Renowned theatre performer Jyoti Dogra will be performing her piece MAAS in Singapore on September 27 and 28 at the iconic Esplanade. Through MAAS, which means flesh in Hindi, the thespian addressed subjects such as aging, beauty standards and body image.
Jyoti, who will be performing three shows in Singapore — 8 pm on September 27, and 3 pm and 8 pm on September 28 — spoke to Connected to India’s Himanshu Verma about her upcoming show and journey as a performer.
MAAS was conceived in 2019 after Jyoti heard her friends showing concern about her “putting on so much weight”. “It’s not that they’re trying to put me down, just the fact that I looked different, is something that’s bothering them and by speaking of it, they kind of get past it.”
Jyoti says she made the piece as a tool to avenge all the comments she received about her body. “Fat is not about fat at all, fat is about shame, body is about shame… The idea of shame is something that’s put in you, it is not a thing that you’re born with,” she says.
Jyoti says shame is gender neutral, however, women are more openly put down. She also highlights the negative impact of patriarchy in the Indian society, stating that it is seldom questioned.
Watch the full interview below.
