HYDERABAD: Fairy lights against sheer curtains. Cushions on the floor. Low seating arrangements. People bring food. It is not the scene of a weekend home party. It’s a Motojojo event. It makes for an interesting Saturday evening when a group of 40 people come to a community gathering of performance art in a backpackers’ hostel.
Many of them don’t know each other and are attending the event for the first time. Yes, there’s a nominal entry fee to attend it. The lights are switched off as Mrinal, 26, a storyteller narrates the love story of an unknown caller interlaced with motifs of death and human psychology. The attendees listen in rapt attention while a few more enter with packets of food which is to be shared with everyone in the hall at the end of the event.
These Motojojo events in the city began a year ago. This February marks the first anniversary. "We promote our event through Facebook and Instagram and reveal the final location just a few hours before the evening begins to avoid gatecrashers,” says Alick Bailey, comedian-storyteller-writer who manages these monthly symposiums.
So how different are these gatherings from an usual baithak?
They select the performers ranging from raconteurs, budding writers, poets to musicians through a specific method. “It’s through public voting at certain live open mic sessions that we choose our performers. Then they are invited to perform at the event,” says Alick who started Motojojo Hyderabad chapter with Bhuwin, a Sufi singer from the city. Later, the artiste decided to devote his full time to music and moved on.
The evenings are organised at rooftops, cultural spaces, tourist hostels and private houses. The very first Motojojo event was held in Mumbai in the mid of 2017. Now the event takes place in at least 15 cities bringing together several strangers who live in shared urban spaces or stay alone.
That’s how the name 'Motojojo', which means 'search for the unknown' in Mexican-Espanol, perfectly fits the concept. Now it’s not just the people in their twenties and thirties who come for these events, "People in their fifties and sixties also come and enjoy these evenings,” adds Alick.
Other than these regular gatherings they have other events as well. Ghumakkadi Kalakaar sees an artist on tour performing in different cities while kitchen gatherings is all about hosting a four course dinner at a home chef’s house.
All this while Samarpreet Singh (26) from Jalandhar performs several rap numbers taking potshots on Delhi elections. His ‘rinkiya ke papa’ with a rap tune adds spice to the dinner. The leftover food is always sent to ‘Feed the Need’ refrigerators and the events are always closed by 10.30 pm.
The writer can be contacted at saima@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @Sfreen