‘The conversation around gender is escaping no one’

Mallika Taneja, a Delhi-based artist in her mid-thirties, shakes you up when she presents her theatrical wonder Thoda Dhyan Se. Her monologues flow on stage, one after the other. They are expressions of what girls and women often think — ‘Why are we asked to be careful about the way we walk, talk and behave or else ‘we’ may end up attracting people?’ 

The theatrical presentation pierces through the tenets of patriarchy held close to our heart for generations. 

Taneja recently performed at Jamia Milia Islamia University at the 14th National Meeting of Network of Women In Media, India (NWMI). Sakal Times spoke to her about Thoda Dhyan Se and her journey so far. Excerpts...

You have been presenting Thoda Dhyan Se — a feminist satirical play since 2013 as a response to the gang rape of a photojournalist in Mumbai. How has your journey been as an artist and as a person since then?
As an artist and as a person, I think the journey post this play has been extremely humbling for me. I have grown to understand the possibilities and limitations of my body, its language, its position and its privilege. I have also noticed how the conversation around gender has been slowly but surely shifting in the country.

What were the initial challenges while presenting this play? I believe, fearing obscenity charges, many people had denied supporting this play...
It is normal for venues to fear consequences of a piece that could potentially be threatening to their existence. I understand this and appreciate the honesty with which venues communicate their hesitation. These are generally mainstream venues. But I also must say that I have found tremendous support through the alternative venue scene that is slowly growing in India. And neither me nor a venue has ever been charged with obscenity. I think our audiences are way more mature than we think!

Initially, you used to present a part of the play in your undergarments and at one point you decided to present it in your bare skin. When you first made this transition, how did people react to it?
The transition came when I got involved with the Zurich Theatre Festival in 2013. This is when the 8-minute ‘sketch’ became a 20-minute ‘piece’. Many things about it changed. Many aspects of it were brought into question. Colleagues at Gati Dance Forum asked some tough questions on the piece which was very helpful and then Maya Krishna Rao (renowned Delhi-based actor, director, writer, educator and activist) helped greatly with the transition of the piece. People react in several ways but mostly, it is due to the appreciation of people that the piece and I have thrived.

A majority of people, irrespective of their educational, social, economic or intellectual background, carry forward patriarchal mindsets; they don’t question beliefs and actions. Not just men but women and girls too are guilty of it. What kind of reactions have you received for your play?
That’s the thing about patriarchy! None of us are free of it! When people watch the play, they react in several ways... some question themselves, some question me, some question the world around them. Many also reject the method adopted but many applaud it as well. I think the piece is able to stir a conversation around safety, responsibility and victim blaming. This could be a small drop in the process of feminism that we are all involved with.

Do you feel there is a gap between the way people react to the play and your own thinking process as an actor? What could be the reasons for the same?
I have lived with this piece for far longer than anyone who is watching it. So there is definitely going to be a gap between my thought processes and how they react. But I am always listening to what people say because they can see things I cannot; different contexts are very big eye openers to your own limited perspectives.

What has changed in terms of audience feedback in the past six years since you started presenting this play?
More and more people now know about the piece and so the shock value has reduced. People come in now expecting the content of the play. My own view on what the piece is doing has changed and this has helped me tweak the piece constantly in a way that can speak to larger audiences. I definitely notice that the conversation around gender is changing and more and more people are involved... or let’s just say, the conversation around gender is escaping no one.