How Pandavani exponent Teejan Bai was inspired by Draupadi to challenge patriarchy

“ Ab hum lipishtick bhi lagate hain. Gaon mein koi kuch nahin bolta. Kyunki ab paisa aur naam jo aa gaya (I now even wear lipstick. People in my village don’t comment because today I have money and fame),” says a young Teejan Bai as she applies a bright red shade sitting in a makeshift green room before her performance on an open-air stage in Nagpur. “ Aapko pata hai hum Aumrica jane wale hain (you know, I will be going to America),” she informs excitedly, and it is hard to miss the glint in her heavily kohl-lined eyes. Unlike her powerful narration on stage, Teejan speaks in a measured tone. As she recalls her arduous journey, dabbing some rose powder on her cheeks, she explains that makeup is more than an adornment; it is often a veil, masking years of pain and humiliation endured in her quest for acceptance in the male-dominated world of Pandavani (stories of the Pandavas). The folk art form largely remained unknown until she emerged as its foremost exponent.