Lucknow storyteller captivates audiences in Russia with dastan on Raj Kapoor Shailendra

Lucknow, Dec 1 (PTI) Lucknow-based storyteller Himanshu Bajpai enthralled audiences in Russia over the weekend with his dastan centered on the friendship between legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor and lyricist Shailendra.
    "Dastan Raj Kapoor-Shailendra Ki" (The Story of Raj Kapoor-Shailendra), a dastangoi performance which Bajpai presented at the Indian Embassy in Moscow on Saturday, commemorated the birth centenary of the 'Showman of Hindi Cinema'.
    December 14, 2024 marks the 100th birth anniversary of Raj Kapoor.
    Bajpai's performance, translated from Urdu into Russian by Pragati Tipnis, resonated with both Indian and Russian audiences.
    Deputy Chief of Mission Nikhilesh Giri praised Bajpai's storytelling for transporting the audience to the bygone era.
    "It's a mesmerising art form, and Bajpai is instrumental in bringing it to new heights. We hope to invite him back to Russia next year," Giri said at the event.
    According to Tipnis, this was the first time that people in Russia experienced the "magnificent Indian tradition" of dastangoi.
    Dastangoi is a centuries-old traditional art of storytelling in Urdu. Derived from the Persian words 'dastan' (story) and 'goi' (to tell), it involves narrating long, intricate tales with dramatic flair.
    "The dastan performances have brought the two nations closer," she added.
    Bajpai performed the same 'dastan' on Sunday at the world-famous Writers' Village in Peredelkino, a hub for global literary figures established during the Soviet era under the aegis of authors like Maxim Gorky.
    "This was the first Indian cultural programme hosted at the prestigious venue," Bajpai told PTI from Moscow over phone.
    Raj Kapoor, the filmmaker and actor of iconic Hindi films "Awara", "Barsaat", "Shree 420", "Mera Naam Joker", and "Sangam", found large audiences in the erstwhile Soviet Union with his movies and music enjoying popularity in the country. His long-time friend Shailendra penned lyrics for many of his films.
    During his performance, Bajpai said the dastan begins with a story in post-independence India when Shailendra recited his powerful poem "Jalta Hai Punjab" at a poetry recital which was attended by Raj Kapoor.
    "Impressed by Shailendra's work, Raj Kapoor requested him to write for his films, but Shailendra declined, stating he did not write for money," added Bajpai.
    However, in 1949, when Shailendra needed financial assistance, Raj Kapoor lent him Rs 500, a handsome amount at the time, marking the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
    "The story delves into the creation of iconic songs like 'Awara Hoon', which Shailendra wrote without hearing the film's plot, and which was initially rejected by Raj Kapoor before becoming a milestone in Indian cinema," he said.
    Bajpai recounted another anecdote which explored the origins of the song "Ramaiya Vastavaiya" from the iconic 1955 film "Shree 420".
    The storyteller said the track was inspired by an encounter between Raj Kapoor's team, including music composer duo Shankar-Jaikishan and Shailendra, with a Telugu-speaking waiter named Ramaiya at a roadside eatery during the making of the music of "Shree 420".
    "The 'dastan' concludes with the tale of their collaboration on 'Teesri Kasam'," Bajpai added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)