HYDERABAD: Words can inspire and words can destroy. She was barely 11 when she understood the power, words hold. Her thoughts flowed in the form of ink on the back of her books, today, her words are taking YouTube by a storm. Aranya Johar, the 19 year-old spoken-word performer, pursuing her BA in Philosophy and English at Sophia College, Mumbai is also the co-founder of ‘More than Mics- a curator of Blind Poetry Sessions & series of poetry nights.’
She recites rapid poetry in the backdrop of light instrumental music. And what makes her stand out is her style and the subjects that she chooses- diverse and bold. In her video, "brown girls guide to gender,” she talks a loud about feminism, not by mocking it or putting it forward as a joke, but by directly addressing the root of the problems.
The performer gained 1 million+ views on this video in a short span of time. Her latest performance “A brown girls guide to beauty” also gained 50,000+ views. She says she gathers inspirationfrom Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Chance the rapper. They have influenced her writing.
Excerpts
What made you write on the topics that most people often don’t talk about?
Realising how much we have desensitised ourselves urged me further to write.
Please elaborate if you have had a specific conversation or experience that lead to this?
I was deeply affected by the Nirbhaya and the Lakshmi cases. Also it came to my attention only recently that women bond over assault and harassment.
What is your family background? Did they change after your take on these topics particularly “A brown girl’s guide to gender?”
I come from a very open and liberal family where we discuss these topics often. There was no change in the dynamics within the family post the video coming out.
What were the goals and intentions of your spoken word performance of “A brown girls guide to gender”? How well do you feel you have achieved them?
When I wrote the piece all I wanted to do was to start a conversation and I do feel that has begun.
What was the hardest part about performing this on stage?
The hardest part was performing the piece without reference and attempting to connect with the audience.
What does your videos’ going viral mean to you?
Going viral means bonding with people over boundaries.
Do you think Indians will sensitise to these topics? Will the men and also women ever change their notions in the near future?
I hope this will sensitise them. I am already seeing a change in peoples’ mindset.
Apart from writing, she enjoys learning about the Korean Culture, and she does so by learning the language, listening to their music and learning their dance forms.