Women in the performing fields - like acting, dancing, singing and even the media, being more in the public gaze, have been - and still are - subject to intense ‘scrutiny’. The male mindset seems not to have changed much from the time of Rukmani Devi Arundale - a century ago. This legendary Bharatanatyam danseuse was spat upon by orthodox Brahmins on the streets of Madras (now Chennai), when she ventured to perform publically on stage. Often women in the performing fields are viewed as ‘entertainers’, who have been ‘bought off’ in the form of show tickets by their male audiences. A popular Bollywood actress was jostled, pushed and touched inappropriately during a stage show. Though she denied the incident, witnesses tell another story. Another actress was harassed by on-lookers during the shooting of a TV serial, and no one came to her aid. This commodification of women performing artistes is an insult to their skill and talent. No wonder many families try to discourage their girls from taking up fields of work that are open to public gaze and interaction. Many women in this public space are taught to just ignore any harassment, as it is considered to be an ‘occupational hazard’. Women performers on stage also have to deal with drunken elements in the audience. Though they are protected by ‘bouncers’, it is an unpleasant experience to be the recipient of lewd comments. At other times, disinterested male members of an audience think nothing of walking up and down the aisles, ruffling packets of potato chips or sipping from cold drinks, in total disregard of a performer’s effort and prowess on stage.
Due to the promulgation of a law banning dance bars in Maharashtra in 2005, over 75,000 bar dancers lost their jobs and many were forced into prostitution (in the Gulf countries). Others migrated to states like UP and Bihar, where they continue to be exploited by the organisers of small stage shows. Though the Supreme Court has struck down the ban on dance bars, the State Government is promulgating an ordinance to deny women their fundamental right to perform in public and to earn their livelihood. A dramatic case is that of Pragaash, the all-girl rock band from Kashmir. Though they were supported by the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, the talented girls - Noma, Farah and Aneeka - received rape and death threats (on their mobile phones and through social media). The Grand Mufti of Kashmir, Mohammad Bashiruddin, issued a Fatwa banning their performances, citing an Islamic law that supposedly states that the singing by women in public is ‘haraam’ (forbidden). The girls sadly had to comply and were never heard of again. Surprisingly though, our troubled neighbour Pakistan, despite having a reputation of ill-treating its women and minorities, seems to have fared better on this score. While in Pakistan also women are not allowed by law to perform in public spaces, the mother-daughter duo of Indu and Tehreema (pre-Partition migrants from India) has been teaching Bharatanatyam to Muslim girls for fifty-four years. Though they receive threats from clerics, Muslim extremists and the like, civil society has ensured that the artistes are able to continue in their endeavour to teach Indian Classical Dance to their passionate pupils. Surely a secular and democratic India should do better in securing public spaces and places for our talented girls and women. υ
The Writer is a renowned Kuchipudi Danseuse and Choreographer
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