SoCultures had some guftagu (chit-chat) with the present days Dastango(
Story tellers) and asked about their journey. philosophies..and their love for
the art...
Fouzia Dastango and Danish Husain are among the contemporary
dedicated Dastango, we had detailed and very interesting interviews with
them...
The lyrical sketches of Ghummi Kebabi’s journey of making kebabs in Old
Delhi lanes from the story by Ashraf Subohi Dehelvi or a crisp satirical
shrewdness of a character from a story of Manto come alive in the compelling,
persuasive and controlled voice of Faouzia Dastango.
The versatility of performing Dastangoi comes natural for Fouzia Dastango. Her
endearing, effervescent performance can entertain even children when she
performs ‘Dastan Alice Ki’ ( Alice in Wonderland ).
The medium and act are powerful as it can keep the children engaged and help
them grasp moral and social issues at an early age. Leaving her job as a lecturer,
Fouzia has now dedicated her entire life to this art.
She is passionate about Dastangoi (storytelling). When she performs, her eyes
are filled with the wisdom of the tales and voice with vigor and the nostalgic
historical tales are breathed life into…
Usually clad in crisp white salwar kameez (Indian tradional dress), she sits with
her co-performer against this artistic, simple, elegant setting of white mattress
and two bolsters placed on either side. Fouzia, grew up in Turkman Gate and
found this knack of Dsatangoi through her love for literature. She is the first
female dastango of modern times.
FOUZIA
DASTANGO
72 SOCULTURES JAN-FEB2019