Jyoti Dogra's Maas: An Unflinching Look at Women and Shame
Theatre audiences recently experienced a powerful evening of introspection with Jyoti Dogra's acclaimed performance 'Maas', which used stark minimalism to hold up a mirror to contemporary womanhood. The ninety-minute production opened with a single pool of light illuminating Dogra dressed in red, completely motionless, setting the tone for an intense exploration of female identity.
The Unsettling Journey of Self-Discovery
Over the next hour and a half, Dogra meticulously peeled back layers of female experience—both through shifting costumes and through an unguarded examination of how women learn to inhabit bodies shaped by societal gaze, patriarchy and inherited shame. Her arresting stage presence commanded attention throughout the performance, particularly during what she described as an onstage 'striptease' performed in intentionally unsettling costumes.
'When I started the show, the challenge was how far do I humiliate myself to get the point across?' Dogra revealed about her creative process. The initial laughter from audience members quickly faded as the performer delved deeper into themes of self-inflicted judgment and internalized violence, creating a palpable silence in the performance space.
When Discomfort Becomes Collective
The performance masterfully shifted the discomfort from being solely the protagonist's to becoming everyone's shared experience. Maas gently nudges viewers to recognize how shame silently structures fundamental aspects of daily life—from how we move and dress to how we eat and perceive ourselves. Dogra characterizes shame as 'a violent thing' that we turn on ourselves long before anyone else does.
What began as a lighter conceptual exploration, Dogra admits, 'got real dark real quickly.' She spoke powerfully about the loneliness of self-hatred and how readily the female body becomes a site of discipline, anger and inherited policing. 'You end up treating your body like a slave instead of treating it with kindness,' she observed during the performance.
Audience Reactions and Critical Acclaim
Among the audience members was noted dancer and actress Jaya Seal Ghosh, who expressed profound appreciation for the production. 'The play is a powerful and relatable journey about how women struggle to accept themselves as they age and put on weight, but it's also about embracing who we are,' Ghosh commented. She particularly highlighted the perfection of the musical elements and Dogra's direct connection with audience members that made each person feel personally addressed.
Maas achieves its powerful impact without relying on theatrical spectacle, instead creating an intimate space where viewers inevitably confront themselves. In doing so, the performance reveals just how deeply shame is embedded in our collective psyche, particularly regarding female embodiment and self-perception in contemporary Indian society.
