Why English?
Crawford Room, State Library
Wed 4 Mar, 2026 

Anyone who has noticed how people change personality when they switch to talking in another language will know that language has a profound effect on who we are. Each language has its own worldview; its own culture. Language is not a neutral transmitter of information; it also transmits a culture with a particular point of view. When a multilingual person like Vibhinna Ramdev asks ‘which is the best language for me to express emotion?’ she is addressing that same issue.

Why English? is an important work. The easy answer to her question is of course because the British ruled much of the world for a while and through a series of historical accidents English has become the world’s lingua franca. So, the question is not just relevant for someone born in India. It is relevant for anyone raised in a country where English is not the first language.

But what Vibhinna Ramdev is really addressing is the impact that has had on herself, her country, and her culture. A powerful scene where she is struggling to talk with a rickshaw driver in her own local language drives this point home emphatically.

Ramdev’s performance is a mixture of dance, theatre, and spoken word. It’s a bold performance that exudes honesty, wit and intelligence. She takes on the role of multiple characters from her life and is regularly changing costume throughout while telling us about these characters and why she chose to feature them. A series of hanging curtains allow some simple and effective choreography.

There’s a casual, informal element to this performance that is admirable but risky. It feels at times a little too casual – almost slapdash; as if not quite enough care is taken to verify where the line is between performance and just chatting to the audience. Similarly, her modern dance movements occasionally seemed to be almost spontaneous and without total conviction. Ironically, when she mimicked poses from traditional Indian dances it was pure art – precise and disciplined. Almost having the opposite effect of what she intended.

It seemed what Ramdev was really talking about was her life and the various cultural influences that had formed her, aided her, or presented barriers. English just felt like a convenient hook she could hang her life story on. Though the recurring scene where she self-assessed her changing linguistic competence in various languages was well made.

An enjoyable hour with an artist with a refreshing individual approach.