
Dastans were epics, often oral in nature, which were recited or read aloud and, in essence, were like medieval romances everywhere. Telling tales of adventure, magic and warfare, Dastans mapped new worlds and horizons, encountered the unseen and protected the hero through many travails and lovers as he moved on his quest. While Dastans had many principles and many stories, the stories from Tilism-e-Hoshruba began to stand out early on. Amir Hamza, supposedly an uncle of the Prophet Mohammed, was the hero in these dastans, which were marked out by fairies, djinns and prophecies. He is helped by his friends, The Ayyars, who are professional Tricksters and they all together challenge the evil ruler, Afrasiyaab’ and his army of Jadugars’ in the magical land of Tilism-e-Hoshruba.
Followed by "Dastan-e Ghare Baire" is a Dastangoi performance adapted from Rabindranath Tagore's Bengali novel, "Ghare Baire," which translates to "The Home and the World". It was commissioned by a Calcutta-based group as part of Tagore's 150th-anniversary celebrations. This dastan draws upon the conflict between love, public persona and private desire. What Tagore emphasises in this novel is the unity of public and private, that immoral conduct in one cannot be condoned because of the achievements of the other. All reform must begin at home.
Tickets at Rs.500, Rs.350 and Rs.200 available online on bookmyshow.com and at the Programmes desk, IHC.