No filter: Dear ladies, #AskForAngela next time you feel unsafe at a bar

Earlier this week, I was part of an invite-only event at Kingsley, hosted by the lovely Ahalya Anya, whose timeless style and effortless elegance combined with the demeanour of a self-assured and accomplished woman makes it seem like she stepped right out of a book. It only makes sense that Ahalya, a true connoisseur of art, decided to collaborate with the incredible artist, Anita Ratnam, for their latest line of sarees and hosted an incredible evening under a beautiful tree in the courtyard of Kingsley. The audience were enthralled, intrigued and amused in equal parts by Anita Ratnam’s ‘A Million Sitas’. She had travelled three continents over nearly a decade now with this show, which continues to be politically and socially relevant — making it just the kind of art we need in our lives. I urge you to watch it if you have the opportunity, and do take your parents and even grandparents along, as it’s the perfect way to ease them into a conversation about our epics and the ‘family values’ they espouse.

Anita plays the narrator or the sutradhar, as well as the roles of five beautiful, complex and real women — Sita, Surpanakha, Ahalya, Mandodhari and Manyata. Anita sings beautifully, and might I add, in her commanding voice, dances, narrates, acts and at times even engages the audience in a conversation. The characters may be from the Ramayana, but for a change, it is from the perspective of its women. Anita does these women justice in bringing to life their true beauty, complexities, and frustrations with a society that often failed and misunderstood them.

She tells me, “In their limited space, these women in a patriarchal society are trying to assert themselves and sometimes, they make mistakes. They aren’t meant to be idolised, as they are flawed and complex, just like us humans. India is in a turmoil, but look into the Ramayana deeper and we can find parallels to our lives. We celebrate Ram Navami, and the Kings are named Ram in Thailand, but we don’t know when is Sita’s birthday. I want people to re-read our epics and think. This is about giving women the agency, power and place in society and not be relegated to the background as mere accessories.”

During times when the mere utterance of the name Rama can polarise people, and Jai Shri Ram is a battle cry, Anita’s ever-evolving performance made everyone reflect on their lives and choices. “It’s not about Hinduism, it is a story about our lives. Ramayana intersects with India’s life in so many ways. People of all religions sing it and acknowledge it. It has gone to other countries too. It’s our story and also a global story,” she signs off. After that wonderful evening and this conversation with Anita, I just picked up a copy of the Ramayana. I think it’s high time I revisited this epic story.