The Unseen Sequence: Exploring Bharatanatyam through the Art of Malavika Sarukkai

2014 Sheth Lecture in Indian Studies
Date: Sunday, October 5
Time: 3:30 – 5:45 p.m.
Venue: Emory University School of Law, Tull Auditorium

The 2014 Sheth Lecture in Indian Studies will feature a film screening of "The Unseen Sequence: Exploring Bharatanatyam through the Art of Malavika Sarukkai," followed by a conversation with the film's star, Malavika Sarukkai, and its director, Sumantra Ghosal.

Associate Professor of English Deepika Bahri will moderate the discussion, and a light reception will follow.

Register: This event is free and open to the public, but guests should register to attend by Friday, October 3.

Visitor parking is available in the Lowergate Visitor Deck and the Fishburne Deck. Parking info >>

About the film

Directed by Sumantra Ghosal, "The Unseen Sequence" explores the history of Bharatanatyam dance as well as the connections and departures that renowned dancer-choreographer Malavika Sarukkai makes from a hallowed and often unforgiving tradition. Through exclusively filmed performances, historical re-creations, and in-depth interviews, Ghosal shows how Bharatanatyam is being reinterpreted, renewed, and reinvigorated through the art of Sarukkai. Watch the trailer >>

About Sumantra Ghosal

Sumantra Ghosal began his career in advertising, producing and directing more than 750 commercials with Equinox Films and Cinematix. He began making documentaries in the early 1990s and turned his attention to the arts in 2006, when he produced and directed a series of films for the India Foundation for the Arts. "The Unseen Sequence" is his most recent arts documentary work, and it premiered in 2013 after two years of extensive filming.

About Malavika Sarukkai

Malavika Sarukkai is a Chennai-based dancer and choreographer, and is widely considered the most accomplished Bharatanatyam performer of our day. She has been performing for over four decades, participating in several major international dance festivals. She is known for her intense, passionate presence, and for her choreographic interpretations of the beauty of the classical language of Bharatanatyam.

About the Sheth Lecture in Indian Studies

Established in 2000, the annual Sheth Lecture in Indian Studies is made possible by the generous support of the Sheth Family Foundation, which is dedicated to raising awareness of the culture and history of India and South Asia and to serving the Indian community in Atlanta and the Southeast.