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World Hindi Day | Spoken word artist, poet Nayab Midha says, ‘The day I wrote in Hindi, the world changed’
On World Hindi Day (Jan 10) spoken word artist Nayab Midha goes down the memory lane to recite her love for Hindi language, poetry and the emotion that is Delhi
The winter breeze blows with lyrical emotions as spoken word artist Nayab Midha sits comfortably on a green patch at Baansera Park. Soon comes the compelling urge to pen the words:
At a time when most millennials were soul searching in English, Nayab took to writing in Hindi. The 29-year-old, who started writing poetry in 9th grade, recalls, “Actually, the first five poems that I wrote, were in English. But when I wrote my sixth poem, Ek Chidiya, in Hindi... the world changed that day. My heart just felt better. Then I never looked back.”
Cut to 2023, she told the world “Muskurao” in her sweet and unforgettable voice, which went on to create history. “You won’t believe but I had actually run out of money, so attended a relative’s birthday party and packed my bags to board the bus headed to my home in Ganganagar (Rajasthan). But, that bag was never unpacked because by the time I reached home, my poem titled Muskurao had gone viral. It was May 8, 2023... Can never forget that date!”
‘I could relate to Amrita Pritam more than Sylvia Plath’
Growing up, Nayab earned her monthly pocket money by summing up all that she had read. “It was a rule that my parents had made, to ensure that we read up. In fact, mehenge kapdon ke liye paise mile ya na mile, mehengi kitabon ke liye koi rok tok nahi thi,” she recounts, adding, “Everybody forces you to read English writers such as Shakespeare. But, I could relate to Amrita Pritam more than Sylvia Plath. It made me feel more centered,” she adds.
Writing in Hindi language is one thing, and making a full-fledged career in it is another. Mention this and Nayab, who has more than 2.6 million followers on Instagram today, says the time is ripe for Hindi poets to make a decent living in the creative field. “You see so many opportunities coming up in the field of comedy, so in a few years you’ll see a similar kind of space in poetry as well. Poetry is for the people, and if someone has something to say then they should get a mic and say it, there will be enough opportunities for them.”
Hindi poetry and stage
In equal parts unusual and unique, it’s not just her name that’s unwonted but also her sentiments towards poetry. Ask if she is inspiring other youngsters to not to shy away from quitting mainstream career options, such as engineering like she did, for the performing arts, and she replies with confidence: “Kaafi pakki sadak banayi hai humne aane wali peedi ke liye.”
‘Delhi has given me a lot’
Having performed most of her Hindi poetry in Delhi, Nayab confesses that it's actually the Capital that has made her an artist. “To be honest, Delhi has given me a lot. Everything that I’ve achieved is through Delhi,” she says, feeling overwhelmed and shares, “People would tell me that to become an artiste one needs to go to Mumbai. But, I became one in Delhi... I took up almost any gig that came up. It’s here that I first performed publically, and have till date performed the most number of shows. I believe if Delhi audience accepts and approved of you then you can win hearts of audience anywhere else.”
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