Kathakali is probably the most fascinating traditional performing art form in India's rich cultural pageant. The special edition explores this uniquely interpretative dance governed by dramatic dynamics, including an elaborately defined code of body kinetics, which combine with beautifully eloquent gestural representation.Lavishly illustrated with visuals that express a powerful language all their own, the book is an invaluable addition to the connoisseur's collection.

Kathakali Dance-Drama provides a comprehensive introduction to the distinctive and colourful dance-drama of Kerala in South-West India for the first time. This landmark volume: * explores Kathakali's reception as it reaches new audiences both in India and the west * includes two cases of controversial of Kathakali experiments * explores the implications for Kathakali of Keralan politics During these performances heroes, heroines, gods and demons tell their stories of traditional Indian epics. The four Kathakali plays included in this anthology, translated from actual performances into English are: * The Flower of Good Fortune * The Killing of Kirmmira * The Progeny of Krishna * King Rugmamgada's Law Each play has an introduction and detailed commentary and is illustrated by stunning photographs taken during performances. An introduction to Kathakali stage conventions, make-up, music, acting, and training is also provided, making this an ideal volume for both the specialist and non-specialist reader.

This book is written for all lovers of the performing arts, especially those who love Kathakali, the dance drama of Kerala, the southern state in India. While other texts have been written about the history of the dance drama in English, this book uniquely brings in Shakespearean plays and characters, comparing them to the stories and characters in Kathakali to give it a completely new perspective.

The Kathakali Explorer is about the work and life of two ethnologists who traveled extensively in the colonial India and documented various aspects of the Indian arts, languages and the South-Indian literature, and the people’s way of life. They authored the first monograph ever written on the Kathakali dance theater of Kerala following a whole-night performance they attended in Kottayam (Kerala) on January 14, 1916. This document is translated in the book with an introduction and annotations, followed by a travelogue kept by the two researchers about their life and work in India, the people they befriended on their tireless journey all the way from South India to Kashmir. About the publication of the monograph by A. Merwart in 1926 It (the monograph) reveals the outstanding fact that ethno-choreography came into being even before 1933, the publication date of Curt Sachs’ ‘Weltgeschlchte des Tanzes.’ The author (Merwart) describes the Kathakali dance drama in detail… He relates the drama to the culture in an authoritative manner. KURATH Gertrude P. (1963). Ethnomusicology 7(2): 141 – 142. The monograph assuredly stands out as a landmark in the entire range of substantive literature on Kathakali. KHOKAR M. (1997). Sruti (148, Jan.1997): 19 – 22.

Susan Schwartz illuminates the central role of religion in Indian arts, & how Indian aesthetics are founded in religious belief & practice.

This book presents novel insights into the work and practice of the actor Krishnan Nair, who was unique in the field of Kathakali, the dance drama of South India. It shows how, because of his superb ability to connect with his audiences and the sheer charisma of his personality, Nair was able to achieve his burning ambitions. It highlights how Nair was able to ensure that Kathakali performers were invested with status and were paid a decent wage, allowing them to live in reasonable comfort.