What would you do if you knew there were no hurdles in your way? Spoken word poet Gunjan Saini who has never shied from addressing issues of self worth at her shows, says her confidence on stage and off, was not always a constant.

“Though I grew up in a household where there was gender disparity, we would compare ourselves to the ladies we saw on television who were fair-skinned, beautiful and well-turned-out. I believe our issues over our self worth stemmed from there.”

Hailing from Bhopal, Gunjan says she always knew she belonged in the creative field but was unsure of pursuing the role of an actor or dancer. The artiste, who brings Heroine - A Storytelling Special to Bengaluru on August 2, says though she completed her course at AIIMS Bhopal, graduating with a degree in nursing, she “wanted something different” and undertook a master’s in Mass Communication in Mumbai.

“Then, I came across a few videos of spoken word artistes online and I realised their messages were not bound by metre or verse in the way poetry is traditionally structured.”

“It offered a freedom to write unhindered,” says Gunjan, adding though she initially thought of it as a hobby while performing for friends and small circles, the response she received encouraged her to stick with it and she began doing open mics while still a student. "That was in 2018, and at the time, not many people had a career in this line of work.”

However, in a couple of years, Gunjan says she had started getting far more opportunities to perform and realised it could be a feasible option. “I found a community and that really helped cement my choice. In 2021, I began doing this full time. I have also penned a few songs and I try to write as much as I can, trying different things, if only to post them on social media. After all, that is where I first found the spoken word.”

For the most part, her work revolves around"themes of human connection, identity, and womanhood”. Though she has performed in Bengaluru a couple of times in the past, this will be the first time Gunjan will be presenting Heroine in the city.

According to Gunjan, this show which has been in the making for the better part of a year, is a departure from her previous sets where she touched on the challenges of becoming an artiste. “While there is an aspect of live storytelling in Heroine..., it will also have live music. The plot revolves around childhood, the issues of self-worth we face in our teens, and the courage to believe in yourself.”

Interestingly, Gunjan says she is not the main character of Heroine.... “I will be talking about someone else throughout the show. Usually, when I perform, I talk about myself, but this show will see many characters, one of whom is this woman who audiences will realise towards the end, is the real heroine.”

She clarifies that 80% of this “heroine” is non-fictional, drawn from the everyday challenges of regular people. “I have done a trial run twice and going by the reponses, I believe it resonates with men and women, the young and old. You see yourself as the main character in your life story here.”

Heroine - A Storytelling Special by Gunjan Saini will be performed on August 2 at Dr C Ashwath Kala Bhavana auditorium, Basavanagudi, from 5pm. Tickets starting at ₹399 available on BookMyShow.