Syed Sahil Agha Born: 1984 (age 38 years) is a writer, author, and storyteller from

New Delhi, India New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

who specialized in the verbal art of ''

dastangoi Dastangoi (Urdu: داستان گوئی) is a 13th century Urdu oral storytelling art form. The Persian style of dastan evolved in 16th century. One of the earliest references in print to dastangoi is a 19th-century text containing 46 volumes of th ...

''.

Storytelling background

Agha performs dastangoi, a 13th-century

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

art of

oral storytelling Oral storytelling is an ancient and intimate tradition between the storyteller and their audience. The storyteller and the listeners are physically close, often seated together in a circular fashion. The intimacy and connection is deepened by ...

. His first dastangoi performance was in college. Agha gave his first professional dastangoi performance in 2010 at

Jamia Jamia (جامعة ''jāmi‘a''; also ''jamiya'' 'h'' is the Arabic word for ''gathering''. It can also refer to a book Al-Jami'a or a mosque, or more generally, a university. In the latter sense it refers in official usage to a modern university ...

while he ran a business selling antique vehicles. He claims his grandfather was the inspiration for his work. Agha's book, ''Dastan-e-Hind'', a collection of his ''

dastan Dastan ( fa, داستان ''dâstân'', meaning "story" or "tale") is an ornate form of oral history from Central Asia, Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan. A dastan is generally centered on one individual who protects his tribe or his people from an o ...

s'' (or tales) and Indian

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, r ...

, has inspired successful performances by many artists around the globe. Unlike most ''dastangos'', Agha prefers to perform solo rather than as part of a pair. His dastans include ''Vikram-Betal'' and ''

Tughlaq The Tughlaq dynasty ( fa, ), also referred to as Tughluq or Tughluk dynasty, was a Muslim dynasty of Indo-Turkic origin which ruled over the Delhi sultanate in medieval India. Its reign started in 1320 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed th ...

nama,'' which have become a hit amongst his audiences. He has also come up with a new idea of 'Musical Dastangoi' which have a amalgamated Dastangoi with Indian

Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

and

Indian classical music Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ''Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not ...

Work

;Biographical *''Dastan Mehbub e Elhai'' - Story of a Sufi saint

Nizamuddin Auliya Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya (sometimes spelled Awliya; 1238 – 3 April 1325), also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Mahbub-e-Ilahi () was an Sunni Muslim scholar, Sufi saint of the Chishti Order, and is one of the most famous Sufis from the In ...

and 12th-century

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders wi ...

, India. *''Dastan-e-

Amir Khusro Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253–1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau was an Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar who lived under the Delhi Sultanate. He is an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian s ...

'' - Used storytelling and music to create a compelling product; music composed by

Ustad Iqbal Ahmad Khan Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan (195417 December 2020) was an Indian classical vocalist from Delhi Gharana. Biography Khan was born in 1954 into a family with a rich musical pedigree. Ustad Chand Khan and Ustad Jahan Khan were his grandfathers from the ...

. *''Dastan-e-

Shoaib Akhtar Shoaib Akhtar (; ; born 13 August 1975) is a Pakistani former cricketer and commentator. Nicknamed the "Rawalpindi Express", he was the first bowler to be recorded bowling at 100 miles per hour, a feat he achieved twice in his career. Ak ...

'' - entailing interesting details and anecdotes from Shoaib’s life in form of 'dastangoi' story. Shoaib is a Pakistani former cricketer and World fastest bowler. *''Jashn e

Javed Akhtar Javed Akhtar (born 17 January 1945) is an Indian poet, lyricist, screenwriter and political activist. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2 ...

'' - Dastan-e- Javed Akhtar is about an Indian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wr ...

lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income de ...

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

and political activist. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is confe ...

in 1999 and the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished servi ...

in 2007, two of India's highest civilian honours. *''Dastan e Chiragh'' - Biography of Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi as a 14th-century mystic poet and Sufi saint from Delhi, India. *''Dastan-e-Mahatma'' - A glimpse into

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, Anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure ...

’s life. *''Dastan Agni Ki Udaan'' - A motivational story about a poor child who had nothing in his childhood but achieved the highest honor in his country,

Bharat Ratna The Bharat Ratna (; ''Jewel of India'') is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferred in recognition of "exceptional service/performance of the highest order", without distinctio ...

. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, an aerospace scientist who served as the 11th President of India. *''Dastan e Mir'' - Biography of Meer Taqi Meer, an Urdu poet from 18th-century Mughal India, and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language itself. *''Dastan e Ghalib'' - Glorification of

Mirza Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...

