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• Kalki may not marry theStack RESEARCHING STEPS

again, recounts journey OF CLASSICAL DANCE
FRONTIERS
explores the various rasas of Bharatanatyam
By Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran In the book Dance Theatre of India, the author
Actor Kalki Koechlin is unlikely to tie the and other dance forms
knot again as she believes society has built The massive armies of the Mughal empire and the allied kingdoms TRANSLATED FROM French, the non-fiction Dance
have been unleashed to crush the Maratha warrior Chattrapati
the institution of marriage in a way where • Celeb couple tells Shivaji. What will happen when two of the biggest Theatre of India provides both an insider’s and
women are still looked at as the weaker sex. of funny nickname enemies in the history of Hindustan come face to an outsider’s perspective. The author — Katia
The actor — in an interview published in American singer Nick Jonas, face? Aurangzeb has ascended to the throne in the Légeret-Manochhaya — narrates her real life ex-
a recently launched book, Feminist Rani while opening up about his North, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. His aim is periences with the art forms she learned in India.
written by Shaili Chopra and Meghna engagement to actor Priyanka to conquer the kingdoms of the Deccan and expand With distinguished expertise on the aesthetics
Pant — said the “biggest problem” with Chopra, jokingly revealed the great Mughal empire to include hitherto unchart- of Indian dance theatre, the author speaks of its
marriage, especially for a woman, is the that their celebrity nickname ed, rebellious territories. Unforgiving and relentless, influence on Europe and how it is staged theatri-
idea of “ownership”. Kalki and filmmaker will be “Prick”. he unleashes his violent rage against anyone who cally in contemporary France — Transformed into
Anurag Kashyap, who got married in 2011, went During an appearance on tries to tame his ambition. Shivaji, a jagirdar from the a transcultural piece of work in its very essence,
hills of western Deccan, dreams of Swaraj and has
this book overcomes all barriers — linguistic,
through a divorce in 2015 after being separated “The Tonight Show Starring raised his sword against all those who stand between literary, physical, cultural and geographical — to
for two years. “Once I got married, I was only Jimmy Fallon” on Friday, him and his goal. He wins and conquers, escapes death traps bring the global community of actor-dancers from
Jonas, 25, that he was quick
invited to the things that Anurag was invited to propose to Chopra as he through masterful strategy, unrivalled courage and intelligence to the world of dance theatre to the fore.
to. People would say, ‘Call Anurag’s wife’. They knew she was the one right become a force to reckon with — a thorn in Aurangzeb’s flesh. Theirs In the 142-page book, published by Niyogi
wouldn’t say, ‘call Kalki’ or ‘call Kalki’s husband’. away. Fallon asked whether is a battle of wit and might — one in which neither will give up. Books, the author explores
In marriage, a woman becomes the weaker sex, they have thought of a nick- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- the various rasas of Bhara-
even if her husband doesn’t want her to be. This name for themselves. tanatyam and other dance
happens because of the way society has built Priyanka, 36, who was THE HEARTFULNESS WAY forms, both as a dancer
and a researcher. The book
By Kamlesh D. Patel; Westland
the institution,” she said. Stating that “honesty” standing at the side of the transports the reader to a
and “independence” are a must in a relationship, stage, yelled, “Prick”. “She As we manoeuvre the many demands of relationships, career, world of dance and drama
likes Prick. I don’t like that
Kalki also shared how she went about the one that much,” Jonas said property and health, we often sense a void, a feeling of alienation where one can enjoy the
process of coming out of her marriage after the as Fallon shot down the sug- from our true selves. Is it possible for one planet to various expressions of
divorce. “... I found myself alone after a very long gestion. The singer said after orbit so many suns? We have many centres in our the artists in colourful
time. I had to fill up that empty space somehow. I they got engaged in America, lives, yet where is the true centre, the deepest centre costumes while narrating
didn’t want to fill it up by going crazy and getting they went to India for a tradi- that lies at the core of every heart? Kamlesh D. Patel stories from all over the
drunk, or by surrounding myself with the people. tional ceremony. traces a seeker’s journey as he examines the nature world.
Katia finds it difficult to
I chose the introverted version of filling up He said they felt “full of of spiritual search. Through a series of illuminat- classify Indian theatre and
ing conversations between a teacher and a student,
myself by spending more time at home, with the joy” after their ceremony and Daaji reveals the core principles of the Heartfulness dance according to Western
thought that now they should
family... I’m happy I went through that journey,” make it public. practice and philosophy to Joshua Pollock, a Heartful- professional artistic categories. This is because
she said. ness practitioner and trainer. From reflecting on the actors in India are also dancers, musicians and
essence of prayer and yogic transmission to demysti- storytellers. Bharatanatyam is a form of dance
fying the act of meditation through practical tips, this theatre like Kathakali or Odissi. In any case,
book will enable us to live beyond the filters of our sensory limita- reducing it to dance alone would be disrespect-
ful to the immense acting work required to act
tions and discover unity within ourselves.
• AVRIL’S HEAD ABOVE WATER, FINALLY NEVER FELT I -------------------------------------------------------------------------- out the stories of major literary texts such as the
Mahabharata or the Ramayana, she points out.
THE SINGER COMES UP WITH FIRST SINGLE IN YEARS AFTER FIGHTING LYME DISEASE THE ESCAPISTS OF J. MULLICK ROAD The book carries a number of photographic
Singer Avril Lavigne will be releasing new HAVE FAILED’ By Usha Ananda Krishna; Speaking Tiger portraits of various live dance performances to
music soon. The singer, behind huge hits in- explain the author’s perspective to the readers.
cluding Sk8er Boi, Complicated and Here’s to In the aftermath of a bizarre confrontation with Kalol Mondala — a The author raises several questions in the book,
Never Growing Up, announced that her new small-time hustler and Party goon — Pinaki Bose, a timid Bengali discusses the relevant issues and comes up with
single titled Head Above Water will be out on babu bumbles into the ambit of the savagely brilliant her explanations.
September 19. “I spent the last few years at architect, Biren Roy. Dazzled by Biren’s breadth of At the outset, she clarifies that she is inter-
home sick fighting Lyme Disease. Those were vision and utter contempt for the conventional, he ested in the new relations between dance and
the worst years of my life as I went through commissions him to design a country house, com- theatre. According to the most ancient principles
both physical and emotional battles. I was mitting the whole family’s savings to it. But Biren, from the Natya-sastra, a founding text in India
able to turn that fight into music I’m really paralysed by his grand ideals and his passion for per- for the dramatic arts, dance and theatre go hand
proud of. I wrote songs in my bed and on the fection, is slowly sinking into a drunken torpor. And in hand. As one browses through the pages, one
couch and recorded there mostly as well,” Pinaki, ignorant of the Party’s involvement in all land is transported to a world of dance and drama
Avril said. Head Above Water is the first song deals, must endure not just Kalol Mondal’s ominous reading the various expressions of the artists in
Avril wrote from her bed during “one of the Govinda presence while buying his plot, but more worryingly, colorful costumes narrating stories from all over
• Avril in action New must is ready scariest moments of my life.” (In an interview) his infatuation with Pinaki’s young daughter. the world.

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