What does it mean to carry fear in your body – not just in your thoughts, but in your breath, your muscles, your every movement? 

‘Red Dress Waali Ladki’ is a performance that unpacks how women internalise violence – not only their own, but also the violence experienced by others. Through a masterful combination of physical theatre, contemporary movement, and spoken word, the piece reveals how pain, memory, and resistance live in the body. It asks: Where does patriarchy leave its mark? And how do everyday moments – quiet, ordinary, familiar – become sites of harm? 

Raw, direct, and emotionally charged, the play moves between tenderness and discomfort. It invites the audience to witness, reflect, and feel, creating space for empathy while demanding attention to what is often hidden, ignored, or dismissed. This powerful presentation also challenges men to move beyond understanding and into feeling – into the reality of what women experience. 

Created and performed by Diya Naidu, ‘Red Dress Waali Ladki’ captures how the personal is deeply shared, and how public acts of violence can affect private lives. It serves as a reminder that violence isn’t always loud or dramatic; it often lives in so-called safe spaces – homes, relationships, offices.