To get the lost art of storytelling back to life, ‘Kabuliwaala’ Kamal Pruthi travels around the country with a bag of tales. He tells DC about his upcoming visit to Chennai.
It was a sight to remember for our parents and grandparents — when the snake charmers or the dry fruit selling ‘Kabuliwaalas’, who came by the streets telling stories or peddling wares. These were the stories which transcended language, physical boundaries and unified people.
On a one-man mission to bring this lost form of imagination back, Kamal Pruthi has been making efforts to give Indian children a childhood which does not revolve around technology. Delhi-based Kamal is packing his bags to visit namma Chennai and is excited about it!
In his green kurta and a multicoloured pagdi, Kamal is perhaps one of the very few multi-lingual story tellers in the country. He performs in Hindi, English, Punjabi, Urdu, Kannada and German.
He calls himself a ‘suitcase performer’ who has a box full of interesting props that he uses to make his stories come alive. “It is also these props that speak to the children and not just the language,” 34-year-old Kamal says.
“At times we think language is a barrier when we tell stories, but tales have the power to transcend it. During my previous visit to Chennai, I’ve narrated stories to kids from Tamil Nadu and they seemed to have loved the performance. They were happy with the story and it’s just a myth that we need language to connect with children,” Kamal tells DC ahead of his performance in the city.
“Many parents today are lost in their mechanical lives, and even paatis don’t get to tell stories to their grandchildren anymore,” he says, adding that he aims to intellectually entertain the children by making them think through simple stories. The stories he narrates are not just for children, but also for teachers, parents, and for all thathas and paatis too!
Kamal says Chennai is a warm city, and makes him feel at home each time he visits. “I love the food in the city and have learnt how to eat properly with my hands from Chennai! People keep giving me intercultural insights and this time I hope to incorporate at least five percent of Tamil into my stories,” Kamal adds.
Calling himself a ‘modern day madaari’(a busker who was accompanied by a monkey), Kamal says, “Kids of this generation need something to keep them engaged all the time, and its only stories which can do it effectively.”
(Kamal will be in Chennai from 14th July onwards and will perform at Ashvita Bistro, Alwarpet.)
