Web storytelling session: Artists weave stories virtually

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, September 5

Bringing together four stories from different times, but with a common heart, Majha House’s web storytelling session Once Upon A Story featured four eminent names, all sharing stories that left an impression on their mind. Author and producer Gayatri Gill, educator and researcher Gurupdesh Singh, academician and writer Jasmeet Nayyar and artist-educator Roube Tuli shared the platform to narrate four stories, each taking the audience with it to experience the characters and events they were centered around.

Beginning the session, Gurupdesh Singh narrated the popular short story The Fatelist from Polish writer Mikhail Lermontov’s book. Based in 1916 Poland and about a young Jewish man’s journey from being a realist to a fatalist, someone who believes in destiny and fate, the story was briefly narrated by Gurupdesh as he felt that Indians, just like Jews, have an acute sense of destiny. “We believe too much in fate, the power of destiny. Even in Covid-19 pandemic, we see many people resort to their belief in fate despite the conditions prevailing,” he said before commencing with his story.

We believe too much in fate, the power of destiny. Even in Covid-19 pandemic, we see many people resort to their belief in fate despite the conditions prevailing. —Gurupdesh Singh, Writer

Jasmeet Nayyar narrated a short story Jhapphi, written by her. Story of a young girl, who is mostly occupied with some or the other adversary in her life, yet manages to find a solution, the story was inspirational and instilled some sense of positivity even during the times of a pandemic. Rouble Tuli narrated a story by late writer Khushwant Singh titled Karma, about a man in pre-independence India, who considers himself as an equal to the Britishers. A story that used wit and humour to camouflage the irony, Karma was about an Indian middle aged man, who looks down upon his own country’s culture and lifestyle and adopts everything British to fit into the elite-English class. But one incident of racial abuse on a train journey is enough to make him understand his folly.

The session ended with Gayatri Gill reading passage of stories from her recently released book. Gayatari’s stories are interesting, crisp and a few come with spooky twists.