We present some videos which explore the aesthetic theory of Navrasa in traditional dance forms like Bharatnatyam.

In this video, ‘Padmabhushan’ Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan describes navarasas, the nine basic emotions as experienced by Shakthi, the divine consort of Shiva. Shakthi is ‘shrungara’ personified when she sets her eyes on Shiva; all other men create ‘bibatsa’; She shows ‘raudra’ when she thinks of Ganga, the ‘other’ woman in her life; hearing Shiva’s exploits, she displays ‘adbutha’; she exudes ‘bhayanaka’ stirred by the snakes encircling Shiva’s body; she is an embodiment of feminine valour or ‘veera’; she is all ‘haasya’ in the company of her man Shiva.

Another quick enacting of 9 Rasa, 9 emotions through some quick Abhinaya gestures,

And finally, arriving at a more contemporary Hollywood interpretation, here is this clip from the Navrasa theme from the blockbuster Matrix -