Concluded / Archived
Authors in Conversation
The Dramatic Element in Kumārasambhavam – A Dialogue with Arjun Bharadwaj
With Keynote Speaker Arjun Bharadwaj
(Moderated by Nilambar Chakrabarti)
Saturday, June 13, 2026
6:00 PM IST
Online (Microsoft Teams)
Free Admission
Academic Discourse Overview & Abstract
AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION
The dramatic element in Kumārasambhavam
A dialogue with Arjun Bharadwaj
DATE: Saturday, 13 June 2026
TIME: 6:00 PM onwards (IST)
MODE : Online
What makes a literary work render itself like a drama before the mind's eye? What gives a kāvya its theatrical vitality — and what is it that makes some works truly come alive while others remain inert on the page?
In his new book, The Dramatic Element in Kumārasambhavam, scholar and connoisseur Arjun Bharadwaj turns to one of Kālidāsa's greatest works to explore this question. Drawing on the analytical frameworks of the Nāṭyaśāstra — particularly the four modes of abhinaya — and the rasa theory of the Dhvanyāloka, he examines how the epic's layered verses generate what he calls a dramatic element: an animated, almost theatrical experience of action, character, and affect that arises entirely through language.
In conversation with the editors of Poorvam, Arjun Bharadwaj will reflect on the ideas animating this work — the relationship between kāvya and nāṭya, the tools that Indian aesthetic treatises offer for reading poetry, and what Kālidāsa's epic reveals about the deepest possibilities of classical Sanskrit literature.
This session is part of Authors in Conversation, an online seminar series hosted by Poorvam International Journal of Creative Arts and Cultural Expressions.
The dramatic element in Kumārasambhavam
A dialogue with Arjun Bharadwaj
DATE: Saturday, 13 June 2026
TIME: 6:00 PM onwards (IST)
MODE : Online
What makes a literary work render itself like a drama before the mind's eye? What gives a kāvya its theatrical vitality — and what is it that makes some works truly come alive while others remain inert on the page?
In his new book, The Dramatic Element in Kumārasambhavam, scholar and connoisseur Arjun Bharadwaj turns to one of Kālidāsa's greatest works to explore this question. Drawing on the analytical frameworks of the Nāṭyaśāstra — particularly the four modes of abhinaya — and the rasa theory of the Dhvanyāloka, he examines how the epic's layered verses generate what he calls a dramatic element: an animated, almost theatrical experience of action, character, and affect that arises entirely through language.
In conversation with the editors of Poorvam, Arjun Bharadwaj will reflect on the ideas animating this work — the relationship between kāvya and nāṭya, the tools that Indian aesthetic treatises offer for reading poetry, and what Kālidāsa's epic reveals about the deepest possibilities of classical Sanskrit literature.
This session is part of Authors in Conversation, an online seminar series hosted by Poorvam International Journal of Creative Arts and Cultural Expressions.
Distinguished Keynote Speaker(s)
Arjun Bharadwaj
Keynote Speaker
Profile →
Arjun Bharadwaj is an author and researcher with a deep interest in classical literature, arts, and philosophy. An engineer by training, he is well-versed in Sanskrit (MA), Kannada, English, German (ZMP), and Greek. Arjun works as a contributing editor of Prekshaa and is currently studying the comparative aesthetics of classical Greek and Indian arts and literature.
He has (co-)written, (co-)translated, and (co-)edited many books and authored over fifty research articles related to literature, arts, philosophy, and science. He enjoys composing poems and playing the Carnatic flute. He is also a visiting faculty member at many universities and educational institutions, including the Chanakya University, Karnataka Sanskrit University, and MGM University (Maharashtra).
He collaborates with various academic bodies, including the Max Planck Institute (Berlin) and the IGNCA. Arjun has taught courses and conducted workshops on the Nāṭyaśāstra, Arthaśāstra, Kalātattva, Purāṇas, Sanskrit literature, and Temple Art, Architecture, and Iconography. He also composes lyrics for dance, music, and theatrical productions.
Some of his books include The Essential Ramayana, Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer's Epics, Nayana-Savana (co-authored with R Ganesh), the Saṅgīta-darpaṇa of Gaurīśvara (critically edited and translated), The Essential Mahabharata and The Essential Kathasaritasagara (co-translated, original by A R Krishnasastri) and Prekṣaṇīyam (original work of R Ganesh), and The Dramatic Element in Kalidasa's Kumarasambhavam. He has also translated S L Bhyrappa's novels Yaana into English and Niraakarana into English and German.
Arjun Bharadwaj holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka (NITK – Surathkal), and a Master's degree in Robotics, Systems, and Control from ETH Zurich. He studied the Classical Greek Language at the University of Zurich.
He has (co-)written, (co-)translated, and (co-)edited many books and authored over fifty research articles related to literature, arts, philosophy, and science. He enjoys composing poems and playing the Carnatic flute. He is also a visiting faculty member at many universities and educational institutions, including the Chanakya University, Karnataka Sanskrit University, and MGM University (Maharashtra).
He collaborates with various academic bodies, including the Max Planck Institute (Berlin) and the IGNCA. Arjun has taught courses and conducted workshops on the Nāṭyaśāstra, Arthaśāstra, Kalātattva, Purāṇas, Sanskrit literature, and Temple Art, Architecture, and Iconography. He also composes lyrics for dance, music, and theatrical productions.
Some of his books include The Essential Ramayana, Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer's Epics, Nayana-Savana (co-authored with R Ganesh), the Saṅgīta-darpaṇa of Gaurīśvara (critically edited and translated), The Essential Mahabharata and The Essential Kathasaritasagara (co-translated, original by A R Krishnasastri) and Prekṣaṇīyam (original work of R Ganesh), and The Dramatic Element in Kalidasa's Kumarasambhavam. He has also translated S L Bhyrappa's novels Yaana into English and Niraakarana into English and German.
Arjun Bharadwaj holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka (NITK – Surathkal), and a Master's degree in Robotics, Systems, and Control from ETH Zurich. He studied the Classical Greek Language at the University of Zurich.
Session Moderator
Phd research scholar at Jadavpur University, Sylff fellowship recipent, Former Research fellow at Smith College, south Asian studies.