DANCE LIKE A MAN

English

2004

Jairaj and Ratna, two dancers past their prime, are exponents of the classical Indian dance form called Bharatnatyam. They live in an antique-filled mansion in Bangalore that once belonged to Jairaj’s autocratic father, Amritlal Parekh. As a young couple, Ratna and Jairaj faced many challenges. Being financially dependent on Amritlal and living under his roof, they were often exposed to his ire. Amritlal believed, like many who were less knowledgeable, that Bharatnatyam was the craft of prostitutes. In his opinion, no self-respecting person, let alone a man, should perform such a dance. Some two decades later, Jairaj and Ratna are now forced to confront their troubled past as Lata, their daughter, prepares for her arangetram or debut as a dancer. Into this memory laden house, Lata brings her fiance, Vishal, to meet her parents. Exposed to an environment alien to his own, Vishal in some ways acts as a catalyst to reveal the dark secrets of the family’s relationships and its generational conflicts.

Audio Available in: English