When art often mirrors society in its purest form, change towards a better world is not a dream so far away. For Jainil Mehta, a renowned dancer and choreographer, dance as a form is a powerful tool to reflect on society and explore themes like community and identity through simple yet powerful narratives. Known for his revolutionary #meninskirts [dance] movement showing him dancing in the streets of New York wearing a skirt (which took social media by storm), Mehta is ready to set the stage on fire with his new dance production, Sam-Aaj.
Sam-Aaj is a culmination of two words that correlate to the characters Samir (played by Mehta) and Miraaj (played by Shubham Mahawar). “Sam-Aaj is broken up into two words ‘sam’ as in ‘balance’ and ‘aaj’ meaning ‘today’, which talks about how we change over time as individuals; we grow as individuals, we grow in relationships and sometimes we grow out of relationships. This change is inevitable,” he reveals. Blending poetry, music, movements and a story, Sam-Aaj is more than a mere dance performance but a dance narrative. “Art is boundless, it includes all points of view, from religious, political, social, and psychological perspectives. I have interacted with so many people: my family, my friends and from their experiences, I have built this beautiful story.”
From his early childhood days when he used to dance, wrapping his mother’s saree, to now, Mehta has come a long way. “When I was a child, I used to steal mom’s clothes, lock myself up in the room and dance. That came alive when I was around 20 [when the #meninskirts video went viral in 2022]. I always loved the flair and grace of skirts and the fabric so I wanted to use it in my dance. Suddenly, it blew up,” Mehta shares, recounting his #meninskirts movement. According to Mehta, the movement helped him embrace his imperfections and boldness, eventually leading to the creation of Sam-Aaj.
With the performance, Mehta hopes to deliver a warm feeling to the audience. “I wanted to leave people with a cosy feeling and I want to talk about finding balance in our everyday lives,” he confides. He also hopes to convey a simple message on love and acceptance.
The touring journey so far has been anything but smooth with disruption from conservative forces. “We had a protest from RSS organisations in Jaipur, saying that it [the theme of the production] is not a part of the Indian value system and the sanskriti of India, so the theatre had to cancel,” he reveals, adding, “But we did perform at the Jaipur Jantar Hostel. The response has been absolutely positive.” Despite these challenges, he hopes Bengaluru will embrace the production. “Bengaluru is an experimental hub for art, I’m hoping that the audience welcomes us with open arms,” he concludes.
(Sam-Aaj will be held on May 3 at Medai-The Stage, Koramangala, at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced at ₹699, allevents.in)