WOMAN POWER: Clockwise - Anjana, Chandita, Anju, Vasumathi and Neela.

Feminism no longer conjures up images of an unified band of women -- hurling slogans, adopting causes and storming male bastions. Since the movement first started in the eighties, the minority group has spawned a dozen other forms. There is pro-life feminism, blue-stocking feminism, radical feminism, victim feminism and positive feminism. The whole issue has gone on to become a popular lampoon theme.

And the five women who got together this week at the Alliance Francaise de Bombay for a programme titled -- Artists and Feminism: Interaction -- might be accused of giving force to yet another sub-group: women as artists. Neela Bhagwat -- Hindustani classical musician, Anju Makhija -- writer, poet and playwright, Anjana Mehra -- painter, Chandita Mukherjee -- film-maker and Vasumathi Badrinathan -- Bharatnatyam dancer, all meet and talk to other artists and people about their work over the course of the week.

Michelle Martin, director, Alliance Francaise, whose brainchild it was, admits that the fear of alienation did cross her mind. "The idea first came to my mind when I met some of Neela's friends one afternoon. And even though I am from a totally different background, after talking to them, I realised that there are some universal values which women share. And I do feel that there are common problems that all women go through," she says. So, despite the danger of excluding the majority from this project, Michelle thought that these women had something to share about their experiences and how they have coped in their fields with other men and women. Adds Anjana, "When Michelle first told me about the title, I had my reservations. I don't believe in women holding a group exhibition together just because they are all women. But we must not look at feminism too narrowly." The group also hopes that this interaction might inspire some other women who are daunted by discrimination, to make that extra effort to say no to prejudice.

Somewhat like one of Neela's more feminist khayal: it talks about a woman who refuses to comply any more and says, "No more `okays' and `yes'. I am going to enjoy the moment and do what I want to do". Explains Neela, "When a woman says no to something she is also saying yes to other things simultaneously." But even then it is difficult to escape the stereotype trap. The feminist label has certain connotations in the minds of people.

And if they see art under that tag, they might dismiss it as feminist sob-stories. Says Chandita, "But what people forget is that the female experience is an inescapable part of a woman's work. A female or feminist viewpoint is automatically there because you are a woman." Also for these artists, feminism had evolved to womanism now. "For us, it's a broader view which takes in the whole human experience," says Anju. Also, till now the human experience was limited to the man's world. With men dominating the arts, a masculine viewpoint was accepted as the general human condition.

These women firmly believe that coming together under such a banner will help right the balance. "You cannot just exclude 50 per cent of the population," says Chandita. Also, there are genuine problems which, because we are women, we can't be indifferent to. And the discrimination is something which we all have faced," says Anju. But this writer believes that the feminist aspect comes, subconsciously in art, if it does at all. Like all artists, women draw from experience and some works might have shades of feminism. "But if you deliberately decide to write a poem on feminism, I don't think that would be genuine. It's dangerous when art becomes a voice," adds Anju. Neela agrees, "You can't be just a feminist and work only for women. Your art has to be in context with your experiences," she says. And it is this attempt to open more doors that brings these five women together. Says Vasumathi, "None of us are staunch slogan-hurling feminists.

We are just artists like any other."

Neela Bhagwat: She is a Hindustani classical musician belonging to the Gwalior gharana. Her khaya compositions, expressing the ethos of a modern woman, have received wide acclaim. She has recently brought out an album based on the love poems of the 15th century saint, Kabir.

Anju Makhija: She is a freelance writer, poet and playwright. Her works include: a multi-media production, All Together, which won her an award at the National Film Festival in California in 1985. Her most recent play, If wishes were horses, is currently running in the city. Anju recently published a book of poems, View from the Web.

Chandita Mukherjee: A maker of educational communication materials in various media, her speciality is the science-technology-society interface.

She won the Prix Jules Verne in 1989, for her film series -- The Identity of India. Her recent film Slowly But Surely, is about an attempt to organise women involved in tendu leaf production . At Alliance Francaise auditorium on May 9, 1997. Time: 6.30 pm

Anjana Mehra.: She chose painting as a profession to balance the dichotomy of her growing up years. She was brought up in a patriarchal family but was educated in a liberal co-educational school. She finds paintings an ideal means of expression. and uses colours vividly in her works.

Vasumathi Badrinathan: A Bharatnatyam dancer, she is a disciple of Guru T K Mahalingam Pillai. She is also trained in abhinaya from the renowned exponent Kalanidhi Narayanan. Vasumathi runs a cultural unit, Suvi Badra Institute of Indian Art and Culture. Alliance Francaise Auditorium on May 10, 1997. Time: 6.00 pm.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.