Artist Statement

My name is Almitra Mavalvala, and I am a Parsi musician, actor, educator and theatre artist from Karachi. My body of work has long revolved around themes of separation, exile, and the cyclical nature of communities coming apart and finding their way back together, often stronger and closer than before. I spent 7 years in Australia only to return to my roots, to understand why I had to return, to create and build and grow with communities of our land. I acknowledge what a privilege it has been to listen to the stories of the land and incorporate these stories as part of the archive.  

Whilst I was there, and as I reflected on the challenges faced by marginalized communities, locals poignantly remarked, “What has been done to the Parsi people in Karachi has also been done to the Nagarparkari Communities.” This simple yet profound statement bridged the emotional gap between seemingly distant communities, revealing the common wounds inflicted by exclusion and erasure.

Judai Ka Safr (The Journey of Separation) is a piece about displacement, belonging and the journey of what it means to leave, only to return back home, which so many of these communities in Karoonjhar/Nagarparkar have experienced. Music has always been my way of expression and language holds a very dear place in my heart. My aim through this song and poetry is to capture the essence of these fragmented journeys, inviting audiences to reflect on their own histories of rupture and reunion. 

I hope my art feels like an offering—an act of remembrance and healing—reminding us that beneath differences lie shared stories of survival and the search for connection.

I hope this song  not only resonates with the soul of the land but also with the shared experiences of displacement, longing, and belonging that echoes across communities.