Innovation is key in keeping traditions alive and Savitha Sastry is doing just that. A classical dancer, precisely a Bharatnatyam dance exponent alongwith partner AK Srikanth have been working towards keeping the charm of the classical form of dance alive in spirit, much beyond those who actively learn the art form. With their new Bharatnatyam dance production ‘Beyond the Rains’, the film, written like a Japanese poem, portrays the emotion of love as understood by a retired old dancer struck by senility, who lives in her memories, and a young girl who is looking to the future alone.

Choreographed by Savitha, Beyond the Rains helps us understand the state of the popular Indian classical dance form in a simpleton manner. Speaking about her vision, Savitha tells WION about bridging the gap between the youth and traditions that make up India’s rich cultural heritage.&nbsp;

Read the excerpts of the chat here:

WION: What is ‘Beyond the Rains’?&nbsp;

Savitha: ‘Beyond the Rains’ is based on a short story by AK Srikanth (also the Director of the film), titled ‘The Girl in the Bubble’. The theme behind the story is to juxtapose the concept of love as seen and understood by someone from an older generation, and someone from today’s youth. It also goes in depth on the concept of living a life that has experienced unrequited love – and how that love can be held as a beautiful memory rather than something to be bitter about. Director Srikanth wanted a film that has the sensitivity of ‘a dew drop about to fall from a leaf’, and it is this vision that translates into a sensitive and quiet film that nevertheless has an impact on the viewer that is unforgettable.

WION: How does rain feature in the production language? What is its relevance?&nbsp;

Savitha: On one level, the film draws its inspiration from a Haiku – a Japanese poetry format that often uses nature to deliver a gentle effect on its readers. This story is structured like a Haiku, in that it has three parts, and the rains add to the beautiful and yet wistful atmosphere of the protagonist’s state of mind. The story keeps fluctuating between the past and the present – the past where the protagonist meets with the love of her life in the season of rains, and the present where an old lady now on a wheelchair, holds onto the memories from many rains ago.

<img alt="savitha" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="102f23e5-8455-4c60-aa14-0bd44b05992a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-139.jpg" />

WION: You dance on relatable stories. Are the stories inspired from your life?

Savitha: All the stories that I have performed are the works of my husband AK Srikanth. And yes, the stories he writes are usually drawn from his own experiences in life, though dramatised for effect in our films. While it may be almost impossible to figure out who he refers to, as he mixes up events and people in his stories, the core of it is always based on a true occurrence, and I think that is what makes his stories relatable.

WION: What has your experience been like being one of the first movers to the digital arena in 
the classical dance industry?

Savitha: The primary goal of my stage productions, and later my short films, was to popularise Indian classical arts amongst those uninitiated or disinterested in the art. Until 2017, I mostly did stage performances, but given the limitation of an auditorium capacity and the number of shows I could do, it still meant my reach was restricted. The decision to go digital came about because of the undeniable reach of the medium – the audiences that could watch my show in a year, that number I now get in the first hour of my film’s release.

On the flip side, given the easy access of digital – I now see semi-trained young people put up short dance clips to gain short term fame by counting likes on their video and assuming that to be the measure of their prowess. Therefore to unearth some truly good content, one has to mine hours of uploads that do not do justice to what classical arts is truly about. There is no substitute to diligence in the classical arena and it takes decades to become a good dancer. The ease of filming something and putting it up online distracts students from concentrating on their technique. So in a nutshell, I think the digital arena can be a powerful tool of reach, but can also lend a fake sense of achievement. The power of digital, just as the power of any technology, lies in the hands of an intelligent user.

<img alt="savitha" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cf864b83-89a8-435e-9f6a-ccfe7932a1e6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-140.jpg" />

WION: Since you have tasted success with the birth of a new medium – the OTT, how do you feel about the rise of such digital platforms as an artist?

