The nature and its Navarasas or 9 emotions

Navarasa means Nine Emotions in which Nava signifies nine and Rasa signifies Emotions. The nine emotions included in Navarasa are Shringara (love), Hasya(laughter), Karuna (kind-heartedness or compassion), Raudra (anger), Veera ( courage), Bhayanaka (terror), Bheebhatsya (disgust), Adbutha (surprise), and Shantha (peace or tranquility). These are the emotions that human shows according to the situations.

Bharata Muni has explained these nine emotions or Navarasa in his treatise Natyashasthra. Natyashasthra is an ancient Indian treatise. Each emotion explained in Natyashasthra has a specific color associated with it. It is said that Bharata Muni explained only eight rasa and Abhinavagupta explained the ninth one.

The ninth rasa explained by Abhinavagupta is Shantha (peace or tranquility). Navarasa is accepted worldwide and been used in all art forms. Even though Abhinavagupta is the one who found the ninth rasa usually, the rasas are together called as Navarasa and is considered to be explained by Bharata Muni.

When Navarasa is compared to colors, Shringara is depicted by the color green and Hasya by white. Grey is the color to show Karuna, red represents Raudra, Veera is shown by the color orange, black color depicts Bhayanaka, blue is the color that shows Bheebhatsya, Adbutha by Yellow and Shantha by off-white.

Navarasa is mainly used in classical dance forms. Indian classical dance forms like Bharathanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Kudiyattam, Kathakali and others include Navarasa. Emotions can be called as the basic factor for all dance forms in India.

Navarasa is not only seen in art forms and human beings, but also in nature. If we take sea as an example, we can feel its emotions like that of a human being. When the waves roar it express angry (Roudra Rasa) and when the waves are tranquil it symbolize peace ( Shantha Rasa) and so on. We took sea as an example but if we consider wind, flower, trees or anything we can find the emotions related with it.

DAM 999, An emotional thriller Directed by Sohan Roy with 16 national award winners from India to give the viewers, an experience to delight in.

Navarasa is the essence of Dam 999. It is the idea steering its story and the nine lead characters in it. Dam 999 brings into play the long standing concept of Navarasa but in a way that is exceptionally original. The individuality of the characters is the element that each character is the personification of one rasa. Their nature, the intensity of their reactions, their strengths, their failings - all guided by the rasa they represent, which in turn shape the story of Dam 999. Navarasa makes the movie the only one of its kind ever made.