Storytelling (traditional Qissa-Goi)
Bringing the Grand History of Old Delhi to Life
Shahjahanabad, or Old Delhi, is renowned for its rich heritage and architectural splendor. Surrounded by crumbling stone walls, the city’s slender lanes and grand gates are still alive with the cultural traditions of the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, who established the city in 1638. Today, however, encroachment, pol
lution, and neglect are threatening to destroy the great history of Old Delhi. Unless we urgently develop an understanding and appreciation for our past, especially among young people, this unparalleled medieval city will be lost forever. TALENT: Bringing New Life to the Past
TALENT is a group of committed and dynamic young people in Old Delhi who came together in 1998. Our primary commitment is to the education and personal development of children from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds in Old Delhi. We believe that every child possesses his or her own ‘pratibha’ or unique talent, they just need opportunities to express it—TALENT creates those platforms. The TALENT team has watched as our once glorious neighborhoods have become filthy and decrepit. Even the residents of the Walled City no longer look on their home with pride. This lack of interest has led to the loss of many traditions that originated here. TALENT therefore decided to work on two levels: helping youth unearth the latent potential within them, while at the same time unlocking the hidden treasures buried within Old Delhi. We expanded our program based on theatre to include the revival of Qissa-Goi, an ancient form of storytelling native to Delhi, and mapping of the lanes, stories, and traditions of the Walled City. Recreating History on Stage
TALENT’s team specializes in reviving the traditional performing arts of Old Delhi. Through our extensive research and documentation, we have collected numerous stories from our elders, based on which we have created performances through the historic art form of Qissa-goi. The form borrows from the dastan-goi and the katha-wachak traditions. Qissa-goi became extinct because people lost interest in it and the stories were not documented in writing. We use masks, face painting, panels made from waste materials like cotton and jute, and other props to illustrate the stories. In addition, we dress in Qissa-goi costumes that include special hats, saris, and dupattas. The form calls for performers to sit on the floor and deliver their lines in speech patterns specific to the Qissa-goi tradition. We now perform the stories at the request of schools, departments, festivals and other groups.
