Apoorva Krishna brings the emotional universe of the Mahabharata to life through Navarasa

In the lexicon of Indian classical arts, Navarasa transcends the mere portrayal of feelings. It represents the nine elemental ‘flavours’ designed to awaken specific states of being within an audience. Encompassing everything from courage to compassion, it maps the breadth of the human experience. For carnatic violinist and composer Apoorva Krishna, this concept now forms the foundation of her new stage production. Ahead of Apoorva Krishna Collective’s upcoming prodution, Navarasa: The Mahabharata Experience this week, the musician talks to us about shaping an immersive evening of music, visuals and storytelling rooted in the emotional universe of the epic.

The production takes the form of an Indian classical strings ensemble concert where music becomes the primary vehicle for storytelling. “The concert presents the Mahabharata as an emotional journey rather than a literal retelling of the story,” Apoorva tells us. She explains that each rasa is explored through specially curated musical pieces inspired by moments from the epic.

Where music, visuals and narrative come together

To bring this vision to the stage, the performance bridges hindustani and carnatic traditions through a dynamic six-piece ensemble. Apoorva leads the ensemble with her violin, joined by sarangi player Momin Khan, sitarist Malvica Chopra, veena exponent Rakshita Ramesh, alongside percussionists Vinod Shyam and Roopak Kallurkar. “Bringing together artistes from both carnatic and hindustani traditions creates a beautiful meeting point of styles and expressions,” she smiles. Besides exploring something she is familiar with, this time, she also takes on a new challenge by conceptualising the visual design herself. “This is actually my first attempt at creating visuals for a production like this. I wanted the visuals to feel like an extension of the music rather than something separate,” she elaborates.

The performance itself is designed to remain accessible even for listeners encountering the epic for the first time. “Audiences can expect an immersive musical experience that journeys through the nine emotions,” Apoorva says.

Beyond the upcoming performance, turning thirty recently has also prompted reflection on the next phase of her artistic journey. Apoorva spoke about her interest in expanding largescale thematic productions that combine music, narrative and visual elements. “I want to continue exploring ways to present Indian classical music in formats that feel immersive, collaborative and accessible to new audiences,” she shares. Later this month, Apoorva will also travel to South Africa for a performance at the Cape Town Music Festival, marking another step in her efforts to present Indian classical music on global stages.

INR 499 onwards. March 14, 6 pm. At Bengaluru Gayana Samaaja, Basavanagudi.

Written by: Anoushka Kundu

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