"Bananas are like mangoes to me", she says as we set up for out interview. She is just back from a long workout, which is giving a soft glow to her skin. Dressed in a chic denim skirt and tank top, Radhika Vaz choses to be quite 'Unladylike'. Her simple argument- she doesn't feel the need to adhere to these ideas that have been fed to us.
A standup comic, Radhika always adds a unique character to the act. And (un)surprisingly enough, she is a woman with keen intellect. In our brief conversation, she talks about comedy, patriarchy, feminism, marriage, relationships and identity. On reverse sexism, ie when women make sexist jokes on men, she says, "It's going to be a long time, like maybe 100 years, before it becomes a bad thing.
For all the men who think radical feminists are some sort of feminazis, you have to listen to Radhika Vaz talk.
Apart from being a comedian, Radhika Vaz is also a passionate weightlifter and fitness enthusiast. Citing the example of her gym, she talks about the fact that how body image is interwired with self-image in our brain. "Despite of the positive reinforcements that I get from the other aspects of life, I still stare at the woman across the room who has a perfectly toned body."
It is very important that men participate in the dialogue. Radhika Vaz's example of young love is a tell tale sign. Remember making your girlfriend listen to your kind of music, mostly hanging out your way? It was and is always 'her' doing all sorts of adjustments, right from the very start. An we need to change that, together and now.
You can buy her book 'Unladylike' here. It is an account of the life of Radhika Vaz, where she talks about her own battle with culture, gender, identity and most importantly, marriage.