RAKTI- Dr Swarnamalya-Ft.Anjana Rajagopalan, Bonny Abraham, Meissem Alinnaghiyan

A Multisensorial Dance-Music- Live Works
Art, craft, social wisdom and etiquette that percolated South Indian Deccani world in the Early Modern Era between the 14th and 19th centuries had a common cultural resource in RAKTI- collaborations in Pleasure. From courtly pleasures to the pleasures of seeking knowledge, cooking food, smoking hukka, wearing perfume and writing poetry, pleasure was sought even in death!
Multiple languages, prestige networks, cosmopolitan societies and artistic etiquettes- Rakti, defined the universe of the people of the past and their disposition to life itself through the values of pleasure.
Research, Concept & Dance - Dr Swarnamalya
Music Composition and Vocals - Anjana Rajagopalan
Mridangam - Sriganesh Ramamoorthy
Oud - Bonny Abraham
Kemençe - Meissem Alinaghiyan (Iran)
Harmonium - Srikrishnan Blasubramaniam
Nattuvangam and co-dancer - Padmasani Iyengar
Visual Design -Vetri, Theatre Akku
Costume, Stage Visuals - Radhika Ganesh & Malini Ganesh
Lighting Design - Charles B
Photos and Videography - Anurag Singh
Costumes - DSA Kumar Aiyyellu
Promo Shoot- Smrithika Sasidhar
Commissioned for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2023
Curated by the renowned Geeta Chandran