artemiswildthings.files.wordpress.com · Web viewFor example, the Tamil Nadu IT Minister’s digital literacy initiative to ameliorate the 73% illiteracy rate led to a literacy project

MEDIA AS MEDIATOR Narrative in Digital and Performative Presentation

Abstract

Media as Mediator explores sacred characters in a contemporary story in two- and three-dimensions. This case study posits the concept of intervisuality, that is, the comparison between, and interpretation of, visual images in a cultural context. Media sources bring South Indian classical dance and Bollywood-style songs into conversation with Western dance forms in the dance suite, Liquid Gems, and the Tamil fiction film, Pancha Ratna.

The story focuses on women’s issues in diverse marriage arrangements, dowry and murder/suicide. Contemporary media reports influence the way in which sacred

archetypes inform their modern counterparts in the narrowcast narrative.

Key words: India, Media, Multicultural, Marriage, Suicide, Theatre, Film, Dance

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Narrative in Digital and Performative Presentation

1. Introduction

When BG Indiramma lit her father’s cremation, change in customs seemed imminent

(The Times of India, 2010). Because the closest male relative traditionally performs Hindu

cremation rites, Indiramma’s action challenged women’s roles in Indian society (Bennett, 2010).

The project on Visual Literacy in Two- and Three-Dimensional Presentation emerged from

stories in Tamil media. As a result, Pancha Ratna, a short fiction film in Tamil, and Liquid

Gems, a dance suite choreographed in South Indian classical and Western styles, were created.

This study considers the effects of dimensionality on storytelling.

Whereas Bollywood synthesizes drama, music and dance in film, Hollywood excels at

action films. In Rituparno Ghosh’s film, The Last Lear, Lear was a terminally ill character on set.

Vishal Bharadwaj adapted Macbeth to the haunted Maqbool. Contrariwise, Peter Brook staged

the epic dance-drama, The Mahabharata, and subsequently captured its mythic essence on film.

Eastern and Western cinema reincarnated mythic archetypes as contemporary situations on film.

While plays are frequently are adapted to screenplays, the way dance performance and digital

media interact is rarely explored. In these media, images take precedence. Whereas textuality

mediates the meaning of words in specific circumstances, visual literacy interprets images in

cultural contexts. The concept of intervisuality was developed to compare and contrast with

images across mediums in a cultural context. Therefore, the effect of dance and film on the

legible image will be addressed.

Art Silverblatt determined that ‘media presentation can provide insight into the attitudes,

values, behaviors, preoccupations, patterns of thought and the myths that define a culture’;

therefore, project sources included print media, Hindu texts, and Bharatanatyam (classical Tamil

dance). For example, the Tamil Nadu IT Minister’s digital literacy initiative to ameliorate the

73% illiteracy rate led to a literacy project in the film (India Online, 2011; The Hindu, 2010).

Moreover, marriage-related deaths are relegated to sidebars in Tamil media. Case in point: new

bride jumped into a river because she wanted to be a nun (The Times of India, 2010). Compared

with their Western counterparts, Indian women commit suicide at a rate of 4:1 (Vijaykumar,

2007: 81-84). Moreover, for every suicide in North India, five are committed in the South.

Although banned in 1961, a bride’s family often pays a dowry. After marriage, in-laws

sometimes harass the wife for more money or property. When pressure is unbearable, she hangs,

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poisons or immolates herself (The Times of India, February, 2011). In an extreme case, the

groom’s family set the bride on fire. Caste also plays a role. Traditionally, to marry outside of

one’s caste is punishable by death (Stearns, 2011). For example, Nirupama Pathak, a Brahmin,

fell in love with Priyabhanshu Ranjan, a Kayastha of the ruling/warrior caste. When her family

objected, she allegedly hung herself (Press Trust of Indi a , 2011).Then, an arrest warrant was

issued for her father, boyfriend and brother (The Times of India, 2010). To kill a Brahmin is one

of the gravest of Vedic sins (Levinson, 2002). Given that Chennai leads Tamil Nadu in dowry

deaths (Vasundara, 2010), these provocative stories informed death and marriage in the Visual

Literacy project. With the story as the common thread, content and characters interwoven in

dance and film.

To validate intervisuality, consider the importance of familiarity of codes within a

society. Cultural immersion occurred through reading sacred texts, learning Bharatanatyam

dance, chanting Vedas, attending Indian music and dance concerts, studying yoga and speaking

with Tamilians over nine months. A practical and intellectual encounter with Hindu archetypes

deepened understanding of classical meanings in the milieu. To clarify the project’s plot

function, cultural context and implicit content will now be accessed.

When Hollywood meets Bollywood, traditional archetypes become recognizable

characters. Initially, each characters’ vocal and physical essences were distilled into thumbnail

sketches. Though the content varied according to artistic needs of the medium, the scenes

imaginatively translated the classical into a modern context. The narrative function of the

characters becomes evident in the following synopsis. Three villagers, Aishwarya, Vinodha and

Sangeetha, contemplated marriage without dowries. Aishwarya supported her ailing father by

making beauty products. Vinodha sold milk and Sangeetha sold coconuts. Arjun, an IT

entrepreneur, returned to his village start a literacy project with his friends, Raghu and Krishna.

