Let's start right at the top. Can
you tell us a bit about your childhood, growing years, education and work - and
all that led you up to the work you do today?
I could not
have asked for a better childhood! It was so much of fun with such cherished
memories. I was a outdoor person and would be on the streets until seven in the
evening and would fall asleep the moment I entered home. That would leave my
amma with no option, but to complete my homework the next morning! I was a very
average student in school, but never scoffed at. I was huge movie buff and
Jayalalitha was my inspiration. Ramaswamy Cho, Manohar to name a few were my
heroes on stage. After every movie or play, I would sincerely come back and
stand in front of the mirror and enact the dialogues. I made sure to be on
stage during the school annual day celebrations. This beautiful childhood took
a turbulent path the moment I turned fifteen and was all set for college. Being
raised in a conservative household and going to the most happening college in
town, Mount Carmel did not complement one another. Here began my struggle
as I wanted to pursue an unconventional career path. I wanted to be a model. I
wanted to do theatre and was interested in joining the National school of
Drama. I did theatre in college too. This certainly was not liked by my family.
Adding fuel to the fire was my falling in love with a boy from a different
background. I was married off the moment I graduated to a boy of my parent's
choice. My college love didn't work out. But I got married to the most progressive
family that did not conform to gender roles. My husband made it very clear to
me that I need to make my life choices and I required nobody's
permission. I was fortunate to have found a husband whose world views were so
different.
What inspired your foray into
education and counselling?
My daughter
was born the very next year of marriage and I decided my adventures were to be
with her. As I began teaching her as a child, I realised that I was doing a
pretty decent job of tutoring and I was enjoying it too. When my daughter
entered her teens, it was a challenge for me to make her sail through this
phase of identity crisis smoothly. She was a very demanding and troublesome
adoloscent and she turned out to be my case study for raising teenaged
children. I understood the physical, psychological and physiological turmoil
that she was undergoing and wanted to lend my ear and shoulder to her. Empathy
and perceiving the world from her lens was the key to unlock this stormy phase.
I thought why not consider this as a career option.This is when I decided to
hone my skills in education and counselling and obtained a teaching degree
along with a masters in psychology. It was not an easy one as it was back to
school after almost eighteen years of break. But, here again my husband's
support and encouragement made this feat possible. This combination really
helped me transforming teaching into an interesting, fun loving and interactive
process. I took calculated risks in the classroom and made the mundane chore of
teaching a magical one. Using the Multiple Intelligence theory of Howard
Gardner I tapped the inner potential of every child and nurtured the same. And
counselled thousands of children who needed support. Even today, I tell parents
that their child is normal and smart and it is parents who need to unveil the
mind and start thinking out the box.
After twenty
years of gratified teaching, I realised I was fifty and had to give back to the
community. So I became a member of Soroptimist International (SI),
Bangalore is the city branch of the National Association of Soroptimists
International, India, affiliated to Soroptimist International of Great Britain
and Ireland. SI Bangalore is committed to a world where women and girls
together achieve their individual and collective potential, realise
aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong and peaceful
communities worldwide. Our projects touch on various social issues
like education, empowerment and health. SI has a consultative
status in the UN. This was a deep learning curve and gave me a
meaningful opportunity to offer my small service to girls/ women in the
community. As the Past President of SI, Bangalore and being an educationist, I
started the Stars of Tomorrow, an education initiative and Project Bead to
lead, a women empowerment initiative under the aegis of SI, Bangalore. As one
of the twenty member delegates from India at two successive CSW at the UN, New
York helped me in understanding the SDGs and more importantly SDG 5 that
focuses on women empowerment and gender equality and their implementation in
depth.
You also work with theatre - what
brought that on?
Just as
habits die hard, so does your passion. The passion of the stage and spotlight
which was lying dormant became dominant. As I had the time and energy, I wanted
to revive it. So after repeated attempts, my perseverance paid off. I got my
first theatrical break in the play" We live in Bhopal", with Renegade
Arts and Theatre Society. There was no looking back after that. I was part of
Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues at 58! I portrayed Swami's paati in Swami and
Friends for the Jagriti theatre festival. I also completed a Theatre of
the Oppressed facilitator workshop in Boston. I am an ardent admirer of Augusto
Boal!
The interesting blend of all three
areas of your work - education, theatre, and counselling, culminates in Theatre
for Change. Can you tell us about your work in that space?
