Essay name: Hastalaksanadipika a critical edition and study
Author:
E. K. Sudha
Affiliation: Government Sanskrit College (Tripunithura) / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study on the Hastalaksanadipika—a manual depicting the Mudras (gestures) of the Kerala theatre. It is a very popular text supposedly dating to the 10th century A.D. This study also touches the subject of Krsnanattam, Kathakali and Kutiyattam—some of India's oldest theatrical traditions in Kerala.
Chapter 2 - Bharata’s Dramaturgy
15 (of 56)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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by competent actors who divest themselves of their natural demeanour will please an audience" SCHOOL OF ACTING IN GENERAL Play production is the theatrical presentation of a literary work depicting the joys and sorrows experienced by the human beings in the world. So, in the presentation of a play, there are two aspects the presentation of the joys and sorrows of the world as close to the reality as possible and the more conventional than the real. The first aspect re- lates entirely to the ways of the world and the second one is purely conventional. The first aspect is known as Lōkadharmi or proximity to the ways of the world and the second aspect is known as Nāṭyadharmi or theatrical presentation, depending entirely on abhinaya or histrionic expression. We derive enjoyment from a presentation of the sorrows of the world on the stage while we share the sorrows with others when they actually occur in the world. Not only that, but we convince ourselves about the situations presented in a limited space and time which have actually happened at various places, in different planes and regions. These aspects distinguish drama from the realities of the world and are embodied in Nāṭyadharmi. The types of dharmi may also be interpreted as schools of act- ing- Lōkadharmi or realistic school and Natyadharmi or conventional school. Here, it may be worthwhile to consider the two main Western 47
