Nava | Play in Bengaluru

‘Nava’ explores the stories of 9 urban transwomen through the 9 rasas. The performers take the stage to explore the Navarasa boxes and through their performance, unbox, expand, challenge and defy fixed notions of what constitutes the Navarasa and who can be its Nayakis. Through their telling, they provoke, question, inform, challenge and expand dominant ideas of Haasya, Adhbuta, Bhibatsa, Krodha, Shrungara, Bhaya, Veera, Karuna and Shanta. They bring their bodies, stories and voices which have been deliberately silenced and willfully ignored, to reclaim their rightful place – the centrestage.

‘Nava’ is a devised play, created and performed by Veena, Chandri, Shanti, Prarthana, Purushi, Jyothi, Sandhia, Thara and Swetha from Aravani Art Project and directed by Sharanya Ramprakash. This project is supported by the India Foundation for the Arts, under the Project 560 programme.