Aishwarya’s late mother had arranged an unusual marriage between Arjun, a low-caste sudra,

and her Brahmin daughter, Aishwarya. Because his parents wished that he marry a village girl,

Raghu courted Sangeetha. Having dated Vinodha in the city, Krishna convinced Vinodha that he

loved her. The inciting event is the return of Ravi, Arjun’s half-brother, who kidnapped and

allegedly raped Sangeetha in an inversion of a Tamil wedding tradition. Ravi wanted Sangeetha

to clear his name so he could marry Aishwarya. The plot built to a climax: Crazed by

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Aishwarya’s love for Arjun, Ravi killed Aishwarya’s Brahmin father. The goddess Durga drove

Ravi to commit suicide at the cremation. The couples became engaged and submitted the literacy

project to the Indian Government. Whereas Liquid Gems focused on marriage, Pancha Ratna

addressed marriage and death.

A pivotal event led to the central image of the Abhishekam. After the Tanjore temple’s

1,000th anniversary, a girls’ chorus sang Pancharatna Kriti, the Five Gems of Ram. Priests

poured rosewater, turmeric, sesame oil, coconut and river water, fruit, honey, milk, curd and

sandalpaste over the deity. The outpouring of love to Ram led to aesthetic complexity. The

female characters became the five gems based on events from The Ramayana and The

Mahabharata. The diamond represented unshakeable love of Sita for Ram. The ruby denoted

Draupadi (Aishwarya). After the Kausavas attempted to disrobe Draupadi during the dice game,

she vowed to bathe her unbound hair in her assailant’s blood (Dharma, 1999: 211). Blue sapphire

reflected the cool confidence of Kunti (Aishwarya’s late mother); the five Pandava brothers

married Draupadi because whatever she said was right (Dharma, 1999: 113). The opalescent

pearl became signified the cowherd, Radha (Vinodha). The emerald connoted Durga who creates

life and avenges injustice. The five gems symbolized women worthy to marry regardless of caste

or socioeconomic status.

The implicit content enhanced episodes from Hindu texts on screen and in choreography.

In The Ramayana, Ravana kidnaps and Ram rescues Sita (Valmiki, 2011). When Ram’s subjects

questioned her chastity, Sita proved her purity by escaping unscathed from the fire. In The

Mahabharata’s Swyamvar, the marriage competition instigated conflict between Arjuna (Arjun)

and Karna (Ravi) (Dharma, 1999: 114). Because Arjuna’s mother, Kunti, concealed the birth of

her first born, Karna, by the sun god Surya; Karna was known as a charioteer’s son (Dharma,

1999: 911). When Draupadi did not allow Karna to compete and Arjuna won Draupadi, final

battle loomed. In an intertextual sendup, Krishna, who served as Arjuna’s charioteer in The

Mahabharata, became the Raghu’s driver (Dharma, 1999: 603). Similarly, when Krishna

became the divine lover of his gopis, Radha overcame her jealousy (Manzo, 2010:14). As

modern avatars coped with contemporary situations, the characters benefitted from ancestral

recollection free of karmic fate. Yet, present actions, such as Ravi’s murder of Aishwarya’s

father, resulted in accountability. These hallowed underpinnings of the story shaped perceptions

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of the gender in the dance and film. In this qualitative media study, by unearthing the collective

repository of sacred narrative, the characters imagined possible solutions to ancient dilemmas.

The cultural context invited the integral audience into the work. In concert with Tamil

mores and the Indian Censor Board, marriage and procreation were emphasized. Because the

Visual Literacy project advocated the right to choose how one marries, characters married for

diverse reasons: love, arrangement or friendship. Following Herbert Zettl’s support of the

cinematic power of landscape (1995:95), the film was recorded in the Tamil village of Nembur

during Pongal, the harvest celebration. This locale brought a social justice issue to the

foreground. Forced to pay exorbitant interest rates for subsistence loans, Tamil Nadu farmers

caught in the ‘debt trap’ sometimes commit suicide (Gill, 2011). Even though the landscape

evoked nostalgia for pastoral life, the spacio-temporal link tweaked the viewer’s conscience.

Given these considerations, the project will be analyzed.

2. PANCHA RATNA, THE MOVIE1

The Visual Literacy project enhanced the intimate relationship between the viewer and the

image by changing the timing of action and image. David Mamet juxtaposes filmic images to tell

the story through the lacuna or gap between shots (1991:25). Complimentary and contrasting

timing between camera and actor supplemented this technique. To access technical aspects of

imagery in Pancha Ratna, production elements including props, set, costumes, and camera, and

visual communication including body language, Bharatanatyam hasta (gesture) and abinaya

(facial gesture), text, and songs will be discussed.

Set and properties concretize ideas. The opening montage featured the government’s

black and white bridge, which foretold Ravi’s release from prison and Arjun’s literacy project.

Gray connoted liminality between life and death. Moreover, incorrect use of props enhanced

caste awareness. The priest instructed Aishwarya, a Brahmin, to give grass to Arjun, a low caste

man, for her father’s cremation. When Arjun placed the Brahmin thread over the left shoulder

and circled his hand anti-clockwise, the priest corrected his actions. Yet, the priest’s instructions

and Aishwarya’s request symbolically elevated Arjun to a Brahmin. Incidentally, he realistic

cremation provoked emotion. A drunken motorcycle gang interrupted the initial shooting of the

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funeral. As Durga chased Ravi into a field, holy cows mitigated the feud by eating the funeral

grass. Subsequently, the cremation was shot in an orchard. Thus, ritual mediated social actions.

The costumes predicted the lovers’ unions. At sunrise on the beach, Aishwarya’s red shirt

aligned her with her avatar, Draupadi. In the ceremony to honor her late mother, Aishwarya wore

a golden sari. Durga’s red and gold costume connoted Aishwarya’s coming of age. In scene two,

a goatherd wrapped the Madras plaid lunghi, a knee-length cloth, around his waist, which

concretized the locale. In contrast, Ravi’s grey shirt and jeans and Arjun’s khakis were

anomalous in the village. In the garden, Aishwarya’s saffron, blue and purple sari complimented

her suitors’ palettes. In scene four, color underlined Krishna and Vinodha’s disagreement.