, a prominent Urdu and Persian poet during the last years of the Mughal Empire. *''Dastan e Daagh'' - Story of the colorful life of

Daagh Dehlvi Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlvi ( ur, , 25 May 1831 – 17 March 1905) was a poet known for his Urdu ''ghazals''. He belonged to the old Delhi school of Urdu poetry.

, a poet known for his Urdu ghazals. He belonged to the old Delhi school of Urdu poetry. *''Dastan Shah e

Awadh Awadh (), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It is synonymous with the Kośāla region of ...

'' - The last

Nawab of Awadh The Nawab of Awadh or the Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers who governed the state of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in north India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to a dynasty of Persian origin from Nish ...

Wajid Ali Shah Mirza Wajid Ali Shah ( ur, ) (30 July 1822 – 1 September 1887) was the eleventh and last King of Awadh, holding the position for 9 years, from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856. Wajid Ali Shah's first wife was Alam Ara who was better ...

, was a poet, playwright, dancer, and great patron of arts. He is widely credited for the revival of

Kathak Kathak ( hi, कथक; ur, کتھک) is one of the eight major forms of Classical Indian dance, Indian classical dance. It is the classical dance from of Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards ...

as a major form of classical Indian dance. He is survived by many descendants. (''His

Thumri Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dr ...

- Babul Mora Naihar Chhooto Jaay has been sung by some singers at the end of a

''). * ''Dastan Sultan e Azam'' - ''Tiger of Mysore'',

Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He in ...

was a ruler of the

Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary alliance with Brit ...

and a pioneer of rocket artillery. The story also touches on an ambitious economic development program that established Mysore as a major economic power, with some of the world's highest

real wages Real wages are wages adjusted for inflation, or, equivalently, wages in terms of the amount of goods and services that can be bought. This term is used in contrast to nominal wages or unadjusted wages. Because it has been adjusted to account ...

and living standards in the late 18th century. The story also covered battles involving

British forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, su ...

such as the

Anglo-Mysore Wars The Anglo-Mysore Wars were a series of four wars fought during the last three decades of the 18th century between the Sultanate of Mysore on the one hand, and the British East India Company (represented chiefly by the neighbouring Madras Presi ...

Battle of Pollilur The Battle of Pollilur (a.k.a. Pullalur), also known as the Battle of Polilore or Battle of Perambakam, took place on 10 September 1780 at Pollilur near Conjeevaram, the city of Kanchipuram in present-day Tamil Nadu state, India, as part of th ...

, and Siege of Seringapatam. *''Dastan Dilli Ke Shayron ki'' - A story about Delhi's royal Urdu poets. ;Crime * Dastan Ek Raaz - A story within many stories, it's about metro cities' sex workers, their struggles and how they become victims of

human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extr ...

. ;Musical Storytelling *''Dastan e Duvidha'' - Musical ''dastangoi;'' collaborated with

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

singer Kabuki Khanna on a narration of Vijayadan Detha’s story '' Duvidha''. *''Jashn e Virasat'' - Musical Tales of Urdu Heritage and Hindu-Muslim unity with Rita Dav and

singer Kabuki Khanna. *''Dastan Ishq e

Meera Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Ratho ...

'' - Music and

Kathak Dance Kathak ( hi, कथक; ur, کتھک) is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. It is the classical dance from of Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern Ind ...

narrative; Meera Bai was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and a devotee of

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...

. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint in the Indian Hindu tradition. She was a widely known and cherished figure in the

Bhakti movement The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th cen ...

. The majority of the performance is about

's fearless disregard for social and family conventions. *''Dastan e Sahir'' - ''The People's Poet;'' ''Abdul Hayee,'' popularly known by his

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Sahir Ludhianvi Abdul Hayee (8 March 1921 – 25 October 1980), popularly known by his pen name ( takhallus) Sahir Ludhianvi, was an Indian poet and film song lyricist who wrote primarily in Urdu in addition to Hindi. His work influenced Indian cinema, i ...

, was a legendary 20th century

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

poet cum film lyricist who wasn't afraid to question society and its many ills. He was awarded the

. *''Dilli Durbar'' - A Sufi Jugalbandi and a unique amalgamation of

ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

and dastangoi with

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...

. ;Comedy *''Mulla Dastango'' - An old storyteller, Mulla wrote stories that had subtle humour and a pedagogic nature. * ''Dastan e Mulla''

Nasreddin Nasreddin () or Nasreddin Hodja (other variants include: Mullah Nasreddin Hooja, Nasruddin Hodja, Mullah Nasruddin, Mullah Nasriddin, Khoja Nasriddin) (1208-1285) is a character in the folklore of the Muslim world from Arabia to Central As ...

