Cinema Through Rasa: A Tryst with Masterpieces in the Light of Rasa Siddhanta

Contents: 1. Aesthetics of Hindi Cinema: Long Forgotten Directors and Their Outstanding Works. 2. Study of World Cinema from an Indian Aesthetic Perspective. 3. The Unparalleled World of Frightening Cinema. 4. Rasa-Siddhanta, Vibhatsa Rasa and World Cinema. 5. Astonishment and Miracle: Remarkable Films of the Adbhuta Rasa. 6. World Renowned and Unforgettable Films of the Vira Rasa. 7. Bereavement, Anguish and Duty: Karuna Rasa and World Cinema. 8. Anger and Ferocity: Important Films of the Raudra Rasa. 9. Laughter, Fun and Satire: Unparalleled Examples of the Hasya Rasa in World Cinema. 10. Love, Separation and Union: Great Films of the Srngara Rasa in World Cinema. 11. Aesthetics of Cinema in Cinema.

Cinema Through Rasa discusses the important works of the world cinema in the light of Rasa Siddhanta of the Indian classical aesthetics. Rasa Siddhanta was first mentioned in Bharata Muni’s Natyasastra – the ancient treatise on dramaturgy. This book catalogues the major cinematic works in the light of Abhinavabharati – a tenth-century commentary on the Natyasastra by the great Kashmiri Śaivite philosopher Abhinavagupta. Further, it outlines the links between purusartha, the cultural value system of life pursuits in Indian tradition, and aesthetics while citing examples from the works of major directors such as Orson Welles, Luis Bunuel, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Andrei Tarkovsky, Alfred Hitchcock, Carl Dreyer, Charlie Chaplin, Sergei Eisenstein, Robert Bresson and Satyajit Ray.

Using contemporary scholars’ interpretation of non-dualistic Kashmir Saivism tradition, Cinema Through Rasa aims to serve as a tribute to Abhinavagupta’s genius, a commentary on important ideas such as rasa, nature of emotions, cinema and beauty along with a tryst with the masterpieces of the world cinema. The meaning of this book is summarized by this verse – na hi rasad rte kascid arthah pravartate – the medium of cinema, though modern, should be seen as resting in the power of rasa without which nothing makes any sense.

This book is a translation of the original Hindi book Abhinava Cinema, which was first published in 2016. Abhinava Cinema was lauded as innovative, path-breaking and a must-read for students of literature and cinema studies by scholars and critics.