Once upon a time...

I don't remember listening to any stories told by my grandparents, more so because they had passed away or were very ill when I was a little kid. Most of the stories they say I believe, are crap, but plays an essential role in building the character of a little child, whose mind is like wet clay...it can be shaped into anything you like.

My dad used to tell me some of these stupid 'Panchatantra' stories...but they used to be more interesting than Steven Spielberg's movies.

Mom used to sing most of the time, and somehow I wasn't too happy to let her sing. And brother, he's a comedy story himself !!

The kids I see today are better, they get to live with their grandparents. I'm often troubled by my cousins asking me to narrate stories to them at a very unearthly hour of the night. Now, I'm no good story teller, but I tend to add a bit of weird sense of humor to it, which perhaps the parents would oppose, but the kids tend to like them. Whats important here is not to build characters, but to ensure that the child shuts up for sometime.

I often narrate stories that have been stolen from English movies. From 'The Da Vinci code' to 'Darna Mana Hai', from 'There's something about Mary' to 'Dhoom', I've spared no story. Books are my favorite too, my cousins have been lucky enough to listen stories written by Dan Brown, Stephen King and even Sidney Sheldon. So, although they think I'm saying crap, I'm actually narrating some of the greatest works ever written.

'Evil Dead' stories used to be my favorite, but then I realized that the kids need to hear something more appropriate. Thats when I began inventing stories. 'Kadalekaayi Kittappa' has been my character, created, much like Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. 'Kittappa' is a simple peanut-vendor who, due to his outstanding intelligence, reaches such great heights that he is able to shake governments and take over countries. The story is too far fetched, and at times, my cousins even have poked my eyes in anger. But, it still remains their favorite. 'Kittappa' is not just associated with power and money, he is also associated with all those disorders which you get when you eat excess of peanuts, so often, this amuses the kids.

I have used vegetables like onions and tomatoes as my characters, I have made Lord Ganesha into an allopathic surgeon, I have narrated desi versions of Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice', in other words, I have given these kids an exposure to some of the greatest poets, artists, dramatists, and directors.

Perhaps, what the kids love most to hear, is my stories of college. From infatuations, to dating someone, from pranks, to me getting screwed by the principal, they love them all. I guess they are ecstatic to hear about how a very normal-looking Suhas would have been in weird situations such as 'standing in the princi's chamber', or 'asking out someone on a date'. Today's kids understand everything, it feels like they have heard it and seen it all, its easy to communicate with them, and thats why perhaps, I can easily mix with everyone, of all ages.

Story telling is never easy. Its too difficult to continuously capture the minds of your audience for a long time. They can get easily bored, you have to keep providing sparks to ensure they are listening to you, and they should be able to laugh at your jokes, as well as learn a thing or two. Moral stories are a thing of the past, with a little bit of polishing, you can turn horror stories into stories that come with a message. I'm not a master at it, but I keep trying.

One day, I'd love to write a book on 'Kadalekaayi Kittappa', he lives because of me, he's brought laughter to so many kids, he deserves to be on paper. Lets see..how things work out...is a publisher listening...