The Dance

Posted by Meera (66.241.128.212) on November 24, 2006 at 10:11:52:

In Reply to: Reply: O I wish you could SEE Reader! posted by Lada Singh on November 15, 2006 at 07:23:53:

This in response to the comment made about the dance. I don't know if READER is aware that Bharatanatyam has evolved through the centuries. What it was then (with the Devadasis) is not what we see today. It might have looked Bollywood-ized to the viewer because they are ignorant of the art's history and were stereotyping Saroj Khan's work.In reality the dance protrayed in the film is Sadir...not Bharatanatyam. It is supposed to be sensual. (As depicted in temple architecture in South India). READER, I feel you closed your mind to the dance the moment you saw it and without thinking about what Bharatanatyam realy is decided that it was highly Bollywood-ized (which I find to be a highly uneducated response. I would not blame you for thinking so if you are completely unaware of the art form's history).

As for the comparison between the two actors (dancers), I think READER had made up his/her mind about them too early on in the film. Madhura's dance is more sensual than Kama's. With Kama's dance you will find a hint of "wanting to please" while Madhura commands people's attention without having to try too hard.

People express feminism in different ways. Not one way is wrong. The director has portrayed different degrees and types of feminisms in the different women of the film. I found that the director not closing her mind to only way of feminism, absolutely fascinating. Its the total acceptance of feminism as a whole and the different ways of expressing it. Thats being really open minded. When you make a good film, you are not only portraying your opinion, you're portraying the characters' as well. I found Ramanathan did that brilliantly.