The concluding day of the fest saw Indian journalist, author, radio storyteller, scriptwriter and lyricist, Neelesh Misra take the stage to regale the audience with the power of storytelling.

The multifaceted storyteller, whose zeal for narrative artistry has garnered him recognition across multiple mediums, underscored the relevance of storytelling in today’s fast-evolving attention-deficit digital age.

Spotlighting storytelling as a powerful tool for marketing and communication, due to the emotional and neural connections it forms with audiences, Mishra said, “When someone tells a story, it sees the coming together of the teller and the listener in a process that scientists call neural coupling.”

He delved into the concept of neural coupling, describing how our brains react to characters and events in stories as if we are personally experiencing them.

Referring to advertisers as ‘world’s greatest communication professionals’ and ‘some of the most powerful people who decide what consumers will eat, wear or buy’, Mishra cautioned on the hazards of misdirected communication. 

"My biggest concern is that the most powerful communication platforms in the country are out of touch with their audience." 

Underscoring the importance of empathy, he insisted that communicators should never be condescending. “Never talk down to your audience,” he stated. “The biggest secret sauce that this power has given us is of ‘empathy’,” he added.

Furthermore, he warned against commoditising the audience in the name of marketing and advertising. “Everything is not transactional. We know when you are selling something to us. But it's important that I feel the empathy that you have for me as a consumer while doing do.”

Additionally, he emphasised the often neglected importance of purpose in effective communication.

He further stressed on the importance of clear and empathetic communication in building strong relationships, in both personal and professional settings.

In addition, he cautioned marketers and communication professionals on the downsides of unethical marketing, “Stories are a tiny nuclear device. Every time the listener should feel it’s their story,” he said, adding, “We must ensure our communication does not harm people, knowing that it’ll not ruin their lives, as that would be a crime.”

Mishra went on to highlight the significance of self-expression in communication and storytelling. “How to express oneself should be taught in school I believe,” he stressed. 

Describing the strength of narration, Mishra stated how it's important to get into the skin of the character that one writes stories about, to better connect with diverse people across the country and from small towns. 

“I morph into a different person entirely while writing a story. Every time I write a story I become someone else. I could turn into a 45-year old woman or 70-year-old grandfather, get into their psyche and see the world from their perspective,” he said, narrating his own experience.

In the course of the engaging session, Mishra unravelled the intricacies of storytelling, offering invaluable insights into the power of narrative in captivating audiences and conveying messages effectively. He explored the techniques of storytelling, from crafting honest and authentic plots to evoking emotions, providing a holistic understanding of the art form's nuances.

Harnessing the art of storytelling to engage and inspire, Mishra also spoke about a lost era when writing letters used to be the sole mode of communication between near and dear ones. To drive the message to his audience, he narrated a story about the dying art of writing letters to loved ones miles away from us, which has today been replaced by emails and text messages with the advent of the internet.