Savitha: I think it is wonderful seeing these multitudes of entertainment options blossoming. We are seeing some wonderful and innovative content being made for these platforms, perhaps far higher in quality than the serials we were accustomed to in the past. Some wonderful filmmakers and artists have come to the public eye because of these platforms. Yes, certain films are best enjoyed on big screen and by that logic I think both OTT and big screens will coexist to give the viewers a treat in all formats. This is an exciting time to be in the entertainment industry!

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-why-we-dream-about-past-loves-457480" hreflang="en">Why we dream about past loves</a>

WION: But how relevant is the classical dance form in today’s age when the youth is easily distracted with a lot more?

Savitha: Classical art can never lose its relevance but yes, multitudes of options can distract the youth. However, the youth is intelligent enough to understand and appreciate the beauty of classical dance if it is presented to them in a format that does not bore them and that onus is on us, the classical dancers.

WION: Since you agree that there’s no dearth of exposure to the youth, how have the classical dance forms evangelised for greater acceptance. Have you been successful for one?

Savitha: Traditionally, classical dance tends to be performed based on stories from mythology and religion. Repetitive content and unfamiliarity with the codification that goes into the dance makes it a difficult option for those that are not truly into the art form. Evangelising the art form would mean presenting different content in an interesting format, without compromising on the techniques of the dance form. This has been my endeavour since 2008 when I experimented with my first such production – ‘Music Within’ – which presented the history of music through a deaf and dumb protagonist. Whether I have been successful is not for me to say, but 12 productions, 14 countries, 100 plus shows, and millions of views later, I would like to think that I have been able to put forward a point!

<img alt="savitha" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b0cc8b16-c0e2-4207-98ea-65864af5e6f4" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-138_2.jpg" />

WION: Great, so what’s next in the pipeline?&nbsp;

Savitha: Our next project is titled ‘Dvija: The Story of the Twice-Born’, which is currently under production. I am also occupied with the Gurukula, the immersive in-person learning program I have devised for the handful of students that are able to live with us, and learn the art form in all its dimensions.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/asha-parekh-look-evergreen-beauty-in-the-new-magazine-cover-says-i-was-not-destined-to-get-married-462107" hreflang="en">Asha Parekh proves that she is an evergreen diva with this new magazine cover, see pics</a>

Innovation is key in keeping traditions alive and Savitha Sastry is doing just that. A classical dancer, precisely a Bharatnatyam dance exponent alongwith partner AK Srikanth have been working towards keeping the charm of the classical form of dance alive in spirit, much beyond those who actively learn the art form.

