"It angers me," said Kathak dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas as we sat down with her to talk about the taboos surrounding female sexuality.
Known for adding a contemporary touch to classical dance, Aditi is prepping for her solo performance at The National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai on December 4. This time, with her production, she confronts the sanctioning of female sexual desires by society.
Her performance, called Forbidden, questions why even the most liberal nations punish women for pursuing their sexual desires. In an exclusive chat with Indulge, Aditi revealed what she plans to achieve with her performance, where she got the inspiration for it and what should the audience expect.
On the inspiration behind Forbidden
"There are stories from all over the world about how women are sanctioned, controlled, hounded and eventually punished to have the courage to own their sexual desires," Aditi said while complaining that there are insidious ways in which female sexuality is restricted.
She gave the example of the Chedh-Chadh act in classical dancing and noted, "We are dumbed out by the fact that it is done so beautifully but what is the message it is giving out? It is giving out the message that 'no' means 'yes'."
On dance to confront taboos of female sexuality
"There is a kind of rage that arises; how can I express it? It is only through dance. Everything that I have touched until now has been something that has been consuming the question that why is the world scared of female sexuality. I am no scholar, I am no historian but I am a woman who has experienced and seen," Aditi said.
She further claimed that female fantasy frightens everyone and roughly quoted author Devdutt Pattanaik. "One way of regulating female fantasy is by propagating stories where women who have pursued their desires are viewed as dangerous and hence need to be restrained for social good," she said.
On preparation for the performance
Speaking of her performance, Aditi shared that when she and her team were producing the piece, they had tons of conversations with people from all walks of life to understand their take on female sexuality.
On her costume
Aditi told us that she's wearing a skin-toned kurta and pyjama which have been designed by a Japanese designer. "She (the designer) knows my movement vocabulary. I am wearing a very simple kurta and pyjama which is skin-toned and has splashes of dull pink like a blooming flower; it's very subtle," she said.
What to expect
Towards the end, Aditi thanked the organisers and her collaborators while sharing what the audience should expect from the show. "I just hope people come with an open mind. It is very innocent and very ferocious at the same time and it talks about female sexuality and asks why is it that the world is scared of it."
The event is being commissioned by The Drishtikon Dance Foundation and co-commissioned by National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai Sadler’s Wells, London.
Mail: muskankhullar@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @muskankhullar03