Navigating Multiple Worlds: Intersectionality, Identity, and Artistic Agency in the Life of Arundhati Devi

Abstract

In this essay, an intersectional analysis of the life and work of Arundhati Devi (April 29, 1924 – October 16, 1990), who was a renowned Bengali actress, director, singer, and cultural personality, will be provided based on archive documents displayed at the exhibit "A Star Named Arundhati" (Tarar Naam Arundhati) organized at the IIC Experience, Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, New Delhi, in October 2025. The essay provides an intersectional analysis of the various roles Arundhati Devi performed during her lifetime, including bhadramahila (cultured middle-class woman), wife and mother and actress and film director. It is argued that any biographical account of a female artist's life should always take an intersectional perspective, focusing not only on the career path but also on emotional labour, domestic duties, cultural context and gender relations.