In the Media

Let's listen to the Kabuliwala When it comes to renowned storytellers, Kamal Pruthi's name is the first one to be on people's list. Popularly known as the Kabuliwala, Kamal has many credits to his name in the world of storytelling. He says, "Unlike others, storytelling is not a hobby for me, it is a profession that I blend into. When I perform stories, I just don't talk or tell them about some characters and finish it with a moral. I sing, dance and tell poems that carry a beautiful message. I blend music in my stories, and hence, several other musicians perform along with me." Kamal, who is originally a native of Delhi, started his journey in 1999 and got trained in acting and physical theatre in Berlin and the National School of Drama's TIE company. Hence, his form of storytelling includes a lot of acting traits in it, making it interesting for people to watch and listen. He explains, "Among many other projects, Kabuliwala is one that is close to me. The name Kabuliwala itself suggests that the man has come from Kabul with a bag full of interesting stories and goodies for children. I also dress up accordingly, wearing traditional jackets and a turban. The jackets, jhuta (shoe) and pagadi (turban) that I wear are all handmade by artisans and they are imported from different states." Kamal, who is a recipient of international fellowships, writes his own stories and sometimes translates the best literary works from different languages to Hindi. You will be surprised to know that I perform in nine different languages other than Hindi. German is one such language that I love to perform. "My performances and I are warmly received by people in Germany. I perform in nine different languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Bangla, English, Gibberish, Kannada and German. Hence, I have been invited to perform at more than 200 shows across different states and countries," adds Kamal.