Ashtanayika – Virahotkhantita – the heroines in love

In this DVD pack, ‘Padma Bhushan’ Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan along with Bragha G Bessell unfold the delights of Nayikabhava with an exposition on Ashtanayikas- the heroines categorized by the natyashastras under 8 different heads according to their emotional status.

In an exhaustive and aesthetic manner it presents the mindset, moods, conflicts, cogitations, tempers and tantrums of Virahotkhantita , the heroine who defies all accepted norms and ventures out to meet her lover at a predetermined place.

The highlight of this product is a classroom session involving ‘Padma Bhushan’ Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan, (‘Maami’ to her students), the greatest Abhinaya exponent of our times & Bragha G Bessell , her distinguished disciple.

‘Aiyayyo Vegatayana’, a padam by Kshetrayya forms the pivot of maami’s engaging elucidation of Virahotkhantita. Then follows a sprightly demo of this padam by Bragha G Bessell.

Maami provides some practical tips for teachers and also students at different levels- beginners, those reasonably well-trained and foreign students who are not very familiar with our cultural milieu.

There is a wealth of information on how to approach the composition, understand its meaning and the mood it portrays before actually getting down to performance.

Concept & Presentation byPriyadarsini Govind

Explained with

• Aiyayyo Vegatayana
• Padam
• Nada namakriya
• Trupuda talam
• Kshetrayya

• Exhaustive content
• Each DVD dedicated to 1 Nayika
• Clear guidelines to teachers & students
• Lively classroom session involving senior danseuses
• Freewheeling discussion based on a padam or javali
• Full length demo by an eminent dancer
• Options to view demo in 3 different angles (only in DVDs)