our ancestors speak to us; it’s how history speaks to us. And most importantly, it’s how we speak to the world around us and share our journeys.”