Akhyāt – Ākhyānā: Bharatanatyam Solo & Thematic Performances

A powerful black and white portrait from *Akhyāt – Ākhyānā*. The project is dedicated to bringing the narratives of unheard women poets to the stage through the explicit expression of dance.

A moment from *Akhyāt – Ākhyānā* where I use props to tell the story. This piece is about celebrating the mesmerizing and soulful expressions of women poets from our history.

This poster for *Akhyāt – Ākhyānā* hints at the breadth of the work, featuring poetry from India's first female teacher, Savitribai Phule, to the existential questions of Buddhist nuns.

A full-stage view of a performance from *Akhyāt – Ākhyānā*. The work is a celebration of the fiery energy and captivating expressions found in the poetry of women.

An intimate, emotional moment from *Akhyāt – Ākhyānā*. The goal of this work is to explicitly express the poetry authored by women, giving their voices a physical form.

A black and white shot capturing the anguish and longing present in much of the poetry featured in *Akhyāt – Ākhyānā*. It is an honor to give voice to these powerful emotions.

Announcing a performance of *Akhyāt – Ākhyānā* in Mumbai. The show explores the fascinating poetry of Savitribai Phule, Andal, Amrapali, Akka Mahadevi, and Janabai.

This piece, part of *Akhyāt – Ākhyānā*, is based on a poem by the courtesan-turned-nun Amrapali about the inevitability of aging. I worked with my husband and musician, Sharan, to set the poem to two contrasting ragas to highlight the shift from youth to old age.

A moment from the Soorya Parampara Festival, where I presented a piece on Amrapali's poem about aging. This work is part of my larger exploration of feminist poetry from the 6th Century BCE.