Mumbai-based writer, performer and director Vikrant Dhote’s solo performance Dekho Magar Pyaar Se was developed through a grant awarded by the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan and Sandbox Collective as part of Gender Bender 2015. Directed by Gurleen Judge, the performance explores masculinity and queerness. In an email interview, Vikrant explains the creative process.
Edited excerpts:
How did the idea for creating this piece come to you?
It came out of the need to engage critically with my identity. In my first year of training at the London International School of Performing Arts, a number of questions were posed to us about the kind of work we wanted to do - aesthetically and in terms of content. When I came back I worked on a project called ‘Keep Calm and Hashtag’, which was a piece that explored gender and public/virtual spaces, and performed to audiences between the ages of 13 and 18. After each performance, we had a feedback session with the audience. The discussions were thought-provoking and enlightening. It became clear that there was a need to react and rebel because the students were being fed the same regressive notions of gender that were given to me when I was at school. So this play was my attempt to ask audiences to simply engage with the idea of gender and sexuality and to reflect on it through humour.
Which extracts of the landmark 2009 judgement on section 377 delivered by the High Court have you woven into the production?
We have used the extracts which draw out basic definitions of gender and sexuality, and also some that speak about fundamental rights and privacy of individuals. We decided to incorporate the latter because we felt it applied to all individuals, even those who may not identify as queer.
Tell us a little about four narratives in the production ?
The first sequence is something that we all go through while growing up. The idea came to me when I was doing some research and I saw that something called the ‘Real Man Academy’ actually exists and you can learn to be a real man for Rs. 25,000. The second one is a semi-autobiographical piece which looks at the world of Bollywood and its hypocrisies — a young man transforms into his favourite heroine as a child, but she has some rather strong opinions. The third talks about a heterosexual relationship and the secrets we keep lest our partners think we are a little too kinky for their taste. In the fourth sequence, the audience is confronted with some basic questions about how far their ‘pseudo-liberal’ mindset extends.
How destructive are popular images in our understanding of sexuality?
We are constantly bombarded with images that privilege heterosexuality. And we consume these images without really recognising how harmful and toxic they are. Although there have been some strong queer characters in films and ads in recent months, the majority of the representation is still stereotypical. Bollywood is steeped in homophobia and misogyny. The portrayals of queer characters are crass and stereotypical.
How was it like to create this solo piece?
The idea for one part of the piece took shape at a workshop for creating solo performance with John Britton at the Au Brana Cultural Centre in Lectoure, France. I was playing around with a sari and all the things I could do with it as a material, infused with personal memories. The Gender Bender grant was a great opportunity to develop and detail it.
I explored by myself for some time, after which Gurleen came on board, and together we created a sequence. We were selected to perform at Thespo Fringe in December 2015 and the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in February this year.
(The performance will be held on July 27 at Beagles Loft, at 7 p.m., on July 28 at The Humming Tree, Indiranagar, at 7 p.m., on July 29, at IIHS, at 6.30 p.m. on July 30 at Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, at 3.30 p.m. and 7 p.m., On July 31, at 7 p.m., at Numa. Tickets are available on bookmyshow.com)
