When we were little, didn’t we all delight in listening to stories, fables, and fairy tales? There was something magical about the way kings, queens, enchanted creatures, and faraway lands lit up our imaginations — leaving us with life lessons as we drifted off to sleep.
“Because stories — they make us who we are,” says Laksh Maheshwari, storyteller, podcaster, and author, who is soon arriving in Hyderabad for his soul-stirring session, Ishq Sufiyana, on May 24 at Bhaskara Auditorium.
“The word ‘Sufi’ is used far too loosely nowadays, isn’t it? Sufi night, Sufi this, Sufi that... but what does it really mean?” Laksh asks, adding, “My show focuses on the essence of Sufism, using stories to explore its core.” Ishq Sufiyana is about one thing: gratitude. “Every day, around two lakh people don’t wake up. But you and I do. Isn’t that magic, right there?” he reflects.
As Laksh speaks, his words paint vivid pictures — full of candour, humility, and grace. But becoming the calm and composed person he is today took time. Born without a left hand, his early life was marked by struggle, including taunts from society and bullies, who said he’d never be enough. But his parents stood firmly by his side. “My dad was the storyteller of the family, always narrating tales and sher-o-shayari,” Laksh says, smiling.
In time, Laksh carved a path of success for himself — as an investment banker in Gurgaon. “I did that for over five years. The money was good, but the peace and fulfilment I was seeking just weren’t there. Then I watched the film Tamasha. Though it didn’t tell me what to do, I realised that yeh toh nahi karna!” he states.
But it took Laksh another eight years and 10 professions before he found his path. It was in 2023 that he stepped into storytelling, a twist of fate he calls a divine accident. He expresses, “All good things in life happen by accident. This one was serendipity. I sleep well at night now. And in today’s busy world, isn’t inner peace the greatest luxury?”
Laksh opines that storytelling is, perhaps, the oldest profession in the world, and that every business today isn’t selling products — it’s selling stories. “Everything is a story. We all need the shringar of a story to learn the truth. If we tell the seedha sach, people will give thappad!” he quips.
But storytelling is no easy art. It demands discipline, passion, and intuition. “I don’t chase every story I hear,” he says, adding, “But there are a few that give me goosebumps — those are the ones I dive deep into. I research endlessly, read books, watch documentaries, talk to experts… until I know it inside out.”
So, how does he keep people hooked, especially in an age where attention spans barely last seconds? He pauses for a moment before saying, “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s like a trance. I only remember going on stage and getting off. I’ve done over 200 shows, but I can’t recall what happened in most of them. All I know is — if I don’t perform for a week, I feel restless.”
And clearly, his stories leave an impact. He recalls, “One of my most unforgettable memories was in Hyderabad, after I had performed the same show, Ishq Sufiyana. A young woman came up to me after the show, gave me a hug, and said, ‘I just want to tell you something. Last night, I was going to attempt to die by suicide. But something told me to stay a few more days. Half an hour ago, I saw you were performing. I booked my ticket and came. And now — I’m not going to do it.’” Laksh pauses, almost like he is reliving that very moment, before saying, “What more could I ask for as a storyteller?”
So what has storytelling taught Laksh about life? “Everything,” he says, adding, “You don’t choose stories. Stories choose you — when you’re ready for them. Sahi kahaani, sahi jagah pe, sahi insaan ko mil jaaye… it can change lives.”