Vinodha swayed like an elephant, embodying the Ramayana ideal of a woman, as she carried

milk, a fertility symbol. Because orange-clad sadhu, or holy men, gives their blood for faith,

Vinodha’s orange sari gave her backbone. Krishna, overdressed in his purple shirt and black

pants, provoked Vinodha. She exclaimed, ‘Krishna, you’re a city boy; I am a village girl. Why

should I believe. . .’ Challenged her doubt, Krishna finished her line, ‘…want to marry you?’

The royal purple anticipated her heart’s conquest. In scene five, Ravi integrated himself in

village life in his grey lunghi; his naked chest added toughness and vulnerability. Similarly,

Sangeetha’s aqua blouse and blue plaid sari foreshadowed her engagement to Ragha, clad blue

button-down shirt. In the murder scene, Ravi’s bloody knife was visible through the foliage. Ravi

ducked under the eaves and emerged slowly in a blood- stained grey shirt, Aishwarya shouted.

Yet, Ravi telegraphed a double message. He offered a blue sapphire necklace to Aishwarya with

one hand and held the bloody knife in the other. Ravi’s doubt allowed Arjun to win. In the

cremation scene, Arjun led the procession in a white kurta (knee-length shirt) and doti (fabric

draped from the waist). The low caste women wore government-issued saris. Aishwarya wore an

orange blouse and red sari, symbolizing her father’s blood. Vinodha’s passionate red blouse and

sari served as a counterpoint to Sangeetha’s white sari. The progression of the men’s palette from

muted to vibrant pointed up the women’s effect on the men. The transmutation of the men’s

urban look to village clothing demonstrated an acceptance of village life.

Camera movements were synergized in the Visual Literacy project through a hand-held

camera technique. The sideways camera movements replicated the villain spying on the fiancés.

Natural lighting supported the rough-and-ready style. On the beach, the 360˚ clockwise camera

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circumambulation linked the heroine with her avatar. Next, the camera shifted angles and

zoomed in and out on Durga’s altar until the backlit statue became a Bharatanatyam dancer,

carrying a spear and riding on the lion. When the goddess became a statue, camera cradled

Aishwarya to underline Durga’s motherly role. Jumpcut to Arjun, Aishwarya’s prince, which

fulfilled Durga’s promise of a husband through Mamet’s gap between the images. Arjun

appeared in a montage of cars, palm trees, and grass by a lake in the transition from city to

country. In scene three, the lens took Arjun’s perspective. As he panned Aishwarya’s courtyard,

the camera circled Arjun. The voyeuristic lens observed Ravi who bobbed restlessly in the

palms. Ravi crabbed through desiccated banana trees to hear the conversation. Camera

circumambulation deified the couple. When Aishwarya heard rustling, she urged Arjun to protect

her. The camera followed Arjun as he jogged toward the trees, and jumped over a wall.

Supported by a romantic melody, Arjun brushed Aishwarya’s fear aside with a wave. Ravi

cowered initially, and then his signature snake charmer music foreshadowed the impending

murder. By shooting from Arjun’s perspective, the camera established Arjun as protagonist. In

scene seven, the camera angle mirrored the women’s self-esteem. The camera initially looked

down on the women during the dowry discussion. When the women believed that the men loved

them, the camera angle placed the women on a pedestal. When Aishwarya warned Sangeetha

about Ravi, the camera jumped to Ravi who was leaning on a fence post in front of the house.

Ravi sauntered, rubbed his chest, and loped across the road. Then, the camera trailed Ravi to

emphasize speed and dexterity as he ran through Aishwarya’s garden. By altering camera angles

in the dowry scene, voyeuristic camera angles juxtaposed the women’s positive motives with

Ravi’s negative intent. In murder scene, the camera stalked Ravi. As Ravi searched for

Aishwarya, the camera panned. When Arjun grabbed Ravi’s knife, Arjun threw Ravi’s blue

sapphire necklace at the beehive. Upon impact, the hive flashed in a four-pointed star like a

celestial weapon. In pursuit of his handiwork, Ravi incited the bees to swarm. The camera

mirrored the bees’ pursuit of Ravi as he loped and lurched out of the door. Thus, the camera

movement mirrored the character’s function.

Next, the effect of Bharatanatyam dance and movement on film will be accessed.

Bharatanatyam translates as ‘earth dance.’ Bharatanatyam tells a story through gestures and

emotion through its salient features: hasta (gesture), adava (steps), and abinaya (facial gesture).

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Abinaya highlights the nine rasas or emotions: Shringara (Love), Haasya (Laughter), Adbhuta

(Wonder), Shanta (Peacefulness), Raudra (Anger), Veera (Heroism), Bhaya (Fear), Karuna

(Compassion), and Bheebatsa (Disgust) (Dany, 2001). Through action, the exterior image

becomes culturally legible. Whereas Bharatanatyam dramatized storytelling through tempo

changes, Aishwarya’s deft abinaya set the tone of heightened expressivity on film. When Durga

promised that she would marry before her father died, Aishwarya’s eyes widened. Aishwarya

held the flower bud in mukalum hasta, the budding lotus, as Arjun appeared in Aishwarya’s

garden. The lotus symbolizes the flower whose fragrant petals do not touch the water, which

represents rising above dukkha or ‘dis-ease’. Arjun matched Aishwarya’s abinaya with

expressive gesticulation. When Aishwarya noted her father’s poor health, Arjun buoyed up her

spirit by raising the pataka (flag) hasta, flat palm forward and fingers splayed in alapadma, the

blooming lotus. Aishwarya mukulum bloomed as she praised Arjun’s optimism with hamsasyam,

the scholarly gesture. The hamsa or swan symbolizes the scholar’s discernment because it

separates milk from water. Ravi read the visual content of this interaction with chagrin from afar.

