This is how Sukarn, a creature of the outdoors, happiest tackling production crises on ground, keeps his spirits up while stuck indoors. We dare you to not dance while playing this! Pharrell Williams // Happy Sukarn reminds us: “Happy tunes are what we need at the moment.” 

Nitya, the queen of all dance moves, recommends this song, because—it’s Jackson; it’s rocking; and you got to dance to it! She says, “No points for why I chose this song! The King of Pop lives on!”

Keith, musician and music lover, suggests the full live album, We Like it Here by Snarky Puppy, as this “super ensemble’s album released in 2014 showcases a very rich soundscape with multiple instrumental layers, emotions, scales, odd time signatures and a massive dose of groove. The album is recorded live and urges you to get up and move!”

Smriti suggests a song that radiates joy, and her reason is simple: “It makes me happy, and I want to share it with everyone!”

Kuzhali, who is keeping two cats—Bob and Jay—company while at home, suggests a song from the movie Pithamagan, as it “showcases unlikely friendships in uncertain times.”

Prerna, the eternal romantic, with a penchant for Bollywood, suggests a sweet track that takes us back to the good old days of the nineties!

Kaustav, an optimistic at heart, suggests that we immerse ourselves in this beautiful melody, and in his words “stall time to do things you have always had excuses for.”

Moakshaa, initiator of warm, fluffy hugs at work, reminisces of times when hugging was not a crime. She suggests this song and reminds us that: “Holding hands was fun while it lasted. Side note – Don’t forget to wash your hands.”

It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul –

Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!–

It is the cause. Yet I’ll not shed her blood;

Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow,

And smooth as monumental alabaster.

Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men.

Put out the light, and then put out the light:

If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,

I can again thy former light restore,

Should I repent me: but once put out thy light,

Thou cunning’st pattern of excelling nature,

 I know not where is that Promethean heat

That can thy light relume. When I have pluck’d the rose,

 I cannot give it vital growth again.

It must needs wither: I’ll smell it on the tree.

[Kissing her]

Ah balmy breath, that dost almost persuade

Justice to break her sword! One more, one more.

Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,

And love thee after. One more, and this the last:

 So sweet was ne’er so fatal. I must weep,

But they are cruel tears: this sorrow’s heavenly;

It strikes where it doth love. She wakes.

To Die Upon A Kiss: An Adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello

Concept, Script, Direction and Choreography: Sadanam P.V. Balakrishnan

Cast and Crew: Othello: Sadanam P. V. Balakrishnan; Desdemona: Margi Vijayakumar; Iago:Kalamandalam Ramachandran Unnithan

Vocals: Sadanam Sivadasan and Kalamandalam Rajesh Menon

Percussion: Chenda: Sadanam Jithin; 

Maddalam: Sadanam Devadas and Edakka; Thimila: 

SadanamAbhishek

Make-up: Kalamandalam Padamanabhan and Sadanam

 Srinivasan

Costume Design: Sadanam Vivek

To Die Upon a Kiss… is a Kathakali performance, based on the world famous tragedy Othello by William Shakespeare. Constituting one of the most prominent classical dance forms of India, Kathakali is characterised by elaborate make-up, face-masks and costumes. The characters presented edited scenes of Shakespeare’s play, touching upon the broad themes of downfall, betrayal and love.

Performed at Serendipity Arts Festival 2018 as part of Leela Samson’s curation of Dance projects

It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul – 

Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!–   

It is the cause. Yet I’ll not shed her blood;   

Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow,   

And smooth as monumental alabaster.   

Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men.   

Put out the light, and then put out the light:   

If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,   

I can again thy former light restore,   

Should I repent me: but once put out thy light,   

Thou cunning’st pattern of excelling nature,  

 I know not where is that Promethean heat   

That can thy light relume. When I have pluck’d the rose,  

 I cannot give it vital growth again.   

It must needs wither: I’ll smell it on the tree.   

[Kissing her]  

Ah balmy breath, that dost almost persuade   

Justice to break her sword! One more, one more.   

Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,   

And love thee after. One more, and this the last:  

 So sweet was ne’er so fatal. I must weep,   

But they are cruel tears: this sorrow’s heavenly;   

It strikes where it doth love. She wakes.  

To Die Upon A Kiss: An Adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello 

Concept, Script, Direction and Choreography: Sadanam P.V. Balakrishnan  

Cast and Crew: Othello: Sadanam P. V. Balakrishnan; Desdemona: Margi Vijayakumar; Iago:Kalamandalam Ramachandran Unnithan 

Vocals: Sadanam Sivadasan and Kalamandalam Rajesh Menon  

Percussion: Chenda: Sadanam Jithin; Maddalam: Sadanam Devadas and Edakka; Thimila: SadanamAbhishek  

Make-up: Kalamandalam Padamanabhan and Sadanam Srinivasan 

Costume Design: Sadanam Vivek  

To Die Upon a Kiss… is a Kathakali performance, based on the world famous tragedy Othello by William Shakespeare. Constituting one of the most prominent classical dance forms of India, Kathakali is characterised by elaborate make-up, face-masks and costumes. The characters presented edited scenes of Shakespeare’s play, touching upon the broad themes of downfall, betrayal and love. 

Performed at Serendipity Arts Festival 2018 as part of Leela Samson’s curation of Dance projects .