When a mall's atrium turned into a stage
Anchored around the legend of Pradosham, when Shiva drank the deadly poison and danced to restore the cosmic balance, the evening unfolded before a majestic 10-ft Nandi.
The evening featured Bengaluru-based young Bharatanatyam artiste Nithyashree, who presented three pieces that she performed more as an offering. She commenced with 'Pradosha Samayadi', set to raga Purvikalyani and Adi tala, which made for a fitting invocation. Composed by Padma Charan and choreographed by Gowri Sagar, the dance evoked the solemnity of twilight, when Shiva dances in response to the gods' prayers. The interplay between the rhythm of Ganesha's drums and Shiva's cosmic dance was conveyed through confident footwork and apt abhinaya.
The second item 'Thillai ambalam shabdam', brought a shift in the tone . This Ragamalika piece, set to Adi Tala, traced the emotional arc of a devout woman pining for Nataraja, the Lord of Chidambaram. The shabdam, composed by Thanjavur Arunachalam Pillai, offered Nithyashree an opportunity to delve into the layered emotions of Virahotkandhita nayika (one of the eight types of heroines in classical dance called Ashta Nayika, who suffers the pangs of separation) .
The final piece, a Shiva padam, was a crescendo in every sense. Composed by G. Gurumurthy with music by Bala Subramanya Sharma, the choreography celebrated Shiva as the embodiment of the five elements, the seven swaras, and the Omkara.
Nithyashree's transitions between vigorous Tandava and delicate Lasya mirrored the duality of Ardhanarishwara, the union of Shiva and Shakti.
Pradosha Arpana was not just a Bharatanatyam recital, but a reclaiming of a public space for cultural memory — reminding you that even amongst the most urban settings, spirituality can be invoked through dance .
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Chowrangee's ‘Monsoon Dreams' enthrals audiences
Hyderabad: Chowrangee, Hyderabad's innovative art and culture platform, recently presented 'Monsoon Dreams', an evening of exquisite dance ballet performed by the Tanusree Shankar Dance Company at Taramati Baradari on Sunday. Tanusree Shankar is a renowned dancer and choreographer of international acclaim, as well as a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. The first half of the evening featured her classic choreographic pieces, including Ganesh Vandana, Shiva, Serenity, Court Dance, Cloud, Wrishya Vihar, and Amity. These performances explored a wide range of themes, such as spirituality, peace, grandeur, monsoons, the environment, and feminism. Many of the dance pieces were accompanied by the unique and distinctive melodies of the legendary modern composer Ananda Shankar, Tanusree Shankar's late husband. The audience responded to this segment with enthusiastic applause. Rabindranath Tagore, renowned for capturing the essence of love in his poems, songs, and writings, emphasized the importance of harmonious living in a world full of conflict. The second half of the evening featured a ballet titled 'Chirantan', which showcased excerpts from Tagore's extensive body of work. This performance reinforced the belief in truth, love, peace, and spirituality that unites humanity. It culminated in a spellbinding ballet that depicted the arrival of a peaceful dawn, symbolizing an era where love triumphs over hatred—a sanctuary of hope, goodness, and tranquility. The segment was further enhanced by Amitabh Bachchan's narration, complemented by Debajyoti Mishra's beautiful music.


Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
Astronomer PR Pivot - Celebrity cameo turns crisis management into B-school Case
Mumbai: Little did Astronomer, the Boston-based digital solutions provider and cloud data platform, know that the way it handled the global backlash following its top CXOs being caught in a compromising position in public would eventually be taught in classrooms at some of the top business schools in India. The company's attempt to change the narrative by bringing in actor and lifestyle brand founder Gwyneth Paltrow as a 'temporary spokesperson" is now poised to become a discussion point in academic circles. Management students will debate whether wry humour (since Paltrow is the ex-wife of Chris Martin, lead singer of the band Coldplay, during whose concert the couple was caught on camera) will be enough. They will question whether this step was a 'clever or wise" form of crisis management, and whether shareholders and consumers are truly swayed by star power. 'I can envisage this becoming a massive case study in the coming days. The case illustrates the power of humour, irony, and sarcasm as tools to convey a strong message effectively, especially when facing negative PR," said Viswanath Pingali, who teaches economics at Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad. Pingali's research interests include digital markets and healthcare. 