World Poetry Day is celebrated every year on March 21 to support linguistic diversity through poetry. &TV artists talk about their love for poetry and what inspires them to write. These include Mohit Dagga (Ashok) from Doosri Maa, Himani Shivpuri (Katori Amma) from Happu ki Ultan Paltan, and Rohitashv Gour (Manmohan Tiwari) from Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai. Mohit Dagga, essaying Ashok, says, “I have always liked Hindi literature. Poems written by Sharad Joshi, Harishankar Parsai, and Prem Chand inspire me and help provide newer perspectives on life. Poetry is indeed the best kind of addiction anyone can ever have. Since my younger days, I was a kitabi keeda; I would be engrossed in my favourite poets so much that I never paid much attention to other subjects (laughs). No other type of literature creates such a plethora of feelings and emotions as poetry. Another good part about poetry is that it brings me immense peace from within. While today’s generation might not enjoy the yesteryear classics as much as we did, I still urge people, especially youth, to spare a few moments from their busy lives and either read or listen to poems.”Himani Shivpuri essaying Katori Amma, says, “Poetry has always been an integral part of my life. While travelling, my favourite thing to do is listen to poetry podcasts. From reading to reciting, I enjoy everything about poetry. Daffodils by William Wordsworth, Miles to Go Before I Sleep by Robert Frost, Rabindranath Tagore’s The Child, and many others are among my favourites. During high school and college, I was always at the top of literature and participated in Kavi Samelan’s. Meeting those aspiring and rising literary stars and being one of them was motivating. My interest in poetry and literature was also one of the reasons I joined the theatre. In my free time, I take a pen and try to write down my emotions through poems. I have written about nature, women, loneliness, and social issues. Today, with the burgeoning space of joyful media, I believe poets have a space to share their beautiful treasure of words with the world, and I try to do the same. Poetry gives me wings to fly in the sky of imagination and escape from reality for a while. It brings me peace of mind and soul. I enjoy admiring nature and then capturing its beauty in words.” Rohitashv Gour essaying Manmohan Tiwari, shares, “Whenever I feel low, I know where to go. I have made my happy corner in my house, where I spend time with poetry books and enter a whole world of positivity. Hast mein ek cup—chai aur Kavita, bas wahin saari thakan gayab. It is tough to pick out my favourite poets, as I love reading and listening to poems by Mirza Ghalib, Prem Chand, Kalidasa, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and many more. I can read and listen to their poem a thousand times. Poetry is a form of expression that inspires. I feel that hum sabke andar ek kavi chupa hai. I have been writing for a long time; it keeps me rooted, and I feel that emotions that can’t be seen are expressed through poetry. Classics have a special place in my heart as they never get old. On World Poetry Day, I would urge people of all ages to read and write poems; it helps us to relieve all our stress and give us new hope. Reading and writing poems is not just a hobby but can be a way of life.”
Watch Doosri Maa at 8:00 pm, Happu Ki Ultan Paltan at 10:00 pm, and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai at 10:30 pm, airing every Monday to Friday only on &TV!
