Mumbai is a city built on stories. Every street, train ride, campus, and community holds narratives of ambition, migration, resilience, and creativity. In recent years, this lived experience has found a powerful outlet through Mumbai storytelling, where voices come alive on stage through spoken narratives, folklore, and personal expression.

At the center of this growing movement is Afsana – The Somaiya Storytelling Festival, a platform that celebrates storytelling as both an art form and a cultural practice.

Afsana: A Leading Storytelling Festival in Mumbai

Afsana stands out as a thoughtfully curated storytelling festival in Mumbai, hosted by Somaiya Vidyavihar University. Rooted in academic inquiry and cultural engagement, the festival brings together storytellers, educators, performers, and students to explore storytelling in its many forms.

The festival showcases oral storytelling, mythological retellings, contemporary narratives, and interactive sessions that highlight how stories shape identity and collective memory. By creating a space for dialogue and performance, Afsana strengthens Mumbai’s position as a hub for live narrative culture.

Nurturing Mumbai Storytellers

One of Afsana’s key contributions is its focus on nurturing Mumbai storytellers. The festival provides a platform for both emerging and experienced voices, encouraging authentic expression over performance polish. Storytellers often draw inspiration from the city itself—its diversity, contradictions, and emotional depth—making each narrative deeply rooted in lived reality.

Through workshops, performances, and conversations, Afsana enables storytellers to refine their craft while engaging meaningfully with audiences. This inclusive approach ensures that storytelling remains accessible, relevant, and reflective of Mumbai’s many communities.

Why Mumbai Storytelling Matters Today

In an age dominated by digital content, live storytelling offers something rare—presence. It fosters listening, empathy, and shared understanding. Festivals like Afsana remind us that storytelling is not just entertainment; it is a cultural tool for learning, connection, and reflection.

As Mumbai storytelling continues to evolve, platforms like Afsana play a crucial role in preserving oral traditions while encouraging contemporary voices. They create spaces where stories are not only told, but experienced.

Conclusion

Mumbai has forever been a city shaped by stories — from the rhythmic clatter of local trains to whispered conversations in chai stalls. But in 2026, Mumbai storytelling reaches a new cultural milestone with Afsana: The Somaiya Storytelling Festival, an immersive celebration of narrative form and human connection.

Hosted by Somaiya Vidyavihar University at its Vidyavihar campus in the heart of the city, Afsana brings together the best of Mumbai storytellers and narrative practitioners. It’s a place where traditional and contemporary voices meet, where myths meet memoirs and classics meet lived experiences.

The festival derives its name from the Urdu and Persian word “Afsana”, meaning tale or fable — a perfect fit for an event built around the power of Mumbai story telling. From folk recounting to performative narrative, this festival celebrates how stories shape identity, memory, and cultural connection.

What sets this festival apart is its focus on deep live engagement. Across performances, workshops, and open-mic sessions, audiences don’t just listen — they interact with storytellers, dissect narrative structures, and explore the emotional depths of each tale shared. Whether you’re a student, a writer, an educator, or simply someone who loves stories, Afsana offers a rare opportunity to learn from some of the brightest narrative voices in and beyond Mumbai.

In 2026, the festival’s theme, “Bindu: Centered Metaphors,” pushes the boundaries of storytelling by exploring how ideas gravitate around centers and margins — a concept that resonates strongly with India’s rich tapestry of regional cultures. This thematic depth makes Afsana not just an event, but a cultural conversation about how we tell stories and why they matter.

Mumbai has always been a city of stories. From crowded streets and local trains to intimate family memories and forgotten folklore, Mumbai story telling reflects the layered identity of this ever-evolving metropolis. The art of narration has long played a central role in shaping how the city remembers, connects, and imagines itself. Today, Mumbai storytelling is experiencing a revival through platforms that honor both tradition and contemporary voices.

One such significant platform is Afsana – The Somaiya Storytelling Festival, an initiative by Somaiya Vidyavihar University. Afsana stands out as a cultural space where stories are not just told, but deeply experienced. Rooted in the belief that storytelling is fundamental to human expression, the festival brings together performers, thinkers, writers, and audiences in meaningful dialogue.

What makes Mumbai storytelling unique is its diversity. A single Mumbai storyteller may draw inspiration from folklore, mythology, lived experiences, migration narratives, or personal memory. Afsana embraces this diversity by curating storytelling performances, discussions, and workshops that explore narratives across cultures, regions, and generations.

The festival’s theme, Bindu: Centered Metaphors, highlights how stories emerge from central ideas while engaging both mainstream and marginal perspectives. By spotlighting storytelling traditions from regions such as Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Afsana expands Mumbai’s narrative landscape, allowing audiences to experience voices that are often underrepresented.

In a fast-paced digital world, Afsana reminds us of the power of slowing down and listening. It reinforces the idea that every Mumbai storyteller has the ability to create empathy, preserve cultural memory, and inspire imagination. Whether through oral traditions, performance, or reflective conversations, the festival strengthens Mumbai’s connection to storytelling as an art form.