Innovation is key in keeping traditions alive and Savitha Sastry is doing just that. A classical dancer, precisely a Bharatnatyam dance exponent alongwith partner AK Srikanth have been working towards keeping the charm of the classical form of dance alive in spirit, much beyond those who actively learn the art form. With their new Bharatnatyam dance production ‘Beyond the Rains’, the film, written like a Japanese poem, portrays the emotion of love as understood by a retired old dancer struck by senility, who lives in her memories, and a young girl who is looking to the future alone. Choreographed by Savitha, Beyond the Rains helps us understand the state of the popular Indian classical dance form in a simpleton manner. Speaking about her vision, Savitha tells WION about bridging the gap between the youth and traditions that make up India’s rich cultural heritage. Read the excerpts of the chat here: WION: What is ‘Beyond the Rains’? Savitha: ‘Beyond the Rains’ is based on a short story by AK Srikanth (also the Director of the film), titled ‘The Girl in the Bubble’. The theme behind the story is to juxtapose the concept of love as seen and understood by someone from an older generation, and someone from today’s youth. It also goes in depth on the concept of living a life that has experienced unrequited love – and how that love can be held as a beautiful memory rather than something to be bitter about. Director Srikanth wanted a film that has the sensitivity of ‘a dew drop about to fall from a leaf’, and it is this vision that translates into a sensitive and quiet film that nevertheless has an impact on the viewer that is unforgettable. WION: How does rain feature in the production language? What is its relevance? Savitha: On one level, the film draws its inspiration from a Haiku – a Japanese poetry format that often uses nature to deliver a gentle effect on its readers. This story is structured like a Haiku, in that it has three parts, and the rains add to the beautiful and yet wistful atmosphere of the protagonist’s state of mind. The story keeps fluctuating between the past and the present – the past where the protagonist meets with the love of her life in the season of rains, and the present where an old lady now on a wheelchair, holds onto the memories from many rains ago. WION: You dance on relatable stories. Are the stories inspired from your life? Savitha: All the stories that I have performed are the works of my husband AK Srikanth. And yes, the stories he writes are usually drawn from his own experiences in life, though dramatised for effect in our films. While it may be almost impossible to figure out who he refers to, as he mixes up events and people in his stories, the core of it is always based on a true occurrence, and I think that is what makes his stories relatable. WION: What has your experience been like being one of the first movers to the digital arena in the classical dance industry? Savitha: The primary goal of my stage productions, and later my short films, was to popularise Indian classical arts amongst those uninitiated or disinterested in the art. Until 2017, I mostly did stage performances, but given the limitation of an auditorium capacity and the number of shows I could do, it still meant my reach was restricted. The decision to go digital came about because of the undeniable reach of the medium – the audiences that could watch my show in a year, that number I now get in the first hour of my film’s release. On the flip side, given the easy access of digital – I now see semi-trained young people put up short dance clips to gain short term fame by counting likes on their video and assuming that to be the measure of their prowess. Therefore to unearth some truly good content, one has to mine hours of uploads that do not do justice to what classical arts is truly about. There is no substitute to diligence in the classical arena and it takes decades to become a good dancer. The ease of filming something and putting it up online distracts students from concentrating on their technique. So in a nutshell, I think the digital arena can be a powerful tool of reach, but can also lend a fake sense of achievement. The power of digital, just as the power of any technology, lies in the hands of an intelligent user. WION: Since you have tasted success with the birth of a new medium – the OTT, how do you feel about the rise of such digital platforms as an artist? Savitha: I think it is wonderful seeing these multitudes of entertainment options blossoming. We are seeing some wonderful and innovative content being made for these platforms, perhaps far higher in quality than the serials we were accustomed to in the past. Some wonderful filmmakers and artists have come to the public eye because of these platforms. Yes, certain films are best enjoyed on big screen and by that logic I think both OTT and big screens will coexist to give the viewers a treat in all formats. This is an exciting time to be in the entertainment industry! Why we dream about past loves WION: But how relevant is the classical dance form in today’s age when the youth is easily distracted with a lot more? Savitha: Classical art can never lose its relevance but yes, multitudes of options can distract the youth. However, the youth is intelligent enough to understand and appreciate the beauty of classical dance if it is presented to them in a format that does not bore them and that onus is on us, the classical dancers. WION: Since you agree that there’s no dearth of exposure to the youth, how have the classical dance forms evangelised for greater acceptance. Have you been successful for one? Savitha: Traditionally, classical dance tends to be performed based on stories from mythology and religion. Repetitive content and unfamiliarity with the codification that goes into the dance makes it a difficult option for those that are not truly into the art form. Evangelising the art form would mean presenting different content in an interesting format, without compromising on the techniques of the dance form. This has been my endeavour since 2008 when I experimented with my first such production – ‘Music Within’ – which presented the history of music through a deaf and dumb protagonist. Whether I have been successful is not for me to say, but 12 productions, 14 countries, 100 plus shows, and millions of views later, I would like to think that I have been able to put forward a point! WION: Great, so what’s next in the pipeline? Savitha: Our next project is titled ‘Dvija: The Story of the Twice-Born’, which is currently under production. I am also occupied with the Gurukula, the immersive in-person learning program I have devised for the handful of students that are able to live with us, and learn the art form in all its dimensions. Asha Parekh proves that she is an evergreen diva with this new magazine cover, see pics

Reinventing Bharatnatyam, one film at a time: Savitha Sastry and her vision for the classical art form

Indian Bharatanatyam dancer Savitha Sastry along with husband AK Srikanth recently released a short dance film ‘Colors: White’ that premiered on YouTube as part of a trilogy series. Named after the colours of the Indian National Flag -- Green, White and Saffron -- the second part of the trilogy features the Bharatanatyam exponent extensively as she uses dance as a form of narrative.

