explore how gender has never been a rigid binary in Indian mythology and performing arts
Haleem Khan is a contemporary female impersonator in Kuchipudi Pic/Haleem Khan on Facebook
The umbrella term, LGBTQI, often makes it to newspaper headlines and even social conversations. But despite being a buzzword today, it is riddled with misunderstanding and taboos - queerness is often seen as a western import and a phenomenon of the 21st century. On the last day of Pride month, these and other myths will be dispelled at the lecture, Queerness in Indian Mythology and Performing Arts.
Organised by the Playpen Performing Arts Trust, the Mumbai chapter of which was started by theatre personalities Mahesh Dattani and Brinda Shankar, the expert for this session is Urmi Chanda-Vaz, clinical psychologist, indologist, literary critic, writer and research consultant.
Bal Gandharva. Pic/Rajshri Marathi on YouTube
"Our culture is so intricately married to mythology that you can't separate one from the other. And where there is religion and performing arts, queerness somehow has acceptance, which is not so in society at large," explains Chanda-Vaz, who discovered a course in comparative mythology at the University of Mumbai about five years ago, and loved it so much that she decided to carve a career in it. She continues, "The moment you bring in gods and mythological heroes, queerness is seen as something magical but not - and I will not shy away from using the word - freaky. The idea is to understand these traditions deeply, take away [the message of acceptance] in them, and apply it in real life."
Ardhanarishwara sculpture in Elephanta
Talking about non-conformity to gender binaries, crossed genders and queer tales from epic myths, she says, "One of the most fundamental ideas where a lot of myths surrounding queerness are derived from is that of the Ardhanarishwara, Shiva's form as half Shiva and half Parvati, which traces itself to the idea of the universal soul being one and genderless." Chanda-Vaz cites other examples such as Arjun's 13th year of agyatwas in the Mahabharata as Brihannala.
Mahesh Dattani's play, Dance Like a Man, addressed gender-normative roles
From mythology, Chanda-Vaz will move on to performing arts, starting with the first century BC text of Bharata's Natyashastra, which has a mention of impersonation. She will also discuss the social circumstances that led to the shrinking presence of women in social spaces and how traditions of men playing the role of women were born out of that.
"The performing arts have helped keep the idea of queerness alive, which has otherwise been closeted. Veteran singer and actor Bal Gandharva was given the title because he was so good at playing a woman's part. But why is a man cross-dressing such a big deal today?" she asks.
Urmi Chanda-Vaz and Mahesh Dattani
"All societies, and specifically old world societies such as ours focus on procreation as the objective of marriage. Queerness challenges these expectations in many ways. So it is not really the individual but the concept itself that many feel is against the grain of culture," shares Dattani.
Haleem Khan
Chanda-Vaz agrees. "Most societies are patriarchal, where deviation from the greater norm is always met with resistance. If you are any different, you are made to suffer the consequences," she sums up.
ON: June 30, 4 pm to 5 pm
AT: Prabhadevi (location to be shared after registration).
REGISTER: info@playpentheatre.in
ENTRY: Rs 450
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