In addition, regional gestures added humor. As Arjun ruminated, he drove his car and chewed

gum. The jumpcut to Pongal cows with red and blue painted horns. The visual sequence aligned

Arjun with the holy cow. Contrariwise, Ravi, Arjun’s half-brother, walked with left hand behind

his back on the roadside in a traditional Tamil gesture. When Arjun screeched to a stop, Ravi

scrutinized Arjun and scratched his cheek with his left hand in a disrespectful, scatological

gesture. Arjun’s direct gaze, contrasted with Ravi’s shifty eyes, foreshadowed competition. Thus,

the brothers sized each other up through body language.

The subtle interplay between Krishna and Vinodha rekindled their love. When Vinodha

confronted Krishna about leaving her, she hit her palm in the air. As he begged her to believe his

love, Krishna’s chin jut and head tilt belied his confident words. Vinodha hunched and looked up

at him. Raghu joked with Vinodha: Krishna had become thin like a rubber tree in his search for

Vinodha. Hand over Vinodha’s head, Krishna swore satyam (truth). Raghu wagged his head to

confirm Krishna’s oath. Krishna and Raghu put their arms around the other’s shoulders and

walked to their car. Scene five contrasted comic and serious distinctive Tamil gestures. Before he

crossed the road to Sangeetha, Ravi scratched his belly, a humorous Tamil gesture. Then, Ravi

knee-walked and confessed his lie about the rape to Sangeetha. She glowered and reminded Ravi

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that she could not marry because of his lying. She brandished her knife to ward off Ravi. Raghu

intervened, flipped his hand up, pointed to the road and said poda! (get lost). Ravi nabbed the

knife before he slunk away. Stakes increased rapidly. Not only did Ravi’s theft of the knife

foreshadow impending murder, but Raghu to admire Sangeetha’s self-defense. In scene seven,

business relationships tested women’s friendships. Vinodha and Sangeetha vied for Aishwarya’s

business. As Aishwarya pressed herbs with a mortar and pestle, Vinodha patted her thighs and

offered hair dye to her. However, when Sangeetha offered coconut oil, Aishwarya stood to

receive the gift. Initially, Aishwarya preferred Sangeetha. With Krishna’s arrival, Vinodha

trumped Sangeetha’s bid for attention. United in their quest for love, the women sat

simultaneously. However, when the trio analyzed marriage proposals, Aishwarya shifted

allegiances by offering rosewater to Vinodha. Sangeetha concluded the scene by giving curd to

Vinodha for the cowherd, Krishna. Upon Vinodha’s triumphant exit, Aishwarya reinstated

Sangeetha as confidante. Glittering nails sparkled in the sunlight as Durga pursued Ravi. He had

thwarted Durga’s promise to Aishwarya to marry before her father’s death. Durga wielded her

Bharatanatyam weapons quickly: conch, bow and arrow, thunderbolt, discus, sword and trident

as Ravi loped chaotically. At the cremation, Ravi confessed Sangeetha’s purity. When Durga

prodded him with a spear, Ravi fell into the fire. Durga’s weapons recalled Ravi’s defeat by

celestial weapons in the Mahabharata battle. The posture and gesture supported the lovers’

relationships.

Given the effect of body language on the characters, the words themselves will be

examined. For example, language became ironic sometimes. Having started his IT business in

Bangalore, Arjun did not recognize his half-brother. When Arjun greeted Ravi with ann,a

meaning ‘brother’ and ‘friend’ in Tamil, the incorrect connotation of ‘friend’ for his half-brother

was paradoxical. At other times, Tamil language called forth classical avatars. When Krishna and

Raghu stopped near the village, Krishna leaned on the car with legs crossed, a stance reminiscent

of Krishna’s flute-playing archetype. In another instance, idioms authenticated the screenplay.

As Raghu flirted, Krishna cautioned Raghu that if he dishonored a girl, the Tamilians might ‘cut

his tail,’ a dangerous repercussion. In addition, English words added masala spice to the film.

After Raghu told Ravi to leave Sangeetha in Tamil, Raghu added ‘hit the road.’ Because it is

three times more expensive to shoot in English than in Tamil in India, speaking in English

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expressed Raghu’s higher status and city breeding. Similarly, when Krishna called Ravi a

‘psycho’ at the murder, he mixed cultural codes by speaking American slang and flipping his

hand in a Tamilian gesture. Whereas words and gestures anchored the text in Tamil Nadu,

American words revealed class distinctions. Finally, Ravi passive-aggressively muttered words

under his breath in these exchanges. For instance, when Arjun made a preemptive strike at

Aishwarya’s heart, the incensed Ravi vowed revenge in ‘mind voice.’ Unlike the American

psychological approach to character, Tamil characters converse with other characters. Because

voiceovers indicate mental instability, the interior monologue effectively conveyed the genuine

danger of Ravi’s threats. Thus, the screenplay pointed up class, and regionalism and national

affiliations.

