About
Neelesh Misra is one of India's best-known storytellers, a journalist, author, lyricist and radio narrator whose show Yaadon Ka Idiot Box turned the spoken Hindi story into a mass phenomenon. Through radio, live shows, audio and a large body of written work, he has become a household name for narrative in Hindi.
Born in 1973 in Lucknow and raised in Nainital, Neelesh Misra began as a journalist covering conflict across South Asia before finding his vocation in storytelling. His radio show Yaadon Ka Idiot Box on BIG FM (2011-2020) became a fan favourite across India and Pakistan and spawned a book series; he co-founded the rural newspaper Gaon Connection, wrote Bollywood lyrics such as Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai, won Ramnath Goenka journalism awards, and built a large audio-storytelling platform, training and inspiring a generation of new storytellers.
The artistry
Misra's storytelling is built on warmth, nostalgia and the textures of small-town and rural India, delivered in an intimate, unhurried Hindi voice that transports listeners into the imaginary world of Yaad Sheher. His live shows, where a simple promise to tell a story draws roaring applause, showcase a rare gift for spoken narrative.
[Atlas Perspective] Neelesh Misra is among the most influential and beloved storytellers in India, with rare mass reach. For festivals, corporate and campus events wanting a marquee Hindi storyteller, he is a top choice.
Neelesh Misra revived the spoken Hindi story for the mass-media age, building an enormous audience for narrative in Hindi and inspiring and training a new generation of storytellers, while championing rural India through his journalism.