‘Dastangoi has brought Urdu back to the stage’

Noted dastango Mahmood Farooqui reflects on reviving the forgotten art of Urdu storytelling, reimagining the classical art form for contemporary audiences, and building a new generation of performers over two decades, in an interview with Patriot

The story as magic

Dastangoi, an ancient form of storytelling now much in vogue, uses words and gestures to engage, entice and entertain the audience “Barbaad gulistan karne ko bas ek ullu kaafi thha, Har shaakh pe ullu baitha hai, anjaam-e-gulistan kya hoga…” (A garden can be ruined by a single owl, but what happens when there is an […]