Songs are a staple of feature-length Kollywood films; screenplays are written for popular

songs. Because songs in short Indian films are rare, Tamil directors at AVM Studios commended

the inclusion of songs in the 30-minute film. Aside from the Bharatanatyam dancing robot in the

Tamil film Robo, the classical dance is unusual in Kollywood. To address these unusual features,

the songs’ body language and Bharatanatyam hastas will be analyzed. In ‘Bang On,’ Raghu

proposed, but Sangeetha did not respond. So Raghu leapt into a Bharatanatyam lunge, spun and

sang ‘Baby, my Baby’ on a country road. As Raghu’s love blossomed in the lotus gesture, he

strutted and bounced in the kuluku in a circle. Then, Raghu surprised Sangeetha leapt and sat

next to her with his right hand on his knee, recalling Ram’s seated posture in Ramayana dramas.

He flicked his eyes and head suddenly in the Bharatanatyam attami, to which Sangeetha fondled

her earring. Raghu flicked his hand in hamsasyam radiating sundari (brilliance) around his face.

This was an ironic gesture because sundari is associated the armor of Ravi’s avatar, Karna.

Raghu’s hands flew like garuda, the eagle. When she did not acquiesce, Raghu stamped and

clapped on a back beat in a Pongal dance, circumambulated her like a deity and shook his

shoulders in Bollywood fashion. When Raghu pointed to the sky, Sangeetha peaked shyly.

Raghu snapped his finger because he had caught her in Tamil parlance. She stretched her arms

luxuriously. With renewed vigor, Raghu strutted and balanced on one leg before he Raghu knelt

before her with a shikaram hasta, a ‘thumbs up’ gesture associated with Ram. Raghu raised his

hands up in tripataka hasta, palm flat with ring finger bent, and crowned her queen. Tender

coconut water cascaded over their hands in an Abhishekam. In ‘Smile, my Lotus Flower,’

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Krishna gripped the steering wheel and prayed. Vinodha set down the curd and descended the

veranda’s stairs. Krishna leaned on the car and serenaded her. When Krishna played hide and

playfully popped his head over the car, Vinodha stretched her arms luxuriously. Arjun and

Raghu danced a grapevine, and Arjun rolled his arms and echoed Krishna’s lyric. Krishna lay on

the car hood. With prayer hands in anjali, Arjun beseeched Vinodha to forgive Krishna’s

flirtations. Krishna hopped off the hood and lounged on the steps, inviting Vinodha to place her

foot on his head. Vinodha raised her foot over Krishna’s head reminiscent of Durga conquering

the demon, Mahisha. Her relaxed hands revealed that, while she won Krishna’s heart, she is not

yet secure in her victory. In ‘No Caste, No Creed,’ Krishna raised Vinodha onto a pedestal.

Vinodha lifted her fist in a devotional gesture. Krishna touched his fist to his heart and knelt

before her. As Vinodha turned with arms spread, Krishna spiraled to stand, turned her under his

arm and circled her. As Sangeetha trailed her hand in the lily pond, her deep blue sari matching

Raghu’s cobalt-colored shirt, Raghu surprised Sangeetha with a diamond necklace. Dressed in

royal purple Arjun escorted Aishwarya with dignity and Aishwarya accepted his proposal.

Krishna led the fiancés into the literacy house to rejoice in their good fortune.

3. LIQUID GEMS DANCE SUITE

Liquid Gems consisted of seven dances: Abhishekam, Kauvery River Dance, Durga

Advises Krishna, Raghu Courts Sangeetha, Aishwarya’s Dream, Love is in the Air and

Celebration. In Abhishekam, the women poured libations to Durga. In Kauvery River, Krishna

stole the women’s saris as they bathed. In Durga Advises Krishna, Durga mediated the lovers’

quarrel between Krishna and Vinodha. In Raghu Courts Sangeetha, Raghu fell in love with and

Sita. In Aishwarya’s Dream, Durga manifested Aishwarya’s dream man. Lovers united in Love is

in the Air. In Celebration, the couples became engaged. For Liquid Gems, the Kalakshetra

Director Leela Samson handpicked dancers who rehearsed a month.2 A detailed explanations of

the dances will be discussed.

In Abhishekam women offered flowers, buttermilk, coconut and sandal paste as the

danced circled Durga with the Bharatanatyam Mardhita, a step and touch with arms resembling

ivy. Durga blessed the women with the Teermanam Adavu. Quick stamps and gyrating arms

‘determined’ or punctuated the Bharatanatyam sequence.

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Left to Right: Kailash Nathan, Nitya Seshadri, Jay Kumaren Iyasamy, Reshmi Nair and Rajesh

Chenthy in Liquid Gems (2011) at Rukmini Devi Arangam. Women in Kuchipudi and men in

Bharatanatyam style. (Photo by B. V. Mogadhar.)

The second dance, Kauvery River, the women drew a figure eight with their toes in

Kuchipudi style. Arjun meditated on marriage in Bharatanatyam hastas. When Krishna and

Raghu spied the women, they tap danced and flew like Garuda. Krishna and Raghu beseeched

Arjun to help with their flat tire in a syncopated Tango. Raghu and Arjun danced the ball-heel

Camel step. As the women bathed in blouses and petticoats, Krishna stole their saris. Arjun and

Raghu leapt in a bent-kneed Paidhal adavu, lunged and perched on one leg to chide Krishna.

