Videos

What makes a kāvya come alive like a drama before the mind's eye? In this session of Authors in Conversation, scholar and connoisseur Arjun Bharadwaj discusses his new book, The Dramatic Element in Kumārasambhavam, exploring how Kālidāsa's epic generates a theatrical experience of action, character, and affect entirely through language.

Drawing on the analytical frameworks of the Nāṭyaśāstra — particularly the four modes of abhinaya — and the rasa theory of the Dhvanyāloka, Arjun Bharadwaj examines the relationship between kāvya and nāṭya, and what Kālidāsa's Kumārasambhavam reveals about the deepest possibilities of classical Sanskrit literature.

Moderated by Nilambar Chakrabarti, PhD scholar at Jadavpur University and Sylff Fellow.

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🕕 Timestamps
00:00 Introduction & Welcome
[add remaining timestamps after upload]

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📌 About Arjun Bharadwaj
Arjun Bharadwaj is an author, researcher, and contributing editor of Prekshaa with expertise in classical literature, arts, and philosophy. He holds an MA in Sanskrit and a Master's in Robotics and Systems from ETH Zurich, and has taught at Chanakya University, Karnataka Sanskrit University, and MGM University. He collaborates with the Max Planck Institute (Berlin) and the IGNCA.

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📌 About Poorvam
Poorvam International Journal of Creative Arts and Cultural Expressions (PIJCACE) is a peer-reviewed journal published under Dhvani Publication. Authors in Conversation is Poorvam's online seminar series bringing scholars, authors, and thinkers into dialogue with a global audience.

🌐 Website: https://poorvam.com
💬 Join our Global Researchers Community (WhatsApp): https://chat.whatsapp.com/CXm3QRnEW31...

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🔔 Subscribe for upcoming sessions:
▸ Swami Medhananda on Sri Ramakrishna & Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality — July 18, 2026
▸ Prof. Monima Chadha on Vasubandhu's No-Self Metaphysics — August 16, 2026
▸ Dr. Bartholomew Ryan on Fernando Pessoa & Philosophy — September 20, 2026

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