In a chat with WION, the classical dancer cum choreographer spoke about her passion for dance and using it to tell different stories based on novels written incidentally by partner AK Srikanth.&nbsp;

Thematic Interpretation of ‘Colors: White’

“Colors White is a part of a trilogy of which White and Green have been released and Saffron is the next project. Colors’ refers to the three colours of our national flag. The question my partner and author wanted to ask was about the ideals that our forefathers conceptualised for each color. For instance green was chosen for representing prosperity. He chose to examine prosperity from the perspective of ‘Is it equal between the males and the females of this country?’ and not in terms of the bank balance but in terms of the mind, the freedom of choice. So each of these values we are taking up and juxtaposing between the males and females of this country,” said Savitha explaining the thought behind the trilogy.

She added, “Colors White examines truth and peace and it is my belief that you can achieve peace, when you are able to come face-to-face with your own truth. So how do you get there? Most of us and especially women, live inside a box. In the case of Colors White's protagonist, that box could be that of traditional dance. It can be whatever role the society expects you to play. When I learned classical Bharatanatyam, I was expected to confirm to a set piece presentation that spoke of mythology, of Gods, and was made to be sacrosanct. I soon realised that performing dance in traditional style was not something that resonated with me.”

She explained, “Colors White traces what happens when that box becomes suffocating. That breaking away landing at a place where we are making dance films, did not happen overnight. It’s become a reality after years of struggle, emotionally and financially.”

She describes Colors: White as “a poetry of a film and is written to be a real film.” Savitha believes there is an allegory of Gandhari, the Queen mother from Mahabharat who blindfolds herself as a sacrifice for husband Dhritrashtra who is visually impaired. The allegory is of society heaping praises on Gandhari for giving up on vision and sacrificing for husband. In this dance film, the protagonist removes the manifested blindfold. &nbsp;

Are Traditional Dance Forms Sacrosanct?

“The question here is when does it change from Bharatanatyam to something else?” asks Savitha in reply to whether traditional dance forms are sacrosanct. She added, “I have preserved the form, structure, movement but have added what those movements are used to convey in my take. Originally, they were used to tell stories of mythology, of gods and goddesses with a set style of presentation. What I have done is take it out of the context of religion. Now I am using it as a medium to tell new stories.”

It took an effort to break the mould but Savitha did it anyhow.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="530" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gkw9LE7l9OI" title="YouTube video player" width="946"></iframe>

International Recognition

‘Colors: White’ has travelled to various film awards.&nbsp;

Savitha believes that the recognition has been “most revealing” to her in how “transparent and how deep our Indian artforms are.” ‘Colors: White has travelled to many countries in the world including Germany, Paris, UK, America among many others.&nbsp;

The dance exponent said, “In various countries of the world, Colors White was being looked at from the perspective of storytelling. It supports my conviction that Bharatanatyam is a storytelling medium and surpasses other dance forms that are now taking over in India like the Latin Dance and Hip Hop -- as the Indian dance has much more depth.”

On how to lure the youngsters to the traditional dance forms of India vs the contemporary forms that are easier to pick up because of pop culture influence, she said, “It is my vision to make Bharatanatyam mainstream and the next generation plays an important role in that. I feel we are not just competing with other dance forms but streamers like Netflix, Amazon or mobile phones for that matter.&nbsp;I feel, we must start with going&nbsp;digital and finding a way of using the technology to connect with the younger lot. It has to be entertaining enough for them to pick it.”&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Indian Bharatanatyam dancer Savitha Sastry along with husband AK Srikanth recently released a short dance film ‘Colors: White’ that premiered on YouTube as part of a trilogy series.

