About The Event
Kathakar is India`s first and Asia`s biggest storytelling festival. The festival was started in 2010 by the NGOs Nivesh and HHACH under the patronage of UNESCO by the Gahilote Sisters - Rachna, Prarthana and Shaguna in the memory of their father the first Braille Editor of India also known as the Father of Braille Literature in India Thakur Vishva Narain Singh. The festival features storytelling sessions from India and abroad, Conversations with acclaimed artists and performers, musical performance by renowned folk artists. Prominent dignitaries who have participated at the previous festivals are Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu,; Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President of India, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Gulzar, A R Rahman, Prem Chopra, Imtiaz Ali, Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanjay Mishra, Vishal Bhardwaj, Deepti Naval, Sushma Seth, Divya Seth, Nandita Das, Shantanu Moitra, Manoj Tiwari, and a host of renowned international storytellers Vergine Gulbenkian, Xanthe Gresham, TUUP, Michal Malinowski, Nell Phoneix, Jodie Edwards, Lillian Rodrigues, Spice Arthur among others. The Chief Patron of the festival is well-known singer-songwriter-composer Mohit Chauhan.
Schedule:
Friday, 31st January 2025 (5 to 10 pm)
Storytelling: Usifu Jalloh (UK/Sierra Leonne), Polina Tšerkassova (Estonia), Nama Tel Sur (Israel)
Kissey Kahani and Matargashti: Mohit Chauhan In Conversation with Imtiaz Ali
Music Performance: Kutle Khan Manghaniyaar and group (Rajasthan, India)
Saturday, 1st February 2025 (5 to 10 pm)
Storytelling: Usifu Jalloh (UK/Sierra Leonne), Polina Tšerkassova (Estonia), Nama Tel Sur (Israel)
Kissey Kahani aur Cinema: Mohit Chauhan In Conversation with Anurag Basu
Kissey Kahani aur Mausiqui - Mohit Chauhan In Conversation with Lucky Ali
Music Performance: Bhupinder Babbal (Punjab, India)
10 am to 1 pm – Art of Storytelling Workshop with International storytellers
Sunday, 2nd February 2025 (5 to 10 pm)
Storytelling: Tariquee Haameed, (India), Usifu Jalloh (UK/Sierra Leonne), Polina Tšerkassova (Estonia), Nama Tel Sur (Israel)
Music Performance: Basant Qawwali by Niyazi Brothers (Rampur Uttar Pradesh, India)
Kissey Kahani aur Cinema - Prarthana Gahilote In Conversation with Sajid Ali
Kissey Kahani aur Music – Aparshakti Khurana In Conversation with Mohit Chauhan
Music Performance: Taba Chake (Arunachal Pradesh, India)
10 am to 3 pm – Sajid and Imtiaz Ali Retrospective: Film Screening of Laila Majnu and Chamkila inaugurated by writer and film director Sajid Ali
