Lavanyavati: Documentary theatre reframes lavani beyond stereotypes

What does it mean to be a Lavanyavati — a performer of Lavani?That question is at the heart of Lavanyavati, a documentary theatre production by Kali Billi Productions that was performed at The Lab @ Shanta on October 1 in Chennai.

Lavani, a 250-year-old folk form from Maharashtra traditionally performed by women from Bhatu, Kalwat, Dombari and other nomadic and OBC communities, has often been misrepresented in popular culture as vulgar, with performers labelled as vamps or victims.

“To counter such fictional narratives, the production has been built around research, oral histories, interviews and personal narratives, using a non-fiction format,” said Savitri Medhatul, founder of Kali Billi Productions, who has been collaborating with Lavani and Tamasha artists since 2005.

Conceived and designed by Medhatul and originally commissioned by the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa in December 2022, Lavanyavati traces Lavani’s journey from its roots in Tamasha and Sangeet Bari in rural Maharashtra to its presence in metros like Mumbai.

Blending live Lavani songs with oral histories, archival family photographs, video interviews and collaborations with Agents of Ishq and filmmaker Paromita Vohra, the production presents Lavani women as independent, intelligent and artistic entrepreneurs.

At its heart is shringara rasa — the emotion of love — viewed through a feminist lens as an expression of agency rather than exploitation.