After
completing the TOI workshop is when I realised the power of theatre that can be
used for the Voices of the Unheard or the oppressed. Theatre should be a
combination of entertainment and engagement. With this concept was born "
Theatre for Change", a non-profit theatre initiative in 2015. Being a
special needs educator, I wanted my pilot project to be dedicated to the
differently abled community. As a volunteer at public schools in the US, I
noticed the special needs children were not labelled and went to the main
stream school. This concept certainly was lacking in India. So I named the play
with the metaphor "UDAAN", Undoubtedly differently Abled Amazing
Nebulae. I also penned the lyrics for a poetry which goes" Special
children are a DELIGHT, in their own RIGHT! The protagonist of the play was
twenty three year old Sanjana with autism. I gave a voice over to express her
feelings to the society, requesting them to not look for the missing quality
and to accept her one among them. This was staged for Childrens day and had
children from schools across the city. It was a resounding success covered by
the print and electronic media that enabled the message to reach far and wide!
The second play was defying the myth about ageism where children were a part of
the event bridging the gap between the young and the old. This was premiered at
Nightingales, the senior citizen community. Both the plays sensitized children
and parents thanked me for bringing about a change in their children's
perception of seniors and special needs children. This reinforced the power of
theatre. And my current production "When the rainbow is enough" are
narrative monologues of compelling personal stories. Initially this was started
to provide a platform for women above 50 who had rich inner stories. The first
four shows had seniors and interestingly it took a new turn with youngsters
being part of later shows and adding a different perspective and flavor
to the play. After seven successful shows across cities in India, we are
delighted to be staging our eighth show in Boston next month. The show here
will focus on South Asian American women narrating their compelling personal
stories on racism, empowerment, identity, mental health and FGM
(survivor). The Cambridge city councillor Sumbul Siddiqui has graciously
accepted to be part of the event.
And now, onto Project Bead to Lead -
what does that entail?
Project Bead
to Lead was started in 2013 as a women empowerment initiative of SI, Bangalore.
Women from the informal settlements of Ganga Nagar, Bangalore underwent
vocational training in jewellery making and the nuances of marketing. The
materials are sourced from China, Korea and Taiwan. The beads are lead and cadmium
free. Once the finished products are ready, we generally hold exhibitions where
these women themselves man the stalls. The remuneration for their efforts, time
and commitment is rewarded by taking care of their girl children's
education.
Clearly, you're a changemaker beyond
the scope of what words can do justice to, in describing! How do you keep your
spirits up in a world that is so dedicated to quelling attempts at change?
I am 61
years YOUNG and I would with pride say my life after fifty has been simply
breathtaking and meaningful. People often ask me how I am so energetic and do
things that even a twenty year old would think twice to do! I tell them I love
what I do and I do what I love!! Age, I have always believed is just a
number. Yes, societal tongues and mouths will continue to wag and bark as
this is their sole entertainment! Basking in unwanted gossip. We need to raise
above all these and do whatever you're convinced with. Follow your heart
and the moment your top chamber takes over, let me honestly tell you, you will
not do 90% of the things what you want to do. For instance, there were many who
were unable to understand why I was doing The Vagina Monologues at 58!! Is she
crazy? That did not deter me as I knew this was more than just vaginas!!
Empowerment in the truest sense of the word. The same experience
when I enrolled for Shiamak Davar's Bollywood workshop. I joined as I simply
love dancing! If you need to bring about a change, it's a herculean task as
you're crossing the boundaries drawn by society for which you need to pay
a price, big or small. Even Ekalavya was not spared. He mastered archery
which was exclusively for the upper strata of society and had to pay a huge
price of giving away his thumb for crossing those lines. To sum up, life is
short and sweet to have regrets. And theatre done in a social context always raises
critical questions to society. All my plays have done it! My daily mantra is "Just
go for it! Live life on your terms and conditions! If you truly love yourself,
you'll do it!!
What's in the pipeline, next?
I have
always believed in making my initiatives inclusive and diverse. I would like to
expand the current production by including women from the working class,
especially garment/domestic helpers/nurse community. I have moderated
panel discussions where working class women were panelists voicing out their
opinion in different languages. Nevertheless, what matters is their voices to
be heard. I am already on this job connecting with various organisations
working on urorganised sectors. And my next show will also include a
representation from the LGBT community and survivors of various
atrocities. And a
personal note on my husband and daughter. They have been my support system
without which I will not be where I am today! We raised our daughter without
defined gender roles and this has culminated in her reaching the status of a
professor at Harvard. She is 39, single and very happy.