'Mani Madhava Chakyar when he portrayed Arjuna on the first evening and Ravana on the second, showed himself a master of the expression of the eye' - Dr. V Raghavan, renowned scholar of Sanskrit dramaturgy, classical Indian dance and music, connoisseur of art and former director of Samskritaranga- Chennai.[4]
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The scholar praised the artist’s ability to convey deep emotion through eye expression in his roles as Arjuna and Ravana.
- In plain terms
- His eye work showed mastery of expression.
- What can you take from it?
- Eye movement is a powerful tool for storytelling in dance.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why is the eye considered central in Indian classical performance?
- How can performers enhance eye expression?
Another view
The appraisal reflects one scholar’s view and may be subjective.
More from Mani Madhava Chakyar
'When i say Abhinaya, oh, I can't do the abhinaya like what the great man did here yesterday' - Great Bharatanatyam dancer Balasaraswati next day after Chakyar…
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Permalink to quote #5 'My own people condemned my action (performing Koothu and Kutiyattam outside the precincts of the temples), Once, after I had given performances at Vaikkom, th…
Permalink to quote #2
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