In ancient Sanskrit drama, Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra defined humour ( hāsyam ) as one of the nine nava rasas, or principle rasas ( emotional responses ), which can be inspired in the audience by bhavas, the imitations of emotions that the actors perform.

The practice of literary theory became a profession in the 20th century, but it has historical roots that run as far back as ancient Greece ( Aristotle's Poetics is an often cited early example ), ancient India ( Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra ), ancient Rome ( Longinus's On the Su

Around the same time, Bharata Muni, in his Natya Shastra, wrote literary criticism on ancient Indian literature and Sanskrit drama.

* Bharata Muni: Natya Shastra

) and 24 Samyukta Hastas and their usage viniyoga, although Natya Shastra mentions many more, and the usages stated in Abhinavabharati differ considerably from those of Abhinayadarpanam, which is a relatively recent text.

The gestures used in nritta are called nritta hastas, and are described in detail as part of karanas in Natya Shastra.

While Natya Shastra contains the largest number of the movements, and the most detailed descriptions, Abhinaya Darpanam, for instance, has defined only 9 head movements, 4 neck movement and 8 eye movements ( compared with 36 of Natya Shastra ) which are used extensively throughout the dance.

Natya Shastra, the principle work of dramatic theory for Sanskrit drama, lists the following apsaras: Manjukesi, Sukesi, Misrakesi, Sulochana, Saudamini, Devadatta, Devasena, Manorama, Sudati, Sundari, Vigagdha, Vividha, Budha, Sumala, Santati, Sunanda, Sumukhi, Magadhi, Arjuni, Sarala, Kerala, Dhrti, Nanda, Supuskala, Supuspamala and Kalabha.

An ancient system of Indian origin, dating from the 4th or 3rd century BC, in the Natya Shastra, a theoretical treatise on music and dramaturgy, by Bharata Muni, divides instruments into four main classification groups: instruments where the sound is produced by vibrating strings ( tata vadya, " stretched instruments "); instruments where the sound is produced by vibrating columns of air ( susira vadya, " hollow instruments "); percussion instruments made of wood or metal ( ghana vadya, " solid instruments "); and percussion instruments with skin heads, or drums ( avanaddha vadya ," covereed instruments ").

Works like the Natya Shastra and the Kamasutra elaborate on puppetry in some detail.

Carnatic music is based as it is today on musical concepts ( including swara, raga, and tala ) that were described in detail in several ancient works, particularly the Silappadhikaram by Ilango Adigal, and Bharata's Natya Shastra.

There is reference to Dhrupad in Bharat's Natya Shastra, commonly dated to the 1st Century AD, nor even in Sangit Ratnakar, a 13th Century text, taken as authoritative, despite common misinformation against it.

The first known usage of the Sanskrit root is found in the Natya Shastra (~ 200 BC ), where it defines the regional varieties of folk performing arts, as opposed to the classical, pan-Indian margi.

The Natya Shastra refers to the regional varieties of folk dance and music elements as " Desi ", and states that these are meant as pure entertainment for common people, while the pan-Indian " margi " elements are to spiritually enlighten the audience.

The medieval developments of the classical Indian dance and music led to the introduction of Desi gharanas, in addition to the classical gharanas codified in Natya Shastra.

Bharata () was an ancient Indian musicologist who authored the Natya Shastra, a theoretical treatise on ancient Indian dramaturgy and histrionics, dated to between roughly 1400 BC and 1200 BC.

An early manuscript describing dance is the Natya Shastra on which is based the modern interpretation of classical Indian dance ( e. g. Bharathanatyam ).

An early manuscript describing dance is the Natya Shastra on which is based on the modern interpretation of classical Indian dance ( e. g. Bharathanatyam ).

In ancient Indian tradition and the Natya Shastra ( an ancient Indian treatise describing ancient dance and costumes ), the navel of the Supreme Being is considered to be the source of life and creativity, hence the midriff is to be left bare by the sari.

The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as Odra-Magadhi.

In fact, the Natya Shastra refers to Odra-Magadhi as one of the Vrittis and Odra refers to Orissa.

The Natya Mala is a dance-drama performed by a troupe, consisting only of men, who play feminine roles.

