Islam and Muslim culture have often been a mystery to the larger world and a remarkable 10 day festival by Asia Society called Muslim Voices: Arts and Ideas took on the task of opening a window through talks, music, art and performances from all parts of the Islamic world. One of the highlights was Dastangoi: The Adventures of Amir Hamza, a live performance of dramatized Urdu storytelling from Dastan-e-Amir Hamza by Naseeruddin Shah, Mahmood Farooqui and Daanish Hussain.
With no costume changes and minimal sets – a simple scattering of pillows on a white mattress – this was quite an imaginative exercise in storytelling. Through the powerful voices of the dastangohs the tale came alive; you saw life and death, the grandeur, the sorcery, the parades, the fires and the warfare in your mind’s eye. For two hours the crowd at this sold out show sat riveted, taken quite far away, centuries back, on the wings of a language many of them did not understand
All this was achieved without a blow being dealt, without a sword being drawn or a match lit – a testament to the story-telling powers of the three dastangohs. The production blended old and new, even wickedly bringing in sly humor and contemporary happenings. The audience, which included many who did not speak Urdu, was told not to clap in appreciation in the western way but to say ‘Wah! Wah!’ when they were moved, and gingerly they tried it out. At the end, they gave the performers a standing ovation.
It was quite Naseeruddin Shah’s week as he was also seen in two films at the New India Festival – in ‘Firaq’ he is a white-haired, sad musician caught in the Gujarat riots, in ‘A Wednesday’ he is a crafty manipulator in a tense life and death game – and now, he is also an ancient dastangoh who can mesmerize with dazzling, intricate poetry and storytelling in Urdu.
(Daanish Hussain and Naseeruddin Shah perform in Dastangoi at The Asia Society.
photo credit: Rad Rahman/Asia Society.)
