Hindustan Times (Noida)

Kings, demons, Elon Musk and Mark Twain

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is the greatgrand­son

Prabhath, 32, harat one of Venkanna Dasa, of

These were traditiona­l the great haridasas. in who performed storytelle­rs

Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, what are now Maharashtr­a. and

Nadu, Telangana

Tamil involved singing,

, form, harikatha

Their art a bit of often with philosophi­sing, tales of dancing and typically enacted in. They I have humour thrown epics. “But and demons, myths performed a kings and great-grandfathe­r my Prabhath says. also heard that Vivekanand­a,” harikatha on Swami us an idea 1900s. This gives early

“This was in the

Sthen.” were even back of how open people contempori­se

harikatha,

trying to retains Prabhath is now authentic and sure it is while making

. but that its essence he was 19, performing since a harikatha

He’s been never watched so “I have already 2009, was performed was in the way it performanc­e “The style I have Prabhath says. back in the day,” descriptio­ns from my is based on additions. incorporat­ed my own scholars, and teachers and time I go on father, a newborn every like I still feel and stage.” Kannada, English in

Prabhath performs Sanskrit. He draws on his is brushing up Dasa and Hindi, and music of Purandara also from the devotional and Tamil, but in Marathi ancient poetry songs. oration. writes his own into extempore he breaks

Between songs, or Mark Twain; quote Socrates

Here, he might finding time such as everyday struggles war in talk about Elon Musk, the discuss communism. to go to the gym; decline of and the

Ukraine, terrorism attention through the audience’s

This helps hold serving a function he says, performanc­e, that of a traditiona­l this tradition: long-existed in deviate that has to subplot. “It is traditiona­l or out of the upakatha to jolt people stories, just unconnecte­d to reverie.” borrows a joke. A their

Prabhath just and Sometimes, Sherlock Holmes one in which what favourite is the Holmes asks Watson Watson go camping.

The good doctor Dr them. the night sky above astrology, theology he sees in elaborate take on an does replies with universe. “What in the and Man’s place finally asks.

Holmes?” he “What it it say to you, replies. idiot,” Holmes

“Watson, you tent!” has stolen our someone tells me is that

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