Indian Bharatanatyam dancer Savitha Sastry along with husband AK Srikanth recently released a short dance film ‘Colors: White’ that premiered on YouTube as part of a trilogy series. Named after the colours of the Indian National Flag -- Green, White and Saffron -- the second part of the trilogy features the Bharatanatyam exponent extensively as she uses dance as a form of narrative. In a chat with WION, the classical dancer cum choreographer spoke about her passion for dance and using it to tell different stories based on novels written incidentally by partner AK Srikanth. Thematic Interpretation of ‘Colors: White’ “Colors White is a part of a trilogy of which White and Green have been released and Saffron is the next project. Colors’ refers to the three colours of our national flag. The question my partner and author wanted to ask was about the ideals that our forefathers conceptualised for each color. For instance green was chosen for representing prosperity. He chose to examine prosperity from the perspective of ‘Is it equal between the males and the females of this country?’ and not in terms of the bank balance but in terms of the mind, the freedom of choice. So each of these values we are taking up and juxtaposing between the males and females of this country,” said Savitha explaining the thought behind the trilogy. She added, “Colors White examines truth and peace and it is my belief that you can achieve peace, when you are able to come face-to-face with your own truth. So how do you get there? Most of us and especially women, live inside a box. In the case of Colors White's protagonist, that box could be that of traditional dance. It can be whatever role the society expects you to play. When I learned classical Bharatanatyam, I was expected to confirm to a set piece presentation that spoke of mythology, of Gods, and was made to be sacrosanct. I soon realised that performing dance in traditional style was not something that resonated with me.” She explained, “Colors White traces what happens when that box becomes suffocating. That breaking away landing at a place where we are making dance films, did not happen overnight. It’s become a reality after years of struggle, emotionally and financially.” She describes Colors: White as “a poetry of a film and is written to be a real film.” Savitha believes there is an allegory of Gandhari, the Queen mother from Mahabharat who blindfolds herself as a sacrifice for husband Dhritrashtra who is visually impaired. The allegory is of society heaping praises on Gandhari for giving up on vision and sacrificing for husband. In this dance film, the protagonist removes the manifested blindfold. Are Traditional Dance Forms Sacrosanct? “The question here is when does it change from Bharatanatyam to something else?” asks Savitha in reply to whether traditional dance forms are sacrosanct. She added, “I have preserved the form, structure, movement but have added what those movements are used to convey in my take. Originally, they were used to tell stories of mythology, of gods and goddesses with a set style of presentation. What I have done is take it out of the context of religion. Now I am using it as a medium to tell new stories.” It took an effort to break the mould but Savitha did it anyhow. International Recognition ‘Colors: White’ has travelled to various film awards. Savitha believes that the recognition has been “most revealing” to her in how “transparent and how deep our Indian artforms are.” ‘Colors: White has travelled to many countries in the world including Germany, Paris, UK, America among many others. The dance exponent said, “In various countries of the world, Colors White was being looked at from the perspective of storytelling. It supports my conviction that Bharatanatyam is a storytelling medium and surpasses other dance forms that are now taking over in India like the Latin Dance and Hip Hop -- as the Indian dance has much more depth.” On how to lure the youngsters to the traditional dance forms of India vs the contemporary forms that are easier to pick up because of pop culture influence, she said, “It is my vision to make Bharatanatyam mainstream and the next generation plays an important role in that. I feel we are not just competing with other dance forms but streamers like Netflix, Amazon or mobile phones for that matter. I feel, we must start with going digital and finding a way of using the technology to connect with the younger lot. It has to be entertaining enough for them to pick it.”

Indian Bharatanatyam dancer Savitha Sastry on dance film 'Colors: White' & more

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savitha sastry-interview

Reinventing Bharatnatyam, one film at a time: Savitha Sastry and her vision for the classical art form

Indian Bharatanatyam dancer Savitha Sastry on dance film 'Colors: White' & more