We sat down for an exclusive interview with Aditi Mangaldas. Aditi Mangaldas brings her signature company work WITHIN, a visceral and contemplative response to the 2012 Nirbhaya case, to Sadler’s Wells.
This show runs from Sadler’s Wells on Friday 27 & Saturday 28 November at 7.30pm. Tickets here.
What do you remember of the moment you heard about the Nirbhaya case while working in the studio, and how did it shape the way you began creating WITHIN?
We had begun working on a production exploring the relationship between Shiva and Shakti when the horrific Nirbhaya incident took place. In the face of the outrage and anguish worldwide, it became impossible to continue exploring an idealised understanding of relationships while confronting the violence unfolding around us. How could art exist in a vacuum? How could I ignore the darker realities of human nature? The work had to change direction. And so emerged WITHIN — a production that turned the gaze inward, examining the brutality that exists within each of us and inviting us to confront our own capacity for darkness. It became a reflection on whether we could choose another way of being, rooted in compassion, empathy and humanity. What saddens me most is that WITHIN remains as relevant today as it was when I first realised the work had to change. Perhaps that is the most disturbing realisation of all.
How did you use Kathak’s spins, footwork, and speed to convey brutality in KNOTTED, when the form is so often associated with grace and storytelling?
Kathak is an art of storytelling and has the ability to evolve and engage with both mythology and contemporary realities. However, its inherent grace, beauty and aesthetic sensibility do not always lend themselves to expressing raw brutality. For WITHIN, I felt the need to develop a movement vocabulary that moved beyond the conventional boundaries of Kathak while remaining rooted in its essence. I often describe this process as planting a seed of Kathak and nurturing it with contemporary sensibilities, textures and movement. In the first part, KNOTTED, spins, intricate footwork, speed and intensity become expressions of inner turmoil, rage, agony and violence. The second part, UNWRAPPED, explores the possibility of another way of being. If KNOTTED confronts the darkness within us, UNWRAPPED seeks to uncover our capacity for compassion, empathy and love. Together, they ask: Can we move beyond brutality towards our shared humanity?
What was your thinking behind asking audiences to carry the weight of KNOTTED through the interval before the shift into UNWRAPPED?
I wanted the audience to feel disturbed by KNOTTED and to carry that discomfort through the interval. We cannot escape the brutality that exists both in the world around us and within ourselves. We must confront it, rather than turn away, if we are to recognise and question our own capacity for violence. The interval was therefore not merely a pause, but an opportunity to absorb, reflect and sit with uncomfortable truths. Yet, I am, at heart, a deeply positive person. I believe that beneath the anger, hatred and brutality within us lies an extraordinary capacity for compassion, empathy and love. That is what UNWRAPPED seeks to discover and celebrate. The journey from KNOTTED to UNWRAPPED is ultimately one from brutality to humanity, from darkness towards light.
The wrapped faces in UNWRAPPED are striking, so what do they say about anonymity, mourning, and the way we remember victims of violence?
The wrapped faces in UNWRAPPED are not about anonymity, mourning or victims of violence. They represent us, our inability, and sometimes unwillingness, to see ourselves as we truly are. This thought was inspired by J. Krishnamurti’s philosophy: “To understand yourself you must create a mirror that reflects accurately what you are… Only in the understanding of what is, is there freedom from what is.” The gradual unveiling of the faces becomes a metaphor for the courage to confront ourselves. The mirror is central to this journey: only when we see ourselves honestly, without denial or judgement, can transformation begin. For me, UNWRAPPED is ultimately about this moment of revelation — the courage to face the brutality within each of us, to acknowledge what we see, and through that very act of self-awareness, discover the possibility of freedom and humanity. The unwrapping is not merely physical; it is an inward journey towards truth and transformation.
WITHIN suggests that humanity and brutality coexist in all of us, so what do you hope audiences, particularly men, take from confronting that idea?
Within each of us, brutality and humanity exist in a half embrace, often albeit in different proportions. Although WITHIN was initially triggered by the horrific gang rape of 2012, the work gradually moved beyond gender to become an exploration of the human condition. It asks all of us, including men, to have the courage to confront what we are capable of and recognise the seeds of violence within ourselves. I particularly hope men in the audience will engage with this question, not defensively, but with honesty and introspection. What is most heartbreaking is that the incident that inspired WITHIN remains so painfully, shockingly relevant today. I hope audiences leave with a deeper awareness of their own capacity for both brutality and humanity, and with the understanding that choosing compassion over violence is a responsibility that rests with each one of us.
You’ve said Gen Z in India are teaching all of us the art of protest, so where do you see dance and the arts sitting within that tradition of protest today?
Yes, absolutely! I am constantly inspired by the fervour, passion and courage with which Gen Z in India is standing up against blatant corruption and undemocratic values. They are reminding us all of the importance of protest and the courage it demands. I am not naïve enough to believe that dance can directly change the world. But I firmly believe that, as artists, we have a responsibility to hold a mirror to society. We cannot live or create in a vacuum, insulated from the realities unfolding around us. Dance, as an expression of society, can resonate far beyond the theatre space. It may not offer solutions or bring about immediate change, but it can provoke thought, challenge perceptions, awaken questions and encourage audiences to examine their own beliefs, choices and responses to the world around them. I believe art must engage with its times. It must sometimes unsettle; question and challenge rather than merely entertain or offer aesthetic pleasure. And perhaps that is where its power lies. If a work of art can make someone pause, reflect, question and perhaps see the world a little differently, it has already achieved something meaningful.