Nostalgia reloaded | My thoughts on Clubhouse in The Free Press Journal
The audio medium has always been music to former adman and Urdu connoisseur Jameel Gulrays’ ears. Having worked extensively in the field of aural communication during his advertising days, he is a firm believer in reading through one’s ears.
“A voice playing on any device serves as the perfect background to many activities. A listener can interpret a voice visually, just the way they want,” he says, talking about how his six-year-old read-aloud stories’ project Katha Kathan has found a new home on Clubhouse. But unlike the Youtube and SoundCloud uploads, he finds storytelling sessions on Clubhouse more interactive and engaging.
“Everything in writing begins with language. Language begins with listening. We give these storytelling sessions a feel of the radio play. I also get to speak to the audience, clear their doubts, discuss the story and get their feedback in real-time,” he says.
Gulrays and his Team Kathan perform dramatised readings of the lesser-known stories of Premchand on Saturdays at 10 pm as part of Jashn-e-Premchand and those of Saadat Hasan Manto on Sundays at 10 pm for The Other Side of Manto. Gulrays’ storytelling sessions on Clubhouse has listeners across the world joining in.
The Other Side of Manto and Jashn-e-Premchand evoke nostalgia, reminding me of the good old days of the popular radio show Hawa Mahal.
An avid attendee from London, who grew up listening to the show on radio during her early years in Bhopal.
There’s a huge uptick in the user base of these platforms because as Gulrays says, “After all, you can truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.”
ADnaama 