Meet The Popular Spoken Word Poet Slamming Patriarchy

Brut India spoke to Aranya Johar, a teenage spoken-word artist, who has struck a chord with poems about ordinary women experiencing everyday sexism.

Transcript

00:00I wanted people to be so uncomfortable and then to realise that how they feel within

00:05those two and a half minutes of me performing is how every woman feels every day, all the time.

00:17Not just me, my mother, sisters, friends all, quick in their pace, pose 30 in the evening.

00:23My mom telling me to wear skirts out less often, nirbhaya and more, left forgotten.

00:27We don't want to be another of India's daughters, do we?

00:40I had a voice and opinion but they muted my sound,

00:43probably because I was told, boys only like girls who are fair and lovely.

00:46I was probably like 13 when I performed the first time. I sneaked into a bar

01:02because that time there was only one open mic that would happen in Bombay

01:06and that was the first time I ticked that box of are you 18 and above when I wasn't.

01:10The first boy who held my hand told me boys don't want to hear about vaginas bleeding.

01:20Younger me could smell the misogyny, vaginas only meant to be fucked,

01:24breasts only meant to be sucked, mouths only meant to blow.

01:30My mom was so excited because she finds it so funny when I cuss.

01:35My dad was like, that is very different, Aaru.

01:44When I sit back and look at, you know, say my DMs or my Facebook or my Twitter or whatever,

01:49there'll be like five very rude, hateful comments

01:53and there'll be like 40 or 50 comments of admiration and appreciation.

01:58I used to slut shame girls a lot and once I started reading more about feminism,

02:06I realized it was wrong. Your first thought seeing someone dress more confidently,

02:10then you might be like, what is slut? And then catching yourself saying, no, that's wrong.

02:14So being a feminist in 2018 is realizing there's going to be change

02:18all around and be ready to change yourself.