Dastangoi and the Tales that Bind

A modest looking middle age man, dressed in white walked gently on to the stage. The stage,
like the man, was frugal: no props, no music, no elaborate lighting. Just a small platform
covered with white sheets and white pillows. At one corner of the platform were placed two
steel water bowls for the artist to moisten his palate after a non-stop verbal performance and
a peek daan.

This was Mahmood Farooqui, a man determined to bring back to life and popularity the lost
art of Dastangoi, storytelling based on medieval Urdu tales, and to pass this ancient art form
on to future generations.
Today he was performing ‘Dastan-e Karn Az Mahabharata’ with the focus on Karna, the
underdog of Mahabharat.
Karna, in this composition, is showcased as the underdog who is discriminated against
because of his so called ‘low birth’. In spite of a life of suffering and discrimination, this
warrior hero, stays firm on his ideals and honor. Thus when breathing his last on the
battlefield of Mahabharat, with his head resting in Shri Krishna’s lap, when he asks Krishna
whether he would be as famous as Arjuna, Krishna replies that Karna’s fame would last
longer than Arjuna’s.

Mahmood Farooqui’s version of Dastangoi is a class in itself. It draws on syncretic

traditions, seamlessly weaving age-old issues of dharma, caste discrimination, power
struggle, dirty politics played by the rulers for the acquisition of power and wealth- issues
which are still relevant and perhaps more so in the current socio-political scenario.
Farooqui draws from oral traditions of Mahabharat, extracts of poetry in Hindi, Urdu and
even Persian, Sanskrit shlokas and Quranic ayaats to reflect on the human condition and the
issues related to Dharma and Karma. His composition is the mirror of a pluralistic art form
where the barriers of religion and language break down to reveal a seamless weave of
tapestry that is India.
His delivery is flawless, it flows on waves of passion, rising and ebbing with the content in a
seasoned voice, the likes of which are heard only among senior classical and qawwali
singers !!
Using only his oratory skills, Farooqui held the audience spell bound for ninety minutes,
quite an achievement in these times of short attention span !!
Farooqui’s rendition of ‘ Dastan-e Karn Az Mahabharata‘, proves that the idea and idol of
India as secular nation embracing all levels of diversity in its fold, as envisioned by the
founders of our Constitution, existed long before our country’s Independence. It was always
there in its pluralistic traditions, art and culture.
Photo Credits: Rupa Abdi
Note:
Detailed information about the Dastangoi’s team and future performances can be found on
their face book page: