Our Nrsingham drama presentation

 Been such a long time since I posted something here. I amd currently working on the third staging of Nrsingham, a drama organised by Art and Culture Activity Arm of theindianraas.com our online magazine portal on May10, 2024.

It is really true that time flies. I can't believe I have been away from here for more than a year. But there is a reason of course. .... theindianraas.com is it. 

Taking a Dip In The Realm of Natya Sastra

I got a copy of the 36-chapter Natya Sastera from a dance teacher in 2000 and another, the Baroda edited version from a fine arts lecturer, Joseph Fernz, now deceased. However over the past decade all attempts by me to complete the reading of either one of the two English translations of the Sanskrit handbook on dramatic art, has failed.

An invitation by the above mentioned dance teacher Vinoshree Shankar to attend a workshop on the Natya Sastera of Bharata Muni conducted by the secretary of the Chennai Music Academy in India, Dr Pappu Venugopala Rao brought me to the lecture hall of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya.

Dr Pappu in his historical summary of the treatise referred to as the fifth Veda which details the diverse art embodied in Indian drama including dance, music, poetics and general aesthetics, said it was notable that the period of the arrival of Indian culture to South East Asia coincided with the composition of Natya Sastra by Bharata Muni in the 2^nd Century BC.

He said the influence of the rules drama methodically outlined by the 6,000 verses of the Natya Sastra is seen deeply ingrained in the culture and even temple architecture of Indonesia, Malaysia including Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

“The evidence of the Natya Sastra can be clearly seen for example in the craft of building a stage, invocation of the gods to bless the stage and performances and the actual dance movements.

“The components of the dance form called Tandava composed of 108 karanas, a combination of movements and abhinaya or gestures of hands, feet and other parts of the body including the face, is especially evident in the dance forms of Southeast Asian countries,” Dr Pappu adds.

The hall packed with dance teachers, dancers, university students and art lovers were like me all ears to Dr Pappu’s discourse, hoping to come to terms with the world’s oldest treatise on dramaturgy. In the four segments of the eight-hour workshop, the world renowned Natya Sastera expert guided us through a cross section of the monumental work.

It was easy for the dancers among the participants to grasp technical details of Abhinaya, the complicated “science” of body language, hand gestures, and facial expressions like uttamanga abhinaya, gestures involving the head and face, 36 Drishtis, glances and Hasta abhinaya, the gestures of hands and other limbs, Sthanas, stance, Cari, movement of lower limbs,  Nrtta hastas, decorative hand gestures, Rechakas, flash movements, Mandalas standing position and gatis, stepping, which are the very basis of their dance training honed through years of rigorous practise.

For the uninitiated participants like me it was an immense challenge to visualise the intricate details of the wide variety of dance movements espoused by the treatise despite Dr Pappu’s enlightening discourse.

So encompassing is the Natya Sastra that it even has made provisions for the regional, local and stylistic adaptations of its dictums. But as the High Commissioner of India to Malaysia, His Excellency T.S. Tirumurti, said in his opening speech, “Innovation is part of the tradition but one must know where we started before innovating.

“Natya Sastera is still relevant as it can help dispel the intolerance of present day society towards fine arts. Our ancestors such as Bharata were however only intolerant of ignorance and gave society knowledge through the facility of dance, literature and the arts.”

Dr Pappu paid special attention to the Bhava theory of Natya Sastera comprising of the 8 Sthayibhava,  static emotions of love, laughter, grief, anger, courage, fear, disgust, wonder; 33 Vyabhicaribhava, transitory emotions that come and go and 8 Saatvikabhava, effects such as fear.

Together with the additional Vibhava, character or that which determines and Anubhava, stimulant or that which supports and follows the Vibhava, herein lies the true dramatic effect of a performance.

According to the Natya Sastera the elusive Rasa - `that which is relished’, is created by a combination of Vibhava, Anubhava and Vyabhicari bhavas with the Sthayibhava as the predominant emotion.

At the conclusion of Dr Pappu’s discourse on the Rasa theory participants were stumped by a crucial question on Rasa posed by Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, master of Sutra Arts which together with Nandhitaa Arts collaborated with the Department of Indian Studies, UM and Sri Lankan Endowment Fund to organise the free workshop.

“Who enjoys the Rasa in a performance, the dancer or the audience,” rang the question which Dr Pappu redirected to the participants. Everyone except Ramli got the wrong answer when we said that both the performer and the audience would mutually enjoy the Rasa.

“The Rasa successfully produced by the performer is handed over as if in a receptacle for the audience’s enjoyment,” Dr Pappu pointed out.

Dr Pappu also revealed that Bharata referred to the two basic categories of dance only as Natya, story telling medium or Abhinaya and Nrtta, abstract pure dance and never mentioned Nritya, narrative, which was coined by 4^th Century AD commentator, Amarakosha.

Bharata in explaining the use of Nrtta had also said that it was appealing and embellishes the dance despite it carrying no meaning.

In the use of music and songs in a drama, the Natya Sastera specifies five categories namely Pravesa, while entering (the stage); Aakshepa, unexpected; Nishkraama, while leaving; Praasaadika, propitiating/ praying and Aantara, for filling gaps.

The Kavya, literary work of a drama is divided into Drsya, that which can be seen and Sravya, that which cannot be heard with Drsya given predominance over the latter. And, according to the Natya Sastera drama is considered as the best form of literature.

By the end of the workshop, I walked away a more wholesome and enlightened art lover and writer having finally imbibed the essence of the Naatya Sastera which truly illuminates and challenges how we think of what theatrical performances can do and gives us an enduring and intriguing theory about the artform that pervades South Asian aesthetics.

The world needs artists

Seeing the colourful lights flashing at the Sports Desk area beckoning the Hari Raya Puasa celebration, I ask myself what the purpose of the light display is. The simple answer is it's the artistic expression of the desk staff. So art is still alive and a necessity to spice up our lives.

*: A transcendental evening

*: A transcendental evening

A transcendental evening

Review by R. Sittamparam

We were ending this hot Saturday evening (May 30), at the PJ Civic Centre auditorium to watch Varnanjali 2015, a presentation of Bharatanatyam and Kutchipudi Indian classical dances.
 Two dance gurus, Kuala Lumpur based Chandramogan Ramasamy and Johor Baru based Sri Ajith Bhaskaran Dass had pooled their resources to woo the rapidly dwindling fine arts  audience in Kuala Lumpur to immerse themselves in an evening of spiritual transcendence.
Guru Ajith and his Suvarna Fine Arts academy dance team are familiar to us given their once or twice yearly performances in Kuala Lumpur and their year-end grand finale in Johor Baru. But this was the first time we were seeing Guru Chandramogan and students of Sri Nandhigeswar Dance Academy and performing Kutchipudi at that.
The towering, heavy set Chandramogan is a natural performer which was clear in his highly dramatic rendition of the popular Mahishasura Mardini Strotam number that sent shivers down our spines seeing the gory finale.
Chandramogan takes to the stage as fish to water. He passionately embraces the stage space with his measured movements, artistic personality and the theatrical flamboyance oozing from his mastery in the Andhra Pradesh originated Kutchipudi dance form. He also manages to lift his students’ back-up performance with his magnetic presence. This indeed is a guru’s master touch.
Ajith’s expertise in choreography, music arrangement and stage craft was evident in the show and his own dedicated team of musicians including talented India based singer, Nandakumar Unnikrishnan provided mesmerising accompaniment to the dancers. They effortlessly  reverted between delivering flawless renditions of classical Bharatanatyam tunes to the folksy Kuchipudi rhythms.
The lawyer turned international dancer who is indeed the quintessential dance guru, has led his highly trained troupe of senior students in numerous high profile productions throughout the country and the international arena. The troupe has a wide repertoire of dance items and musicals mostly composed, choreographed and designed by Ajith himself with assistance from senior students who are also gurus in their own right.
The Suvarna dancers displayed their signature technical brilliance in the rhythmic opening alarippu and concluding thillana, holding the audience spellbound. Ajith showed his spiritual depth in his solo performance, Alwar Kanda Kannan, a beautiful composition based on the traditional hymns of the South Indian Alwar Vaishnava movement.
The evening presentation lasted until past midnight with guest of honour Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and his wife glued to their seats, relishing every minute of the show.
It must have been a great transcendental relief for the embattled president of the Indian community's government flagship, the Malaysian Indian Congress who is at a critical juncture of his political life battling for the right to head the effervescent party amid harrassment by present day demons similar to Mahishasura that Guru Chandramogan playing Goddess Durga  decisively vanquished on stage.
For us common folks, the show gave us the chance to transcend from the rigours of the day-to-day battle with the relentless weather, rising prices, GST and our wild, raving emotional lives.  

raas arts circle revival

Got good encouragement from a budding young writer, Henusha Sudesan to breathe new life into Raas Arts Circle. Preparing to hold a workshop for writers/artists at our place in Semenyih. A good opportunity to revive our service to develop young artists. Hope this effort is successful.

Happy Jaya Tamil New Year

The past year was tumultous to say the least. Let's hope the perils and tragedies of last year have prepared us in good stead for this Jaya (victory) year. May we score many positive points this year to bring greater meaning to our existence on Mother Earth's realm.

Boxed in by her emotions

Agitated clouds spread out across the sky
Blocking out sunshine, cold the days now
As her emotions cover her consciousness
Blinding her from reason, her true nature

2013 out, 2014 in

Sending off 2013

Laughter, smiles, enjoyment, entertainment, peace and relaxation
Lost their meaning for this poet poor starting September 2013
Tears, fears, anxiety, disappointment, dejection and hopelessness
Have filled this life since that fateful day of revelations, affronts
Turning 55 with a heavy heart, facing retirement and rejection
Cast out of life's stream; change overtaking my life's journey

Waiting for love

While waiting for love to bloom again
The heart flounders dangerously

New horizon

A new horizon opening up
With everything changed in life
The darkness ahead long, harrowing
Stumbling forward holding on to faith
Short flickers of hope light the path
Tears washing the dirt covered markers
A sanity preserved by patience's hold
Keeps alive our life's mission.

Have just completed The Breadwinner mini novel. Wrapped up the book in 9 chapters. Need to tweek the last chapter a bit more before I am satisfied to call it complete. This is my first novel and I am determined to make it a good read for all my readers. I hope to continue my writing with another slightly longer mini novel followed by a full scale novel.
I hope to follow the publication of The Breadwinner with an anthology of short stories and another of poems.

Back to blogging.

It has been a busy two months of immersion in the writing of my first mini-novel The Breadwinner. Am into the 7th chapter now. Seeing the publication of the 6th chapter of the mini-novel in weekly serialised episodes in The Free Malaysia Today online media since its start on March 17. http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2013/07/21/the-breadwinner

hello

Back after GE13 break.

Hello

Back from a GE13 break. Good to be back.

Tete-a-tete

Had an interesting two-hour skype session with my daughter in the morning. As usual the subjects ranged from my mini-novel in the making, "The Breadwinner" coming out as serialised episodes in online media, Free Malaysia Today on Sundays (second episode appeared yesterday); creative writing, philosophy, authors, science and nescience etc, etc.
We are chatty persons, the Ramachandran clan.
Maybe we should organise weekly skype conferences involving the whole clan or just a monthly jamming/brainstorming session at each of our homes on a rotation basis.
We definitely have a lot to chat about on our individual development in the writing field, art field, education, philosophy and also the colourful characters from Cheras 2 1/2 mls with whom we had associated/observed, during our growing up time in the area which is now no more.
 

One Way to Publish a Novel; following in the footsteps of Charles Dickens.

Although this is last year's article, it was a timely read for me today. Have been trying to publish my developing novel entitled: "Breadwinner" through the online media in Malaysia. Have been unsuccessful so far. That's when I saw this article.

The question is do I have what it takes to be an international novelist? I still have to build up my vocabulary and brush up my writing skills. At 55, I wonder is there enough time for me to get down to learning the ropes to become a fulltime novelist?

What do you think? I will post here the unedited first chapter and beginning of the second chapter of my novel. Be free to comment. 

..................................................................................................................................................................

Online retailer takes a leaf out of Charles Dickens' book by publishing fiction ranging from romance to crime in instalments

Alison Flood Friday 7 September 2012
guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/07/amazon-dickensian-serialised-stories-kindle
----
Amazon is following in the grand old footsteps of Charles Dickens by launching a series of serialised stories for the Kindle.
Just as Dickens published novels including The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist in regular instalments, listening to responses from readers as they came in, so Amazon's new Kindle serials programme will release stories in episodes. Readers will be able to discuss the latest developments on Amazon's discussion boards, with authors looking in and learning from what their readers say.
Amazon made the announcement on Thursday, as it also unveiled the new Kindle Fire tablets. In honour of Dickens, it is offering readers the opportunity to download Oliver Twist and The Pickwick Papers for free, delivered in the same segments as they were originally. It is also launching its first eight Kindle serials, which range from romance to crime.
"Serialised fiction is perfect for contemporary book culture, where writers interact with their readers directly and books can be delivered with an immediacy that the old pulp writers never could have imagined," said Neal Pollack, whose serialised novel Downward-Facing Death, about the murder of a yoga empire founder, is part of the Kindle serials launch. "It's fast and fun and you barely have time to blink. I can't wait to see how my book ends."
Andrew Peterson, author of the Kindle story Option to Kill, a thriller that plays out "over the course of 36 lightning-fast hours", said serials were "ideal for thrillers because keeping readers engaged and wanting more is the goal of every thriller novelist".
The first eight Kindle serials are being sold for $1.99. When a serial is bought from Amazon, the reader will immediately have access to all published episodes, followed by later episodes as they are released.
Amazon is asking for submissions from authors interested in writing Kindle serials – "we're looking for well-written stories by authors interested in engaging with readers through the unique nature of serialised publishing", it says – but it is by no means the only publisher to believe the format is ideal for the digital age. The Booker prize-winning novelist Margaret Atwood is working with new imprint Byliner Serials to publish her near-future piece of serialised fiction Positron. The first instalment in the series, I'm Starved for You, was never intended to go any further, but it was so popular Atwood decided to expand the short story into a serial. Byliner Serials is also publishing Joe McGinniss's 15 Gothic Street, set around a Massachusetts courthouse.
The literary serial began hundreds of years ago with One Thousand and One Nights, said Byliner's editor-in-chief Mark Bryant. "Dickens carried on the tradition with The Pickwick Papers, Harriet Beecher Stowe with Uncle Tom's Cabin, Tolstoy with Anna Karenina, Dostoevsky with The Brothers Karamazov, and Tom Wolfe with The Bonfire of the Vanities," he said. "With the new immediacy and convenience of digital publishing, the possibilities are extraordinary. Along with Margaret's and Joe's ongoing stories, we'll soon be publishing serials with a number of other leading authors, and we're keen to see where all this leads."
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Week of Weakness

With My Guard Down

The Weakness

Reared Up

In its grip
A week and more
Choking phlegm
Taxed and bruised bronchioles
Sagging diapragm
Sore epiglottis

Deprived of nutrition
Fat burning
Lighter
Reduced burden of body
Fluttering the spirit
Unfurling the wings
of reason.
The search for a meaning to existance.