When the women knelt in submission, Krishna acquiesced. The sextet dancers slid rocked and

jumped on their heels in Sarakkal Adavu, Women galloped joyfully. The men leapt upstage in

Paidal. The women bounced on the balls of their feet to tease the men. The men knelt. The

Abhishekam featured bent legs rotating around the chest’s axis. The women posed flirtatiously

with arms overhead and toes by their ankles. The men soared. The women struck their heels and

spoked their hands like stars in the Kuditthu Metta, and stretched their legs in Naatt adavu. Arjun

leapt to his new girlfriend. Raghu gamboled and escorted his love. Krishna pleaded Vinodha for

forgiveness. The women exited sensually in Kuchapudi style. The men pursued them in

Panchanadai ta-ki-ta, a stamp followed by a ball and heel strike, and matched the women’s

Kuditthu Metta. Suddenly, the women leapt and galloped away. The men stamped, jutted their

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heel side, lunged and spun with Tath Thai Taam. The women offered a Abhishekam to Durga.

Then, Vinodha skipped, Sangeetha kicked, and Aishwarya leapt like a cat, exiting with their men

in hot pursuit.

Left to Right: Madhvi Venkatesh, Jay Kumaren Iyasamy, Nitya Seshadri, and Reshmi Nair in

Liquid Gems (2011) at Rukmini Devi Arangam. Women in Kuchipudi and men in

Bharatanatyam styles. (Photo by B. V. Mogadhar.)

Left to Right: Madhvi Venkatesh, Nitya Seshadri, Reshmi Nair, and Rajesh Chenthy in Liquid

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Gems (2011) at Rukmini Devi Arangam. The cast dances the Sarakkal. (Photo by B. V.

Mogadhar.)

In dance three, Durga Advises Krishna, Vinodha dipped, swayed and churned butter in

Kuchipudi style. Krishna spun flamboyantly, arms tossed lightly in the Kathak style. Krishna’s

peacock plume bloomed in alapadma. The leitmotif, Teermanam, signaled antiphonal dialogue.

The lovers competed for the floor. Durga leapt in to mediate. She backed them down with

Panchanadai ta-ki-ta. Vinodha and Krishna argued with Teermanam. When Durga sided with

Vinodha, they danced the elongated Naatt adava. Krishna beat his ankle with his foot

balletically, turned and balanced with legs bent. Krishna and Vinodha revolved in paddle turns.

Durga fiercely protected Vinodha with her bow in a Panchanadai chatururam rhythm, ta-ka-di-

me, a stamp and heel strike followed by a ball and heel strike. When Krishna humbly beseeched

Vinodha with squats and balances in Mandi, she turned away. Durga spun and balanced as she

contemplated the dilemma. Krishna and Vinodha awaited judgment. Durga threatened the

unfaithful Krishna with naga hasta, or cobra hoods. Durga caught the retreating Krishna and he

prostrated himself Durga warned Krishna with her celestial discus. Vinodha advocated on

Krishna’ behalf. Vinodha and Krishna waltzed in a Panchanadai ta-ki-ta. Appeased, Durga

clicked her heels and taught them how to fight fairly with her Bharatanatyam. weapons: conch,

bow and arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, discus, sword, and trident. Durga concluded with Teermanam

adavu and leapt offstage. Krishna lifted Vinodha and they skipped offstage together.

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Left to Right: Reshmi Nair and Rajesh Chenthy in Liquid Gems (2011) at Liquid Gems studio in

the Cakewalk dance. (Photo by Shanta.)

In Raghu Courts Sangeetha, Sangeetha sold coconuts by the road. Raghu discovered

Sangeetha and soared like Garuda. Sangeetha strolled, tap danced and cavorted. Raghu danced

an exuberant usi, or paddle, accenting the back beat. Raghu’s mukulum (bud) bloomed like

champagne flowing from his heart in great santosh (happiness). He kicked his heels and tap

danced. Sangeetha topped him with the Mandi squatting step. They turned and tapped together.

Raghu tried to catch Sangeeth as she flung her arms in a Kathak turn. He caught her in flirtatious

cakewalk and galloped together. Raghu lifted Sangeetha a double stag leap in swastika. They

glided upstage in aturning cat leap. Sangeetha’s Bharatanatyam steps contrasted Raghu‘s flowing

turns. They tap danced together and parted.

Left to Right: Nitya Seshadri and Monisha Chakravarthy in Liquid Gems (2011) at Rukmini Devi

Arangam. Durga demonstrates using a bow and arrow. (Photo by B. V. Mogadhar.)

In dance five, Aishwarya’s Dream, Durga pressed a sewing treadle cast a spell. The

unsuspecting Aishwarya paddled to sleep. Arjun strutted with a kuluku walk as Durga reeled him

in. When Arjun spied Aishwarya, he jumped with knees like butterfly wings. Arjun promised a

necklace to Aishwarya. Dreaming of the necklace, Aishwarya suddenly awoke and saw her

dream man! Arjun showed off his celestial bow like his avatar, Arjuna. Durga promised children

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to them. Aishwarya and Arjun balanced in arabesque. Aishwarya circumambulated Arjun to

capture his heart.

In dance six, Love is in the Air, Arjun spun Aishwarya in his arms and promenaded her.

He leapt, kicked and turned to show prowess. Then, he carried Aishwarya to the fire circle. The

youths tested their purity in the bonfire. Krishna and Vinodha emerged with writhing sarpashira,

arms like hooded cobras. Raghu and Sangeetha cakewalked. Raghu partnered Sangeetha who

signaled the fusion dance circle with a tap turn. This sequence epitomized the fusion style of

Liquid Gems. The men danced Bharatanatyam with toe and heel stamps in a sparkling Kuditthu

Metta, stretched legs and spiraled their bodies with the Ett adavu. The women swished, hopped,

spun and leapt around them. Then, the women joined the men in Bharatanatyam. Then, Krishna

lifted Vinodha as they skipped, turned and balanced. Vinodha teased Krishna with small leaps on

her toes. Krishna’s peacock feathers bloomed. Vinodha led him in an Abhishekam. Sangeetha

and Raghu chasséd together, and Raghu whisked her away. Aishwarya offered Abhishekam to

Durga. Arjun and Aishwarya united in nagabandhe, two serpents crossed. The quartet bowed to

Durga and celebrated with dazzling Kuditthu Metta in syncopated Bharatanatyam. Arjun lifted

and spun Aishwarya in a double stag leap. The sextet flew the goddess’s flag in patakam and

poured offerings to Durga.

