BENGALURU: With the advent of social media, the notion of beauty has undergone a profound transformation. Scrolling through various social media platforms, one cannot miss the images of flawlessness – faces airbrushed to perfection, bodies moulded into unattainable shapes. But these carefully-curated portrayals of beauty are far from healthy and set an unrealistic standard that is not only unattainable but also actively harmful.
In a new play MAAS, thespian Jyoti Dogra is tackling this phenomenon head-on, exploring the complexities of shame, body image and self-doubt that most endure as a consequence. “The play was developed through my own experiences with body image.
As I got older and out of shape, I noticed how people constantly comment on my body as if it was a bother for them. In India, it’s considered okay to comment on someone’s body, and even parents, partners, and close friends feel entitled to do so. This led me to explore the theme of body shaming and how it affects us,” Dogra shares, adding that over the course its development across three years, the play evolved from being about fitness to focusing more on shame.
Organised by the Prakriti Foundation, Chennai, as part of their 25th-anniversary celebrations in collaboration with the Bangalore International Centre, MAAS will premiere on May 25. In line with Dogra’s previous works in recent years, MAAS is a solo devised piece that uses ‘self’ as a starting point. “The format of the show is more like a spectacle. It involves a 50-year-old actor on stage, which is me, inspecting my own body. It’s like I’m inviting the audience to join me in this inspection, just like aesthetic professionals who comment on someone’s appearance.
The play starts off on a funny note, but gradually becomes more violent (self-inflicted; starving in the name of dieting, for instance) and uncomfortable. I’m interested in exploring the relationship and power dynamics between the performer and the audience. It questions how we judge and shame others, and how that relates to our own power and insecurities,” she adds.
As a subscriber of the Grotowski technique, Dogra’s process is unusual. Rather than working on a production based on a written script, the method involves developing the play based on a deeply personal experience. “I don’t sit and write them, I just get on the floor and start creating scenes. It involves a lot of abstraction, sound and something deeply personal. Not in a biographical way, but an experience that can become universal. For instance, the sound of a fan reminds me of exams or something like that. It also involves the body’s experience. How you feel when you’re in love, during winter, summer and so on,” she adds.
Dogra says the play is for anyone in adulthood, but adamantly rejects the notion of expecting a predetermined response from the audience. “I believe it’s unfair to expect anything from them. I want them to have the freedom to engage with the work in their own way and not feel pressured to conform to any particular response,” she concludes.
(MAAS will premiere at BIC, Domlur on May 25, 7.30pm. Details at bangaloreinternational entre.org)