'The text clearly communicates what the firm stands for, and what its core business is. Everything else is ephemeral and should be treated as such. Sarcasm and irony, when used in the right amounts, can convey the message very effectively," Pingali pointed out. "The opening remark, 'I am hired on a very temporary basis,' is also highly suggestive of what Astronomer thinks, and what it wants us to think about the crisis." IIMs and other business schools regularly discuss case studies on the dos and don'ts of corporate governance, brand management, and, often, live cases — those that are ongoing. These could include global events, major mergers and acquisitions, or sectoral shifts during rare occurrences like a pandemic, which force firms to alter their operations and adapt quickly. Classes in Strategy, HR, Marketing, and Economics are where such cases are discussed to understand their impact on share prices, client perceptions, and business outcomes. For instance, last year, strategy management, business development, and market analysis were threads picked up while discussing the general elections in classrooms. Some case studies also get published. IIM Bangalore's case study on the use of digital media in the promotion of the film 1920: Evil Returns was published by Harvard Business Publishing. According to the institute's website, the case study is being used by students even in the US, Canada, Norway, and Slovenia. The IIM Bangalore study highlighted the social media marketing strategy of this smaller budget movie, and how it was targeted at an audience that knew about the franchises and watched the horror genre. Speaking about the inclusion of the Astronomer episode in the classroom, Debashis Chatterjee, director of IIM Kozhikode, said the students will be given open-ended questions. 'They will debate 'clever versus wise' crisis management. Will the image portrayed by the firm over the weekend become a case of perception management, and what would have been the 'right' thing to do?" On 26 July, a video on Astronomer's social media featured Paltrow sidestepping the controversy to speak about the work the firm does. 'I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300+ employees at Astronomer," she said. Barely a month ago, the company's chief executive officer (CEO) Andy Byron and the human resources head, Kristen Cabot, were caught on camera during a Coldplay concert 'Kiss Cam' moment. The firm then faced tremendous backlash regarding ethics and management challenges. However, the recent video once again turned online conversations toward whether the crisis might be averted, as the firm attempts to refocus attention on its core business. 'The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies--let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world--ever encounter. The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team, and while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name," said interim CEO Pete DeJoy in a note posted on the firm's website. A professor who teaches entrepreneurship at one of the IIMs said the question posed to students will be: 'How do you tell an audience that you and your firm are different from the episode?" 'You have to make fundamental changes and show the audience that you've addressed the issue, and detail what went wrong and why," said the professor, who wished to remain anonymous. The discussion could also veer around on how to convert a sticky situation into an opportunity. 'One needs to see if the funnel of talent and client will increase for the company in the long term since it is a B2B (business-to-business) firm and not a B2C (business-to-consumer), said Sourav Mukherji, who teaches Organizational Behaviour & Human Resources Management at IIM Bangalore. "The class may also discuss how no publicity, however infamous, is bad publicity," he said, wrapping it up.


Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Kriti Sanon's rumoured beau Kabir Bahia drops unseen photo of them on her birthday amid dating rumours
Kriti Sanon celebrated her 35th birthday, sparking dating rumours with UK-based businessman Kabir Bahia, who shared an unseen selfie. The speculation intensified after fans noticed similarities in their vacation photos from France. Sanon is preparing for the release of 'Tere Ishk Mein' and will star in 'Don 3' opposite Ranveer Singh. Kriti Sanon turned 35 this Sunday, and while birthday wishes poured in from fans and friends, one particular post stood out. UK-based businessman Kabir Bahia, rumoured to be dating the actress, shared an unseen selfie with Kriti—adding fresh fuel to the ongoing dating rumours. Check out the post here: Kabir's Sweet Birthday Wish On Sunday, Kabir shared an unseen selfie with his rumoured girlfriend Kriti, seemingly from a recent getaway. Alongside the cheerful snap, he wrote, 'Happy Birthday K ❤️,' letting the picture do most of the talking. Kriti looked effortlessly stylish in a white outfit and bold red sunglasses, while Kabir sported a pink shirt and dark shades—both radiating a relaxed, vacation vibe. Vacation Rumours Heat Up Again A few days ago, speculation sparked that the rumoured couple were vacationing together in France. Though the two didn't share any pictures together, fans were quick to spot striking similarities in the backgrounds of their individual cruise photos, fueling dating rumours once again. Who Is Kabir Bahia? Kabir Bahia is reportedly a UK-based businessman who completed his schooling at a boarding school in England. Belonging to an affluent family, he is the founder of Worldwide Aviation and Tourism Limited. Kabir is the son of Kuljinder Bahia, the owner of the UK-based travel agency Southall Travel. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pirates Climb Aboard Cargo Ship - Watch What The Captain Did Next Tips and Tricks Undo He also shares a close bond with cricketer MS Dhoni. Kriti's Upcoming Projects Meanwhile, on the work front, Kriti is gearing up for the release of her upcoming film Tere Ishk Mein, directed by Aanand L Rai. The romantic drama, which reunites her with Dhanush, is slated to hit theatres on November 28. Apart from this, the actress will also be seen in Don 3. According to reports, she has replaced Kiara Advani in Farhan Akhtar's highly anticipated action franchise, where she will star opposite Ranveer Singh .