Somaiya Vidyavihar University hosted Afsana 2026, a storytelling festival that brought together oral traditions, performance, and contemporary narrative practices, with an emphasis on listening as a cultural and educational practice.

The event featured more than 30 storytellers, educators and artists, alongside workshops and participatory activities, according to the organisers, a press release from the varsity said.

This year’s edition focused on storytelling traditions from Central India, particularly Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, highlighting forms such as Pandwani, Bharthari narratives, satire and tribal storytelling.

Organisers said that the programme sought to foreground regional and indigenous voices that are often underrepresented in mainstream cultural platforms.

The festival included performances and installations that explored the theme Bindu: Centred Metaphors, encouraging participants to reflect on ideas of centrality and perspective through voice, movement and narrative rather than visual spectacle.

An immersive eco-narrative titled Maati combined puppetry, Gond painting, folk music and storytelling as part of the programme.

Afsana 2026 opened with a storytelling segment by first-grade students from The Somaiya School, a decision organisers said was intended to underline the role of storytelling in early learning. The programme also featured interactive workshops and student-led installations designed to encourage dialogue between performers and audiences.

Filmmaker Nikhil Advani, the chief guest at the event, spoke about the continuity of storytelling across formats. “Every story, whether it becomes a film or not, must be clear at its core,” he said, reflecting on how narrative discipline shapes storytelling across media.

Festival Chair Amrita Somaiya said that the event aimed to create space for attentive listening. “Storytelling is about presence, about sitting across from someone and allowing their stories to change you,” she said.

University Chancellor Samir Somaiya referred to storytelling as a way of imagining worlds beyond one’s immediate experience, while Vice-Chancellor Ajay Kapoor described storytelling as a practice that connects intellectual, emotional and experiential learning.