Navarasa (Rama) – the face of nine emotions

Here‘Padmabhushan’ Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan, the legendary abhinaya exponent provides some vignettes in the life of Sri Rama and explains how navarasas,the nine basic emotions described in ancient Bharatanatyam texts, are articulated through them. Aided by her dynamic face and supple hands, she elucidates the exploits and emotions of Rama through an engaging classroom session with her illustrious disciple Priyadarsini Govind.

In just one composition, ‘Srungaram Stiti Nandiney’ in Ragamalika, Kalanidhi ‘maami’ unrolls the gamut of emotions Rama displays in different circumstances:

• ‘Srungaram’ when he meets Sita
• ‘Veera’ when he breaks the bow at the Sita swayamvaram
• ‘Karunya’ when he forgives the demon Kakasura
• ‘Hasyam’while handling Surpanaka’s amorous advances
• ‘Adbutham’ when he sees the bridge built by the monkey brigade
• ‘Bibatsam’ at the very thought of a woman other than Sita.
• ‘Raudram’at the sight of Ravana
• ‘Bhayanaka’ only at the thought of going against dharma.
• ‘Shantham’ while in the company of saints and seers

What follows the classroom session is a sprightly demonstration of ‘Srungara Stiti Nandiney’ by Priyadarsini Govind.

Gear up for an aesthetic voyage with Kalanidhi ‘Maami’!