The New Age of Spoken Word: India’s 10 Best Modern Storytellers

Oral storytelling in India has evolved from centuries-old Dastangoi and traditional Kavi Sammelans into a thriving modern subculture. Armed with minimal stage setups, handheld microphones, and sharp observations of daily existence, contemporary spoken-word artists and storytellers have built a space where young India gathers to listen. They explore vulnerability, middle-class compromise, urban loneliness, gender identity, and mental health through conversational rhythm and evocative verse.

From viral digital platforms like Tape A Tale, Spill Poetry, and UnErase Poetry to ticketed auditoriums nationwide, here is a comprehensive guide to ten of the most influential storytellers shaping this landscape today.

1. Nayab Midha

 Who She Is: A former software engineer who transitioned into a full-time spoken-word poet, stage performer, and author based in Delhi. Midha is widely recognized for her serene, conversational delivery that feels less like a performance and more like an intimate dialogue with the listener.

 Core Themes: Unconditional self-worth, female identity, resilience through everyday grief, quiet optimism, and emotional healing.

 Notable Works & Releases:

 “Tum Khoobsurat Ho” (a viral spoken-word performance on unlearning toxic beauty standards)

 “Muskurao”

 “Tu Kaisi Hai?”

 “Rajkumari”

 “Jeena Iss Hi Ka Naam Hai”

 Platform & Presence: Midha headlines multi-city and international live tours with solo sets such as Rajkumari, Bawari, and collaborative showcases like Nayab aur Bismil Ki Mehfil. She is a recurring headliner on platforms like Tape A Tale, Kommune, and across YouTube.

2. Laksh Maheshwari

 Who He Is: A digital creator, writer, and live performance artist widely known by his handle Single-Handedly. Maheshwari combines personal memoir, sharp wit, and deep cinematic analysis to unpack the psychological intricacies of love and human connection.

 Core Themes: Modern romance, urban isolation, living with physical disability, quarter-life confusion, and unrequited longing explored through cinema.

 Notable Works & Releases:

 “Single-Handedly” (his defining spoken-word piece delivered at Spoken Fest on identity, resilience, and perception)

 “Main Tenu Phir Milangi” (a stage storytelling piece on love and timeless writing)

 Comprehensive film essays breaking down emotional arcs in films like Raanjhanaa, Tamasha, and Laila Majnu

 Platform & Presence: Tours live comedy and storytelling circuits with shows like Single Handedly Live and Ishq Sufiyana, while maintaining an active digital presence with short-form essays and keynote talks on platforms like TEDx.

3. Divyansh Rana

 Who He Is: A spoken-word poet, author, storyteller, and talk show host. Known for his grounded, small-town North Indian cadence, he is also the host of the interview series Baatein With Divyansh Rana, produced in association with BLive Studio.

 Core Themes: Small-town ambitions, the unspoken duties of eldest sons, male camaraderie (bhaichara), college nostalgia, and middle-class sacrifices.

 Notable Works & Releases:

 “Chote Shehar Bade Sapne” (part of his popular College Days narrative sequence)

 “Hote Honge Auro Ke Dost” (Bhaichara)

 “Ghar Lunga”

 “Kuch Aasoon”

 “Musafira”

 Platform & Presence: Actively tours live storytelling spaces and campus fests across tier-1 and tier-2 cities, alongside releasing audio-visual singles, short-form monologues, and studio conversations across YouTube and streaming audio channels.

4. Yahya Bootwala

 Who He Is: Regarded as one of the defining pioneers of India’s 2010s digital spoken-word explosion. Based in Mumbai, Bootwala’s breakthrough work helped prove that long-form spoken-word pieces could command tens of millions of views on social media.

 Core Themes: Young love, lingering heartbreak, the necessity of closure, coming-of-age disillusionment, and self-discovery.

 Notable Works & Releases:

 “She Laughs, He Listens” (the landmark performance on Spill Poetry that amassed over 40 million views)

 “Shayad”

 “Mardon Ko Dard Hota Hai”

 Published poetry collection: You Know the Story

 Platform & Presence: One of the few spoken-word artists to tour full-length theatrical storytelling specials nationwide, including Cycle, Alvida, and Alfaaz, alongside creative collaborations with Tape A Tale and Netflix India.

5. Amandeep Singh

 Who He Is: An engineer who left corporate tech to pursue storytelling, songwriting, and stage literature, performing under the moniker Amandeep Khayal. His style is defined by a slow, baritone voice and meditative pauses.

