Cast Off All Shame (2019)

Cast Off All Shame begins with the spirit of medieval bhakti poet Janabai taking over a radio show and playing an agony aunt to today’s women, who have issues ranging from domestic abuse to buying sanitary pads, who get slut-shamed and body shamed. It is in response to the woes of these women that Janabai speaks about the liberalizing Bhakti movement, recounting poetry of women mystic poets such as Karaikal Ammaiyar, Soyarabai, Avvaiyyar, Akka Mahadevi and Lal Ded. While the spirited Janabai (and Janabai as spirit) advocates right to body and right to choose for women, she is not some angry feminist – she is the one who has seen it all and eyes everyday issues with empathy. Humorous and poetic, Cast Off All Shame brings together marginal women Bhakti poets and mainstream viral comments.