Many commentaries have expanded the scope of the Natya Shastra ; most importantly we may include Matanga's Brihaddesi ( 500 – 700 CE ), Abhinavagupta's Abhinavabharati ( which unifies some of the divergent structures that had emerged in the intervening years, and outlines a theory of artistic analysis ) and Sharngadeva's Sangita Ratnakara ( 13 < sup > th </ sup > century work that unifies the raga structure in music ).

Most yogas, except such paths as Natya Yoga, only develop a single aspect of the being, and have as their aim a state of liberation or transcendence.

The dance styles in the state are based on the standard treatises, Abhinaya Darpana and Bharatarnava of Nandikeshwara, which is sub-divided into Nattuva Mala and Natya Mala.

The Natya Shastra deals with the different modes of music, dance, and drama, and also the emotional responses ( rasa ) they are expected to evoke.

Unfortunately there are no surviving copies of the Natya Veda.

Bharata Natyam has three distinct elements to it: Nritta ( rhythmic dance movements ), Natya ( mime, or dance with a dramatic aspect ), and Nritya ( combination of Nritta and Natya ).

He was associated with Shahjahanpur theatre and performed in lots of plays before going to Lucknow for theatre training in the Bhartendu Natya Academy during 1992-94.

Veeran, meets with the Royal dansuse, " Vellaiyammal " ( The Fair one ) and being well trained in all forms of arts and his looks, vellaiyammal is attracted to him and requests him to teach her the Natya Shastra ( The tenets of dancing ).

Nandita Das started her acting career with the theatre group Jana Natya Manch.

The Natya Shastra ( Sanskrit: Nāṭyaśāstra न ा ट ् य श ा स ् त ् र ) is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music.

Thus, an argument can be made that the Natya Shastra is the foundation of the fine arts in India.

It ranks only after the Natya Shastra and the Abhinaya Darpana as a text of fundamentals on the performing arts.

Brahma inspired the sage Bharata Muni to write the Natya Shastra, a treatise on performing arts, from which a codified practice of dance and drama emerged.

These principles were refined in the musical treatises Natya Shastra, by Bharata ( 2nd – 3rd century CE ), and Dattilam ( probably 3rd – 4th century CE ).

The Natya Shastra ranges widely in scope, from issues of literary construction, to the structure of the stage or mandapa, to a detailed analysis of musical scales and movements ( murchhanas ), to an analysis of dance forms that considers several categories of body movements, and their impacts on the viewer.

The NatyaGriha ( classical Dance spaces and theatres ), Natya ( Postural dance ) and Griha ( house ) in kerala is made according to these principles and those laid down by the Natya Shastra.

Natyam ( such as Bharatanatyam ), according to Natya Shastra, did not exist in the Satya Yuga " because it was the time when all people were happy ".

The honorary doctorate degree of ‘ Kala Prapoorna ' ( Sangha Seva ) may be given in the Faculties of Engineering and Kala Prapoorna ( Krishi ) in the Faculty of Agriculture, ‘ Kala Prapoorna ' ( Sangeeta ), ( Natya ), ( Nataka ), ( Chitra ) or ( Silpa ) in the Faculty of Fine Arts and ‘ Kala Prapoorna ' ( Sahitya ) in the Faculty of ‘ Oriental Learning '.

However, these categories were not new ; they derive from the Natya Sastra, a roughly two-thousand-year-old Indian theoretical treatise on music and dramaturgy.

As the Independence struggle was gathering steam playwrights broaching issues of nationalism and subversive ideas against the British, yet to dodge censorship they adapted themes from mythology, history and legend and used them as vehicle for political messages, a trend that continues to date, though now it was employed to bring out social, personal and psychological issues rather than clearly political, though street theatre broke this trend in coming decades in post-independence era, like IPTA-inspired, Naya Theatre of Habib Tanvir did in 1950s-90s, Jana Natya Manch of Safdar Hashmi did in 1970s-80s.

The structures of music outlined in the Natya Shastra retain their influence even today, as seen in the seminal work Hindustani Sangeetha Padhathi by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande from the early 20 < sup > th </ sup > century.

* Natya Yoga, first practiced by Narada, a divine sage from the Vaisnava tradition of Hinduism

Rahul Ram performing " Maa Rewa from his album Kandisa ( album ) | Kandisa in a cafe near Jana Natya Manch, New Delhi