Priyadarshi Patnaik
Indian Aesthetics
Indian aesthetics encompasses traditions and texts that focus on literary, visual, structural and performative productions of a wide range of art forms that delight, entertain, provoke their audience in ways that are relevant to the life. These art forms result in various responses such as delight, emotional relish, and enjoyment. In their convergence with other arts, different Indian art forms, be it cinema, dance, drama, music, literature or sculpture, have practised a ''give and take'' policy all through their history.
Rasa in Aesthetics
The Indian tradition of criticism is over two millennia. And its rasa theory has, from the begining, essentially influenced authors, connoisseurs and art critics alike. First expounded sometime between the 1st century BC and the 4th century AD in the eminet aesthetician, Bharata's Natyasastra, rasa theory deals with the 'emotive content' of a work of art- how it is depicted, inferred and transmitted. Dr. Patnaik's book is a unique effort that demonstrates, with diverse examples, the universality of this ancient theory and its applicability to modern Western classics.