About
Poonam Girdhani is a Delhi-based freelance writer, radio artist and dastango who joined the Mahmood Farooqui Dastangoi Collective and has since performed both solo and in partnership with other dastangos at festivals, cultural events and institutional settings. She is described as a veteran storyteller within the Dastangoi community. Her background in freelance writing and radio provides her with a distinct approach to the narrative and vocal dimensions of the art form.
The artistry
Poonam Girdhani practises Dastangoi as a performer who brings her experience in radio and writing to the storytelling form. Her own articulation of the Dastango's goal -- 'to be able to transport the audience to another world where the story unfolds, to recreate the magic through the power of only words' -- captures the essence of the tradition's appeal. She has performed across multiple editions and settings, building a practice that extends beyond the Dastangoi Collective's formal productions.
[Atlas Assessment] A genuinely established performer with direct, frequent collaboration alongside Dastangoi's founding figure - the Ret Samadhi adaptation in particular is a notable, specific credit. Personal biographical details found during research (beyond what's on this profile) were deliberately not included as they belong to a feature interview, not a public professional bio - a reminder that thorough research sometimes finds more than belongs on the page.
Poonam Girdhani's Dastangoi practice is distinguished by range - from traditional Dastangoi Collective repertoire to an ambitious adaptation of Geetanjali Shree's Booker Prize-winning novel alongside Mahmood Farooqui himself, showing the form's capacity to absorb contemporary literature, not just historical epics.