Antah-Shakti: When courage took the stage

- Rashmita Adhikari
e-mail: punarjjaniculturalcentre@gmail.com
Photo credit: W Five Communication

October 25, 2025

Courage is a word carrying deep meaning. It takes a great spirit to be courageous, and therefore not many can bear the weight of its pride. Courage and Hope, these words shaped the theme of the 24th edition of the Lalit Arpan Festival.

What was started in 2002 by Guru Shovana Narayan, Dr. Jyotsna Suri, and the late Ustad Ahmed Khan is organised every year, celebrating stories and dance through Asavari, a dance institution founded by Guru Shovana Narayan. This year, the two-day festival showcased tales of strength, spirit, and survival through the theme 'Antah-Shakti: Courage and Hope' at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Delhi on October 8th and 9th. Some eminent guests graced the occasion, including Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and his wife Sangita Saxena, Preeti Aggarwal, K.G. Suresh, Sunit Tandon, K. Shiva Prasad, Jyotsna Suri, Joyoshree Arora, and Prathibha Prahlad, among others.

'Agnipankh' by Shovana Narayan and Shruti Gupta Chandra

The opening evening featured Agnipankh by Shovana Narayan and her disciple Shruti Gupta Chandra, portraying the real-life stories of three courageous people: an autistic pianist, a transgender person, and an acid-attack survivor. The script, beautifully written by Maya Parijat and performed by the dynamic team, left the audience teary-eyed and awestruck. Agnipankh was filled with great action, emotion, and beautifully choreographed movements that were both soothing and eye-opening. It portrayed the stories of Adwitya, Nishtha, and Kalpana with sensitivity and grace, bringing their strength and struggles vividly to life. The performance was a quiet reminder of courage and acceptance.

In conversation with Narthaki, Guru Shovana Narayan explained how this year's theme was inspired by the Natya Shastra's idea of dance being beyond entertainment. She also drew inspiration from her mother's social values and her life's lessons on courage and said, "Even after a storm hits, one should continue to smile and go on in life."

Alaknanda

The second performance of the night was by the talented Alaknanda, a cancer survivor. She danced to Rabindranath Tagore's Ekla Cholo Re, sending a powerful message to keep moving forward in life. What was remarkable about her performance was how thoroughly she enjoyed every moment, not just performing for the audience, but fully immersed in her own world. She danced and sang alongside her live music team, radiating pure joy. Her performance, much like her name, conveyed strength, determination, and an unyielding spirit.

Akshobhya Bhardwaj

'Parkaya' by Akshobhya Bharadwaj

On the next day, the audience was mesmerized by the opening performance, Parkaya, by Akshobhya Bharadwaj. Akshobhya, a dancer, astrologer, and last-stage cancer survivor, spellbound the audience with his deeply artistic performance. Parkaya is about a feminine soul trapped in a masculine body. His performance was especially moving as he narrated, sang, and danced, weaving a beautiful story of a soul that dreams of giving birth to a child but realizes that it is impossible. The portrayal captured longing, identity, and acceptance in a way that left the audience silent in admiration.

Akshobhya said that his biggest learning in life is to treasure the present moment. "There is no greater joy than living fully in the present as if it's your last, to be satisfied with whatever you have in the moment," he said, delivering one of his finest performances that night.

Rashmirathi

The second performance of the evening was Rashmirathi, an Asavari representation of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's 20th-century epic poem on Karna, one of the most misunderstood warriors of all time. When the lights dimmed, the performance took the audience back to the battlefield of the Mahabharata, and they witnessed the power of dance as storytelling. Rashmirathi was well-choreographed, expressive, and filled with emotion, making it a captivating and memorable closing show. It was a reminder that classical dance can remain both timeless and contemporary when performed with sincerity.

This year's Lalit Arpan Festival was beyond dance. It reflected courage, hope, determination, and perseverance in their purest form. With outstanding performances, unforgettable artistes, and moving storytelling, the 24th edition of the festival came to an inspiring close. The festival transcended the stage, becoming a reflection of human endurance: the ability to fall, to rise, and to keep moving despite the odds. Antah-Shakti was less about perfection and more about presence and quiet strength. In an age when art often chases applause, this festival reminded audiences that the quietest stories can be the most powerful, told not just through words or movement, but through courage itself.

Rashmita Adhikari is a freelance writer with a lifelong passion for storytelling. Having completed her Master's in Sociology, she is deeply interested in arts and culture, continuously exploring these subjects to enrich her writing. Rashmita is currently working as content editor at Punarjjani Bharat.