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Abhinayam

Abhinayam is the expression of feelings by means of the face, or facial expressions, that enable the audience to understand the nature of the feeling expressed in the verse. The dancers use Mudras - or the sign language - expressed through hand movements. Abhinayam or Bhavam helps to increase the understanding of the audience of what is expressed through Mudras. Let us take an example. A simple message like 'Lord Shiva set the Tripuras aflame' has to be conveyed to the audience through Mudras and Abhinaya. Let's see how the dancer does this.

To begin with, the dancer shows the Mudras signifying the deer and the fire and then he or she opens out the right index and middle fingers to signify the eye and touches the forehead (in that position). The deer, fire and the third eye on the forehead are thus shown. The audience easily understand that the expression is related to Lord Shiva. And that is how the dancer expresses the various messages, inner meanings, feelings and events described by the poets, in the verses that are sung in the background. (Picture) 

There are nine different classifications of all human emotions, known as Nava Rasas. They are Sringaram (Love or Romance), Haasyam (Humour), Karuna (Mercy), Rowdhram (Anger), Veeram (Bravery), Bayam (Fear), Bheebhathsam (Repulsion), Arpudham (Wonderment) and Shantham (Tranquillity). Expression of these feelings or emotions would differ slightly from character to character. That is, these feelings would be expressed in a particular manner in the case of the hero, slightly differently for the heroine. It would again differ for a friend, or a servant etc. 

If the performance is solo - single dancer - the theme would normally be romance. Women in love are classified into eight different kinds. 

Swadheena Pathika: A happy, contented woman who does not have any grouse against her lover or spouse.

Vaasava Sajjika: One who is dressed up and awaits the arrival of the endeared.

Virahoth Kantithaa: One who is upset because of the non-arrival of the sweetheart, in time. For her, even pleasures seem to be painful.

Vipra Labdhaa: One who is disappointed after a long wait for the arrival of her lover who did not come at all.

Kandithaa: One who is angry with her man because of some disappointment and would express her anger once he comes to meet her.

Kalahaaantharithaa: One who has come away from her lover/husband on some quarrel and who is worried whether he would return to her or not.

Prokshitha Bhathrukaa: One who is undergoing the pangs of separation from her lover, who has gone to alien lands on business.

Aabhisaarikaa: One who goes in search of the sweetheart herself, instead of seeking the help of her friend.

These are the main classifications. There are sub-divisions and sub-classifications, totaling to 384 different kinds of moods of women alone. The Tamil literature classifies women into seven different kinds, on the basis of her age. But what is classified here is on the basis of moods.

The Abhinaya Dharpan classifies the heroine's friends as well. That goes according to the level of intelligence of different friends. All the Padams and Jaavalis that are performed in a particular dance programme are woven around these eight major moods listed above. We will see how such moods are expressed on the basis of the feelings contained in the lyrics that are sung, in our later instalments.

Krishangini - Neeraja Nagarajan
Translated by Hari Krishnan

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