 Core Themes: Parental sacrifices, reversing family roles as parents grow old, the loneliness of leaving home for career opportunities, and unhurried reflections on life.

 Notable Works & Releases:

 “Main Karta Dharta Ban Baitha” (a story exploring the emotional shock of realizing your parents are aging and you must run the home)

 “Badi Didi”

 “Chai”

 Published book: Mere Khayal Tumse Nahi Milte

 Platform & Presence: Regularly sells out venues across India with solo storytelling specials such as Dhak Dhak, Life Ka Tamasha, and Mere Khayal Se, represented predominantly by Tape A Tale.

6. Priya Malik

 Who She Is: A bilingual poet performing in Hindi/Urdu and English, television personality, actor, and educator. Her stage presence balances classical Urdu influences with fierce modern feminist realism.

 Core Themes: Female bodily autonomy, sensuality, women navigating divorce and second marriages, mental health, and the deconstruction of traditional patriarchal norms.

 Notable Works & Releases:

 “2019 Ka Pyaar”

 “Mujhe Pyaar Nahi, Ishq Chahiye”

 “Broken But Beautiful”

 Published poetry anthology: Ishq Na-Manzoor

 Platform & Presence: A headline artist at major cultural festivals, including Kommune’s Spoken Fest and the Jaipur Literature Festival, alongside frequent appearances on national television, digital OTT series, and UnErase Poetry stages.

7. Ashish Bagrecha

 Who He Is: A Surat-based author, poet, and entrepreneur who turned his clinical struggles with depression into a literary sanctuary for readers across the country.

 Core Themes: Mental wellness, loneliness, surviving panic and heartbreak, quiet self-compassion, and gentle companionship.

 Notable Works & Releases:

 Best-selling books: Dear Stranger, I Know How You Feel and Dear Stranger, You Deserve to Be Loved

 Poetry collection: Love, Hope and Magic

 Audio series: The Ashish Bagrecha Show on Spotify

 Platform & Presence: Possesses a massive literary and podcasting footprint, connecting with audiences through audiobooks, digital letters, mental health summits, and reflective stage talks.

8. Nidhi Narwal

 Who She Is: A performance poet and author celebrated for her lyrical precision and rhythmic verse, turning simple domestic observations into complex emotional landscapes.

 Core Themes: The quiet ache of unspoken feelings, long-distance relationships, lingering grief after separation, and private memories.

 Notable Works & Releases:

 “Jaana Zaroori Tha”

 “Andhera”

 “Tujhko Kya Lagta Hai?”

 “Kahaani”

 Platform & Presence: A regular flagship performer with Tape A Tale, touring university campuses and auditorium spaces across the country with solo narrative sets.

9. Varun Grover

 Who He Is: A National Film Award-winning lyricist, screenwriter (Masaan, Sacred Games), film director (All India Rank), and stand-up comedian. Grover brings a distinct literary rigor, sharp social commentary, and dry humor to personal storytelling.

 Core Themes: Small-town childhoods in the 1990s, the idiosyncrasies of Indian educational pressure, socio-political ironies, and bittersweet nostalgia.

 Notable Works & Releases:

 Live narrative stand-up special: “Padhaai Ke Din” (a feature-length storytelling show recounting his school and engineering days in Lucknow and BHU)

 Acclaimed performance poems: “Kaghaz Nahi Dikhayenge”, “Bheja Fry”

 Celebrated lyrical works: “Moh Moh Ke Dhaage”, “Tu Kisi Rail Si”

 Platform & Presence: Performs solo live narrative hours internationally to sold-out venues, alongside his extensive footprint across cinema, web series, and published print writing.

10. Helly Shah

 Who She Is: One of the earliest young spoken-word artists to emerge from the digital circuit, performing primarily through the curated platform UnErase Poetry.

 Core Themes: Body dysmorphia and societal beauty standards, modern female friendships, dating etiquette, generational misunderstandings, and adolescent mental health.

 Notable Works & Releases:

 “Too Shy To Talk”

 “Letter to My Body”

 “Can You Blame Me?”

 “The Little Girl”

 Platform & Presence: A frequent headliner across youth culture conclaves, collegiate fests, and UnErase live showcases, often participating in mental wellness and gender-equity advocacy campaigns.

The Evolution of the Indian Stage

The common thread connecting these ten creators is their rejection of artificial grandiosity. By grounding their language in everyday speech—blending conversational Hindustani and English—they have democratized Indian performance literature. What once required traditional publication or academic approval now finds its legitimacy directly in the lived experiences of listeners, making this generation of storytellers a vital voice of contemporary Indian culture.