1. Kuchh Nahi Badla Hai Through three small tales, one from mythology, one from south of India and one from some History texts’ we realise that while we keep talking of development and evolution; while the world moved from reality to the world wide web; as far as humans are concerned – Nothing really has changed from the beginning of the world till date. Written and adapted by : Nitin Sukhija. The story from South of India is adapted from Folk tales collected by A.K. Ramanujan. Original book Bharat Ki Lok Kathaiyen translated by Kailash Kabir. Language- Hindi|Duration – 20 mins Presenter- Nitin Sukhija has dabbled in all forms of Media. He comes with a long association with television and films. Stage remains his first love, though. A little vagabondish in nature, he is currently based out of Delhi. Nitin loves to travel and explore people and cultures. And yes, he loves to tell a story too.
2. Vakya Kashmir Ki The stories of the lives of two important women of Kashmir, Lal Ded the 14th century mystic poet and of Habba Khatoon, the 16th century poet and ascetic, woven into the form of a folk tale. | Language: Hindi | Duration: 20 mins Presenter: Abhinav Sabyasachi is the founder of ‘Paltan’, a theatre and art group. He is originally from Bihar and has been doing extensive theatre with groups like IPTA, ‘Sansaptak’, Sehar Theatre Group. He has done plays in Hindi, Bengali, English, Maithili, Urdu and French. He also conducts theatre workshops. Abhinav is also a freelance journalist, writer, a published poet and a painter.
3. Houdong Lamboiba (The monk cat) These are two folk tales from Manipur woven together depicting how, in the name of faith, a nomad cat claims to be a monk and fools the natives. It is a story of clever deceit, wit and the strength of the weak and the innocent over the cunning and powerful. Houdong Lamboiba means monk cat and both the stories that comprise this narrative are popular fables across Manipur. Originally from the book Ching Tamgee Phunga Wari by Sarangthem Bormani, Sahitya Bhushan. Adapted by Nicky Chandam and Anuja Jaiman. Language: Hindustani | Duration: 20 mins Anuja Jaiman is a Delhi based actor. Originally from Dehradun, she worked as a journalist for a decade and now is a communications and editorial freelance professional. She is pursuing theatre and exploring storytelling as a conversation starter and in line with the vision of Wari, she wishes to use this medium as a conversation starter to reach people of all age groups.
4. Bewakoofon Ki Saltanat Based on a folktale in Kannad language, the story is a political satire with universal appeal. This story is available in many languages and the most popular one is Andheri Nagari Chaupat Raja; Take Ser Bhaji, Takeh Ser Khaja Book referred Bharat Ki Lok Kathaiyen by A.K. Ramanujan. Language- Urdu|Duration – 20 mins Presenter: Azhar Iqbal is a poet and writer from Budhana, Uttar Pradesh and now lives in Meerut. He has marked his presence in the young poets of India. He has performed at numerous Mushairas in the country. He is a script writer and is a founder member of Harfkaar Foundation which works for promotion of literature and theatre. He has worked as a host at numerous literary programmes produced by TV Channels as such Zee Salam, DD Urdu, DD National and All India Radio.
Curator: Nicky Chandam is an avid chronicler of arts through her photographs and words. Originally from Manipur, now based in Delhi, she is the Founder Director of Octave Foundation which aims to connect North Eastern India with the rest of India through the medium of art and cultural exchanges.
Wari is a curated storytelling production created by Nicky Chandam and Anuja Jaiman for Octave Foundation which is a not for profit organization registered in Manipur. The word Wari means story in Manipuri language
ABOUT OCTAVE FOUNDATION: The Genesis: Growing up in a decade that has witnessed innumerable socio-political conflicts, the founders of the organization recognized that creative arts and performance arts transcend all boundaries by forming a language of their own. If we have to bring people together, we have to delve deeper into our roots and give platforms of convergence to celebrate ethnic diversities that build our cultural ethos. The more people get an exposure to cultures other than their own, the greater the inclusivity. It is not just about presenting an event, but to allow for meaningful interactions at the same time supporting dying art forms by making them accessible to all. With that belief in mind, in 2015 Octave Foundation was formed to carry forward that vision through actionable goals. Vision: Octave Foundation aims to bring people together to celebrate the cultural diversity of our planet. Mission Statement: To build platforms for cultural interactions and centres for learning that promote and preserve diverse cultural heritage, and build inclusivity and encourage peaceful interactions between India’s North Eastern states with the rest of the country.
Our website: www.octavefoundation.org
Social Media: www.facebook.com/waribyoctavefoundation
Facebook.com/octavefoundation/
Twitter: @octavefoundatn
Instagram: octave.foundation
An original article by Nicky Chandam.
