Driven by a desire to contribute to social development, she found community through the Guru-Chela Parampara. While she respects this tradition, she chooses to live independently—working in an office, performing on stage, and traveling across cities. Her femininity often protects her from violence, but not from discrimination.
Public sanitation remains a fraught experience. In women’s restrooms, she has faced verbal abuse—especially from older women—forcing her to wait outside in distress. The experience is not just humiliating, but physically painful.
She shared the story of a colleague who was assaulted in a men’s restroom for appearing slightly feminine. No one helped her. Only a nearby doctor offered aid. “Where is the justice?” Kadambari asks. “Who is held accountable?”
In roadside dhabas and small hotels, male staff have followed her into restrooms, sometimes demanding sexual favors. Refusing them has led to both verbal and physical abuse. “Some form of violence,” she says, “is a daily reality.”