The first of a trilogy of ‘dance’ films (followed by The Bamboo Flute and the as-yet unreleased Priye Charushile), Bhavantarana expands on some of the modes Shahani had first explored in Khayal Gatha. The dance form is the famous Odissi, a form in Orissa that emerged from an earlier folk mode typically performed by young boys. The dancer is one of India’s leading figures, Guru ...