- He is considered a Sufi and a wise man, remembered for his funny stories and anecdotes. He appears in thousands of stories, sometimes witty, sometimes wise, but often as a fool or the butt of a joke too. ;Satire *''

Nama'' - Political satire about Indian politicians and an exposé of the strong and corrupt nexus between politicians, criminals, businessmen, and police. ;Family Drama *''Dastan e Zindagi'' - An Indian political family drama. ;Indian Mythology *''Dastan Vikram Aur Betaal'' - The concept of the story was based on

Baital Pachisi ''Vetala Panchavimshati'' ( sa, वेतालपञ्चविंशति, IAST: ) or ''Betaal Pachisi'' ("''Twenty-five (tales) of Betaal''"), is a collection of tales and legends within a frame story, from India. It is also known as inter ...

, a collection of tales about the legendary King Vikram (identified as

Vikramāditya Vikramaditya ( IAST: ') was a legendary king who has been featured in hundreds of traditional stories including those in ''Baital Pachisi'' and ''Singhasan Battisi''. Many describe him as ruler with his capital at Ujjain (Pataliputra or Prati ...

) and a

Vetala A vetala ( sa, वेताल ') or Betal is a Bhairava form of Shiva in Hindu mythology, usually defined as a knowledgeable (fortune telling) paranormal entity said to be dwelling at charnel grounds. The vetala is comparable to the vampires o ...

. ;Motivational *''Dastan e Azmat'' - This performance is based on the true life of Saint Mother Teresa, Mother of the Nation - India. She was born in

Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; ...

, and then moved to Ireland and later to India, where she lived for most of her life. She devoted her life to

chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when ma ...

, poverty, and obedience, and also professed a fourth vow — to give "wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor." ;Historical Fiction *''Dastan e Sultan Salahuddin'' -

Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سه‌لاحه‌دین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt and ...

Ayyub was the first sultan of

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

and Syria and the founder of the

Ayyubid dynasty The Ayyubid dynasty ( ar, الأيوبيون '; ) was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. A Sunni Muslim of Kurdish origin, Saladi ...

. *''Dastan Raja Vikram''

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission is a country-wide campaign initiated by the Government of India in 2014 to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management. It is a restructured version of ...

*''Dastan e Fath'' - This story is about Prince Abd al-Rahman I of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, ''Falcon of Andalus'' (Spain), how he founded a dynasty that ruled the greater part of

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a la ...

for nearly three centuries (including the succeeding

Caliphate of Córdoba The Caliphate of Córdoba ( ar, خلافة قرطبة; transliterated ''Khilāfat Qurṭuba''), also known as the Cordoban Caliphate was an Islamic state ruled by the Umayyad dynasty from 929 to 1031. Its territory comprised Iberia and part ...

). ;Thriller *''Dastan e Anna'' - A love story between a female English secret agent and Indian Sultan. ;Love Story *''Dastan e Ishq'' - The story is inspired by an

Ameer Khusro Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253–1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau was an Indo-Persian culture, Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar who lived under the Delhi Sultanate. He is an iconic figure in the cultural his ...

's traditional folklore. ;Fiction *''Dastan Akhri Dastango'' - The last storyteller. ;Historical *''Dastan e Dard'' - The story of

Karbala Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Govern ...

and the last imam. *''Dastan e Taqseem'' - A painful journey;

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, and

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...

. *''Dastan e

Dastangoi Dastangoi (Urdu: داستان گوئی) is a 13th century Urdu oral storytelling art form. The Persian style of dastan evolved in 16th century. One of the earliest references in print to dastangoi is a 19th-century text containing 46 volumes of th ...

'' - Story of Indian storytelling art form dastangoi. *''Dastan e

'' - The story is about the glory and downfall of old

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and divisio ...

. *''Dilli Durbar'' - A Sufi Jugalbandi and a unique amalgamation of

and dastangoi with

Filmography

Television

Filmography

Awards and honours

* Pradesh Jouhar Award 2017 * Hafeez Merathi Award 2017 * Delhi Minorities Commission Award 2019 *

National Museum, New Delhi The National Museum in New Delhi, also known as the National Museum of India, is one of the largest museums in India. Established in 1949, it holds a variety of articles ranging from pre-historic era to modern works of art. It functions under t ...

honored Agha the 'Grace of

' and displayed his dastangoi costume 'Angrakha' at Chitram Vastram 2022.

Vintage car collection

Agha, collecting vintage cars is a passion. In the past years, he has collected several high-end British and German cars.

References

External links

The Story of Mr. Gautam Bali, as told by Syed Sahil Agha, Delhi, 9 June 2017
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agha, Syed Sahil 1982 births Living people Indian writers Jamia Millia Islamia alumni Dastangos