Celebration is a Kollywood send-up. The sextet circled their hands overhead, turned,

strutted upstage, and advanced with the Camel step. The sextet turned, tap danced and whirled

with Kathak hands. The couples followed with Sarpashira in canon, finishing in a warrior lunge.

The couples kicked up their heels and flirted in character-based poses: Krishna played his flute in

Katakamuhkam and Raghu posed in Shikaram (thumbs up). Durga taught marital tactics to

couples. The pairs leapt, turned and galloped in unique Bharatanatyam phrases. As Krishna and

Vinodha jumped and turned, Sangeetha and Raghu balanced and posed. The men displayed

strength in the deep kneebends of Mandi. Flying Durga’s flag, the women surrounded the

goddess. In the final tableau, Durga conquered Aishwarya who reenacted the demon, Mahisha

(Anonymous, 12th c.). Sangeetha and Vinodha posed as temple guards. The men recreated a

Mamallapuram sculpture in human architecture. The goddess conquered the demon and Arjun,

the lion, guarded Durga’s heart.

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4. Intervisuality

Liquid Gems and Pancha Ratna shared images, yet the imagery manifested according to

the situation. An intervisual is the final tableau of Durga conquering Mahisha in the dance and

Vinodha conquering Krishna’s heart in the song, ‘Smile, Lotus Flower.’ These images of Durga

served as a thirtha. On the earthly plane, a thirtha is a ford in a river. In the dance, the men

crossed the River Kauvery to meet their brides. Spiritually, a thirtha signifies the intersection of

human and divine (Cushman, 2009: 220). Similarly, circumambulation raised human status to

that of a deity. Whereas the women circumambulated Durga in Abhishekam, they circled men

Left to Right: Madhvi Venkatesh, Kailash Nathan, Rajesh Chenthy, Jay Kumaren Iyasamy, Nitya

Seshadri, Reshmi Nair and Monisha Chakravarthy in Liquid Gems (2011) at the Liquid Gems

Studio. Women in Kuchipudi and men in Bharatanatyam styles. (Photo by Shanta.)

with ballet, tap and Kuchipudi styles as the men danced Bharatanatayam in Liquid Gems. In the

film, Krishna spun Vinodha on a pedestal in the finale. When the film and dance were premiered

sequentially, circular repetition amplified the Abhishekam’s power. Double meaning marked the

transcendent place where contemporary characters met avatars. In another intervisual instance,

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Raghu fused classical and folk steps. Whereas Raghu interwove Pongal folk dance and

Bharatanatyam in the song, ‘Bang On,’ Raghu and Sangeetha mirrored each other with

Bharatanatyam and American tap dance in the dance. Through the transition from classical to

folk styles, the city boy accepted village life. This comingling of classical and folk elements in

the authentic South Indian harvest dance in the film accentuated. Thus, fusion brought character

together with content and context. Finally, leitmotifs of fire and water recurred in both mediums.

As couples for marriage, water cleansed and fire burned away impurities. In Liquid Gems, the leg

revolving around the body symbolized libation and Sarpashira, the cobra, symbolized fire.

Moreover, Abhishekam heightened moments in the film: coconut water spilled through Raghu

and Sangeetha’s hand, blood trickled down the knife blade; holy water dripped through Arjun’s

fingers at the cremation, and Sangeetha trailed her fingers in the lily pond. Thus, water and fire

served as catalytic agents in character transformation.

Visual treatments of the film and dance differed in two ways: casting and specializations of

the performers. Because murder is rarely acceptable in Bharatanatyam dance drama, the dance

had no villain. In addition, whereas Aishwarya commemorated her mother’s death anniversary

on film, the mother figure was absent in the dance. For this reason, Pancha Ratna benefitted

from a richer cast of characters. However, the high quality of dancers added professionalism to

Liquid Gems. Smooth transitions complimented quick changes and articulate abinaya, facial

gesture, illuminated the rasas, or emotions, in dance. In this way, inclusion of classical and folk

forms and the central image of Abhishekam unified imagery in the Visual Literacy project.

5. Affective response of the audience

The film Pancha Ratna, and the dance , Liquid Gems, were premiered for an integral

audience of 250 persons at Kalakshetra Foundation in February 2011. Given that 50% of the

audience danced Bharatanatyam, hastas shaped the narrative. Since 80% of Indians are Hindus

(India Online, 2011), Hindu avatars informed the sophisticated audience. Instead of broadcasting

the dance and film, the Visual Literacy project was narrow-cast for a particular culture.

While social justice issues informed the story, the light-hearted approach prompted a

greater vocal response than anticipated from the audience. The international Chennai dance and

music season and Kollywood (Tamil) film industry suited the Visual Literacy project. During the

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film, the audience cheered for their favorite characters. In the dance, the crowd laughed at and

applauded Bharatanatyam hastas in-jokes. For example, when Arjun gestured that he was strong,

handsome and wealthy, the spectators applauded. Tamil film director Abdul (2011) conjectured

that a cinematic treatment of Hindu rituals would be interesting to a Western audience.

