A very basic question, but one that defines your existence, or how you ‘choose’ to live your life: ‘Are you happy with the version of yourself you find yourself in?’
Maas, a devised play by Jyoti Dogra, deep dives into a world of how society perceives the body — our body — and claims rights over it, also dictating our emotions attached to it.
In the past few years, Jyoti, a theatre artiste from Mumbai, has moved increasingly towards making devised pieces, which are not narrative driven, but use the self as the starting point. Her work attempts to find a performance language through metaphors created with the body, voice and text.
When we speak to her about Maas, she tells us, “The whole piece is set on the pressure of looking a certain way. It’s a pressure which is often generated by things which are actually invisible, whether it’s the advertising industry, fashion or the food or beauty industry. A lot of this stuff has settled inside us subconsciously. As a society, we consume all these ideas, and then start enforcing these ideas within ourselves and on those around us, and the kind of violence which it creates is what needs to be talked about.”
Explaining the “violence”, Jyoti says, “Irrespective of our shape, gender or size, we find ourselves at the deep end of the shallow business of beauty. And often drown in the not so shallow waters of shame and self loathing, subjecting the body to all kinds of violence; violence that is subtle, layered and surprisingly funny! Funny because we recognise it spot on! Funny because it is ours collectively, even when it is intensely private. It’s funny until it’s not.”
As a maker of this piece, Jyoti has chosen to put her body as the exhibit in this performance. “Yes, my body is what we are going to discuss; all the things, places and ways it has failed. Starting with the fact that this is a 50-year-old woman’s body, which in itself is a failure! You shouldn’t be looking 50 or you shouldn’t be 50, or you shouldn’t be menopausal! That’s what society makes you believe! Because this is not spoken about or celebrated. So, that is your biggest failure to begin with,” she shares.
In a world where ‘not looking your age’ is considered the biggest compliment, Jyoti attempts to break this façade through her play Maas. “I want to look my age because I’ve earned it; I own a lot of experiences; my body has gone through a lot, and I want to be able to carry it gracefully, rather than hiding it or suppressing it, or putting it through oppression, which is self generated. So, all of this comes across in my piece, more from a perspective of dark humour,” she explains.
Tickets at Rs 250.
October, 3 & 4, 7 pm onwards.
At Edouard Michelin Auditorium, Alliance Française of Madras.
Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @rupsjain
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