I am the judge of what I do, and I stand by it: Mallika Sarabhai

“I am not waiting for social sanction, I am my own judge”, says acclaimed dancer, choreographer, writer, actress and activist Mallika Sarabhai. In the city for recitation of her memoir In Free Fall: My Experiments With Living, Sarabhai spoke to us about art, technology and more. Excerpts:

‘My parents were privileged to have been involved in nation building’
Sarabhai is the daughter of the late Mrinalini and Vikram Sarabhai, both Padma awardees. She told us that values like welfare of society and use of art were inculcated in her from a young age. “As a child, I always saw Amma using Bharatanatyam and Kathakali primarily to talk about social issues. Nation building was something that both my parents were privileged to do. And my upbringing laid the foundation for using art for social change,” she said.

Taking impetus from different mediums
Sarabhai feels art is the most evocative language to talk about ideas as people don't come to watch a performance with any prejudice. Her approach to any artform involves selecting themes that resonate with her and thinking of effective ways to convey them to diverse audiences. “When I started producing my own work, the story I wanted to tell through a project required me to sing to talk about Mirabai and learn martial arts while talking about the Rani of Jhansi. I also take impetus from different mediums and think about what it is that I want to convey through my work,” she said.

On her tryst with technology...
Sarabhai sees technology as a tool for showcasing classical dance forms to a global audience. “I'm the daughter of a scientist and an artist. I find technology brilliant, and I believe that better technology enhances the focus and reach of art without diluting its essence. For example, if I'm doing a live performance, you may be looking at my feet when you should be looking at my abhinaya. With technology, we can bring the focus to just that,” she added.

On artistic freedom and social responsibility...
“I call myself an artivist, not an activist. For me, my language is art,” she said, adding, “I am not waiting for validation on social media. I am the judge of what I do, what I believe in, and I stand by it.”

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