These are the questions Udaipur Tales, an international story-telling festival, being held in the city of lakes, is trying to answer.
How do you arrest the attention of Gen Y, one that's fed on a steady stream of mass on social media? Are they as inquisitive in the age of Internet, to listen to, ears all perked up, fables and tales? What would become of the poor Ek tha raja, ek thi Rani?
These are the questions Udaipur Tales, an international story-telling festival, being held in the city of lakes, is trying to answer. The three-day event which started on Saturday has brought on board artists from across the world including Russia, all of whom have an expertise in story-telling. The idea, according to Susmita Shekhar, founder of Udaipur Tales, is to conserve this rapidly dying form of art.
"My kids grew up listening to stories from us and so did I when I was a kid. Stories have a profound impact on individuals and cultures alike. Unfortunately, we are so caught up in this fast-paced life of ours that we have forgotten the charm and lessons that lie in story-telling," she says.
And the scene at Gulab Bagh warms the cockles of your heart. Children and adults alike, sit in rapt attention as Varun Narain, a puppeteer from New Delhi, narrates the tale of two friends who believe in thinking and living out of the box. The applause testified that the crowd of 200-plus still believe in puppets, tales and fables.
Talking to DNA, Narain, who has been doing puppetry for the past more than three decades said, "Children still love listening to stories but parents don't have time. Blaming it on media exposure too is wrong. Narrative is there, the form has changed. Today's kids are very smart, and you need to be on a better page to engage them."
Something which Abdul Mubin Khan, a theatre artist from Udaipur, does well with his story, Eidgah. Weaving a message of sacrifice and respect for elders, Khan uses only his voice as a tool to build a bond with his young audience. He, however, feels that the lack of grounded upbringing and crass content on TV is affecting the old forms of story-telling.
"There was a time when parents used to get creative to entertain their kids. They told all sort of fantasy stories to their kids. It's all television and cartoons now. The same thing has affected the creativity of kids too. We are bringing up a generation that has lost its innocence," he shares.
Two hours into the story-telling, as audience start leaving, Khan's words echo in your ears. And you wonder if the story is really over.
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 "Udaipur Tales")
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