In the past five years Hyderabad has bloomed as a buzzing spot for several interesting events held at different venues.And despite the threat of Coronavirus attendees look forward to beat the already-dull afternoons as summer slowly sets in.
That’s how Aaromalé, Jubilee Hills is going to see a bouquet of performances, talks, workshops and panel discussions today and tomorrow as part of ‘La Fête’, which means celebration in French. The two-day event is ticketed and is organised by a city-based youth organisation titled ‘Speakers of Hyderabad’.
It was the idea of the 21-year-old student Mohammed Kamran Jalal to form the organisation, which is now registered with the government of Telangana. Students from different fields, who are enthusiasts of public speaking are part of it. They also take interest in spreading the art and importance of communication and soft skills.
Shares Kamran, a student of Mechanical Engineering, "It started in a classroom. The idea just hit me that there should be an organisation focussed on presenting skill sets of youngsters teamed up with learning, fun, and exposure. We also focus on communication skills and employability and have invited key figures for workshops conducted in different colleges." Andrew Fleming, the British Deputy High Commissioner is one of the key speakers at the event. He is talking about the youth and new India today at 4 pm.
The festival will see speakers from different walks of life such as fashion, food, writing, stand-up comedy, travel, life skills, calligraphy, story-telling, poetry, and content creation. Says the 22-year-old fashion blogger and speaker Tanusha Bajaj, "What we are going to talk about is the thought and preparation that goes into content creation when the same is shared onto a digital platform. Thus, a pretty picture on an app is more than that. We are also going to discuss as to how the same can be made relatable."
Talk about digital platform and there are storytellers and poets from the city, who have huge number of Instagram followers. Not just the online presence their work is worth listening to. Says 23-year-old story-teller and poet Zakariya Zaki, who’s finished his Bachelor’s in Business Administration and is now into full time writing, "I am going to narrate a story on Eid as to how the old traditions are fading away thanks to the urban lifestyle and ecosystem. It’s told to a young boy by his grandfather."
If one tale is on reminiscing traditions, another is on old time romance which ends up in heartbreak. Shares Mrinal Kumar, 26, working as a risk analyst in an MNC, “It’s a 15-minute tale of a love affair over telephone and how both the parties never get to meet each other.” Apart from this, there will be travel and lifestyle blogger Shagun Segan talking about his experiences. Food bloggers Faraaz Siddiqui and Mohd Zubair Ali will speak about their culinary trajectories and more.
Other than online content there are delegates practising old art forms as well. Nawal Habeeb, a pharmacy student, learnt calligraphy six years ago when in Saudi Arabia. She is going to conduct a workshop for over 50 people. She is teaching Thulut – a complex style of calligraphy.
The 21-year-old calligrapher shares, “It all started when I was told at school that I have a terrible handwriting. That's when I decided to learn it.” So that means good handwriting is not a prerequisite for learning it?
"No," she laughs. Then there’s a delightful treat of Urdu poetry on Sunday evening which will see Mehfil-e-Mushaira of young city poets like Umar Lakhnavi, Srujana, Faiz Jung, Nouman Asar, among others.
(The writer can be contacted at saima@newindianexpress.com)
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