Asia’s largest spoken word festival, Spoken Fest by Kommune, unveiled its much-anticipated 7th edition in Mumbai, this weekend. The mega event honours the power of words, combining diverse forms like stories, music, poetry, theatre, Shayari, comedy, creative workshops, art installations, and immersive experiences—fostering a dynamic and inclusive space for fans across the spectrum. Among the many celebrated artists gracing the stage was digital sensation and content creator Ankush Bahuguna.
The festival took the city by storm, filling the air with raw energy, unfiltered stories, and voices that demanded to be heard. At the Spoken Fest, Ankush delivered a deeply personal and poignant tale about the unbreakable bond between siblings. His story, titled “Teri Favourite Kaun Hai?”, was a heartfelt tribute to his two elder sisters—Badi Didi and Chhoti Didi—who shaped his life in more ways than he ever imagined.
Ankush began by painting a vivid picture of his childhood—a constant tug-of-war for attention in a household where comparisons between siblings were part of the daily routine. “Life in the Bahuguna household was chaotic and melodramatic. Aur ek sawaal tha jo us ghar mein har waqt goonjta tha; at least mere kaanon mein goonjta tha. Dono didiyon ka mujhse poochhna: ‘Anki, bata teri favourite kaun hai?’” (Translation: Life in the Bahuguna household was chaotic and melodramatic. And there was one question that always echoed in that house; at least it echoed in my ears. Both my sisters would ask me: ‘Anki, tell me, who’s your favourite?’). Ankush recalled this with a laugh, setting the tone for a narrative brimming with humour.
He shared that his sisters (Teena and Cheena) turned their winter holidays into a full-fledged radio war, with their makeshift show, Bahuguna Ki Awaaz. “Pehle dono didiyaan ladti thi ki kal tu RJ bani thi, aaj main RJ banungi.”
But the real battle wasn’t over the mic; it was over his loyalty. Despite being the unwitting celebrity guest of their show, they still expected Ankush to pick a side. “Aur guts dekho, yeh sab karne ke baad bhi they expected me to have a favourite out of them! Mera favourite toh aam papad tha bhai! Because … You see, saste nashe run in the Bahuguna blood”, he declared with a grin.
Yet, no amount of dodging could save him from the inevitable question that loomed over his childhood. “Seriously though! Yeh sawal tha mera poora bachpan. ‘Who is your favourite one?’ And even at that age, my inner voice was like ‘Chup kar chup kar! Matt jawaab de, tu phasega’”, he admitted.
After that life became more complicated and so did the competition between his sisters. First, his elder sister, Teena, boldly declared she wanted to marry a man she liked, and while their parents initially opposed, citing their stance against love marriages —she eventually got her way. But the competition didn’t stop there. His younger sister, Cheena, eager to outdo her elder sibling, converted to another religion and planned an interfaith marriage. With their parents firmly against it, Ankush and his elder sister secretly helped her marry in court, making sure she tied the knot without anyone’s knowledge.
Just as the dust was settling from the previous drama, Ankush’s elder sister dropped a bigger bomb—she got divorced, becoming the first in the family, throwing the household into chaos. And that’s how, his younger sister, who had once been the rebellious one, suddenly became the favourite child, but that didn’t last long. A heated argument on Facebook over a family issue quickly had her dethroned from the top spot.
Things took a darker turn when Ankush’s mom discovered that their elder daughter, Teena also consumes alcohol. And as if that wasn’t enough, in true ‘MY TURN’ fashion, his elder sister declared she was remarrying, delivering a double strike in the ongoing competition of life between the two. Now, to top it all off, Ankush’s younger sister, always with fragile health, found herself battling kidney failure at just thirty-five, and was hospitalized.
Cheena’s illness became a harsh reminder of how quickly life could change. She moved back in with Ankush’s family, and once again, the two siblings found themselves roommates. But this time, life had altered them in ways they could never have anticipated. He reminisced, “I used to notice unki skin har baar thodi aur different lagti thi. But smile same thi! Aur pata hai kya same tha? Hum dono ka memes mein taste. Din bhar hum faltu ke memes dekh ke hanste. I told you! Saste nashe, melodrama, aur faltu memes, run in the Bahuguna blood.”
Before the elder one could make her next move, Cheena played her trump card. Ankush was away for a shoot and that’s the day she left. He didn’t even get to meet her.
A month before Rakhi, Cheena had told him, “Anki, mujhe pahad dekhne hain…mujhe pahad dekhne le jaa.” (Translation: Anki, I want to see the mountains… take me to the mountains.) And, something in him had said, “Anki, karle yeh trip. Yeh wali mat postpone karna.”They planned the Rakhi trip to Dehradun, but Cheena didn’t make it that far. Maybe a month was just too long a wait for her.
But Chhoti and Ankush still went. His younger sister wasn’t there, but her Janamaz was. They laid it out in a valley with the most breathtaking view. Ankush recalled, “Us trip par kisi ne nahi poochha, ‘Anki, bata teri favourite kaun hai?’”— a question that had once been inescapable now felt hollow, lost into the silence.
And yet, suddenly, he still hears her – “’Sunn, Bittu ki shaadi mein Teena kya pehen ke aayi thi?’ Ab DNA thodi badlega…..Kyunki saste nashe, melodrama, faltu memes aur endless gossip run in the Bahuguna blood. And so does smiling in the face of tragedy.”