Kollywood producer Zac Samuels wrote ‘enjoyable’ in a text (2011). Consequently, the integral

research actively engaged the audience’s imagistic realization informed live and digital formats.

6. Social Change

The Visual Literacy project challenged societal structure by inverting stereotypes. Given

the import of dowry suicide and murder in Tamil Nadu, dowry played a pivotal role in

Aishwarya’s beauty scene. While Vinodha expressed concern about Krishna’s high

socioeconomic status, Aishwarya made light of caste and dowry, modestly assessing the good

character of Arjun and his friends. However, when she remembered her socioeconomic decline,

Aishwarya quipped philosophized, ‘Life has its ups and downs.’ When Sangeetha revealed

Raghu’s proposal, she jutted her chin and bobbed her head. Body language betrayed her fear

about dowry. When Vinodha conjectured that dowry was superfluous, Sangeetha’s lit up with

exquisite abinaya. Yet, when Sangeetha remembered how Ravi had kidnapped, she tapped her

palm in midair determinedly to put it behind her. Aishwarya patted Sangeetha’s thigh in

sankalpa, a gesture of resolve. Realizing that Raghu loved her Sangeetha touched her heart. With

a glance, Vinodha telegraphed Krishna’s arrival. Sangeetha wished santosh (happiness) for

Vinodha. In Krishna’s song, ‘Smile, My Lotus Flower,’ Vinodha kneaded her hands and quizzed

him about caste. Krishna pushed his sunglasses onto his head and nodded reassuringly.

Convinced, Vinodha flipped her hands up, declaring the film’s theme: ‘all blood is red’. Krishna

teased that Vinodha had become Ambedkar, the statesman who elevated untouchables in the

1920s. Specific gestures in the film led the women overcome their negative constructs. Thus, the

film advocated that caste and cash are not necessary for marriage. In the pooja to bless the

literacy project, Arjun placed the laptop on Durga’s altar. The men lay prostrate and the women

knelt. When the blue sapphire necklace fell from the sky onto the laptop, they gazed in wonder.

Praying with hands in anjali, the cast recognized that the jewel’s boded well for a peaceful and

prosperous future. However, in one respect, Pancha Ratna pulled its punch. In deference to

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Hindu and Tamil customs, neither the father’s murder nor the cremation appeared on screen or in

the dance. The Brahmin translator objected to a Brahmin woman lighting the funeral pyre. To

lend credibility to the screenplay, the Brahmin heroine nominated her Sudra fiancé to light the

pyre. Approximately 70 % of India’s population is Sudra, the cast which traditionally serves

higher castes. In India’s changing culture, women are freer to perform more functions in society

than before; yet having a Sudra man, rather than a Brahmin woman, light the cremation fire

proved enough of a challenge to social structure. Gender proved to be a more restrictive factor in

ritual than caste. During the funeral, an unusual gender reversal took place. When a widow

sacrificed herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, she committed sati, illegal since 1947. In an

ironic twist, Ravi, a Sudra, threw himself into the cremation fire of the Brahmin he murdered.

This act recalled media that informed the narrative. A woman lit her father’s funeral pyre. A

bride immolated herself because dowry demands. In-laws set the bride on fire because she could

not pay more. A Brahmin woman commits suicide because she may not marry outside of her

caste. These real life examples strengthened intervisual images and supported the Visual Literacy

project’s message.

7. Conclusion

The intervisual exploration in Visual Literacy project enhanced contemporary approaches

to classical Hindu myths in the dance, Liquid Gems, and the film, Pancha Ratna. The archetypal

Hindu stories presented imagery and text grounded in spiritual tradition. Visual relationships in

filmic techniques, Bharatanatyam hastas, and language illuminated text in context. Therefore,

the interface between Western and Eastern traditions crystallized traditional and contemporary

cultures in multi-dimensional imagery. Inasmuch as the project challenged cultural mores, the

net effect was compromise for the sake of social harmony. By subtly adapting the screenplay and

dance to the cultural milieu, sensitivity to Tamil culture engaged the informed audience. As

communication becomes increasingly virtual, the ability to transpose visual imagery from live

performance to a flat screen will enhance the performer-audience relationship and increase

viewership. In sum, the Visual Literacy project anticipates further exploration of intervisuality in

dance, film, and digital media.

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NOTES

1. Pancha Ratna cast: Nitya Seshadri (Aishwarya), Cordis Paldano (Arjun), Vijay Alex

(Ravi), Rajesh Chenthy (Raghu), Balaji Sakthivel (Krishna), Tharmini Pathamanathan

(Vinodha), Reshmi Nair (Sangeetha) and Monisha Chakravarthy (Durga). Production Control/

Associate Director: Soundar Bairavi. Editor: Senthil Kumar. Musical Direction: Arunagiri.

Composer: Achyuthraman Unni. Cinematography: R. Rathindran, Art direction: Purushotham.

2. Liquid Gems cast: Madhvi Venkatesh (Aishwarya), Kailash Nathan (Arjun), Rajesh

Chenthy (Raghu), Jay Kumaren Iyasamy (Krishna), Nitya Seshadri (Vinodha), Reshmi Nair

(Sangeetha) and Monisha Chakravarthy (Durga). Costumes: Jay Kumaren Iyasamy. Lighting:

Venketesh. Composer: Achyuthraman Unni. Thanks to Kalakshetra Foundation: Leela Samson,

S. Jayachandran, G. Saraswathi, and J. Menon.

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artemiswildthings.files.wordpress.com · Web viewFor example, the Tamil Nadu IT Minister’s digital literacy initiative to ameliorate the 73% illiteracy rate led to a literacy project