Indian actor and dancer Shobhana on dancing with the universe
Unfazed by the fuss and adulation, Shobana confesses, 'I'm still in a state of shock and when people ask me when am I celebrating, I tell them, let me recover.' Her gurus, though, are extremely proud. 'They were ecstatic and I sincerely believe that I shine this way because they've been so giving to me.'
In class, as a teacher, she describes Bharatanatyam as molten chocolate falling on a steel rod. ' There is a general impression that Bharatanatyam is tough to perform. That it is staccato and looks forced. But, the angular dance form it is, has plenty of room for flow. Rods are angular but it depends on what you pour into it — electricity or molten chocolate."
Shobana succinctly explains how the dance form has risen like the phoenix over generations and timelines. 'Bharatanatyam originated from male dancers who taught the Devadasis (temple dancers) who preserved the dance form and taught the teachers of today. Both my gurus learnt from Devadasis,' she adds.
But learning a dance form is more than just the dance, it is a great lesson in aesthetics and wisdom. 'The legendary Chitra Akka (Chitra Visveswaran) and Padu ka (Padma Subrahmanyam) have bestowed upon me their life experiences and wisdom and I feel compelled to pass it on,' adding, 'Only now have I have mustered courage to ask my gurus about their gurus and they have been most generous in sharing that knowledge.'
Ask her what separates a good artiste from a great artiste? 'If you don't have humility, then you are unintelligent. Humility should be so ingrained within you that you shouldn't even know that you are humble.'
But then, how does humility protect her from the deviousness of the world? ' Of course I have an ego and that arises especially when people take your naïveté for granted. That is when your ego sorts them out - it draws a strict boundary,' she adds.
So, does she see her qualities reflect in her students. 'Yes I do. They don't preen with praise. That is my quality,' she laughs.
How does she infuse disciple, spirit and devotion in her students? ' I don't inculcate discipline and devotion. Students either have it or don't depending on their upbringing. Yes, inculcating the spirit of performance is a teacher's job. Explaining the nuances of music is my job — telling them to bubble up, smile and pour out their emotion in their dance, telling them how would they like to be seen onstage.'
So, does learning a dance form, make you sensitive to other forms of art? 'Not necessarily because art is largely interpretative. I don't get impressed by speed, acrobatics or drama. For me it is very academic. I can't enjoy a performance unless it is very different. The same extends to all art forms. Artists have that magic of going beyond grammar. Only then you be a complete artist.'
Ask her what were her most trying times as a student? ' When I had to rehearse my classical dance steps while at a film shoot. Those days, we were given accommodation in small lodges. So I would wake up by 4 am, go to the terrace and practice. I remember actor Satyaraj complaining since my dancing woke the entire unit up.'
Shobana's recent film Thudarum where she was paired opposite Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has been a super hit and is a fond recall of Malayalam cinemas two biggest names coming together. 'Lal is fascinated by the world of art and here is how our conversation goes when we start talking of Natyashastra.
Me: Natyashastra is tough because there are certain things that we don't do anymore.
Lal: Why do you say so?
Me: In Satvika abhinaya, there are instances when the face goes white, loses colour and you get goose bumps. It's a state of the dance.
Lal: Close your eyes.
Lal: Now open them!
Lal shakes his hands and displays his goose bumps and says 'That's it right!'
Me: There's Something about Mary. There's something about Lal. (Laughs)
Shobana is currently pursuing her doctorate on Natyashastra from Tamil University. 'It is not an honorary doctorate, I'm working on it for the past 10 years,' she adds.
A seeker forever.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
4 hours ago
- The National
AI video tool that creates 'original series' in minutes sparks fear of replacing scriptwriters and creatives
Filmmakers, industry experts and students in the UAE are voicing concerns that artificial intelligence could strip cinema of its human touch and threaten creative careers. The warnings come after Fable, a company backed by Amazon, unveiled Showrunner, an AI platform described as the 'Netflix of AI' that allows users to generate fully animated series using simple text prompts. Users can create episodes by writing dialogue, prompting scenes and developing characters, with the AI handling everything from animation to voiceovers. In the UAE, filmmakers and students are divided, with some seeing AI as a valuable creative assistant, while others warn it risks producing generic, soulless content and undermining career paths for young storytellers. Currently on limited release, Showrunner is expected to become widely available in the coming months The launch has reignited debate over whether AI will democratise storytelling by removing production barriers or disrupt the collaborative craft that has defined filmmaking for more than a century. Prof Peter Bentley, computer scientist and AI creativity expert at University College London, said the latest platform makes it 'remarkably quick and easy' to create new works, provided they closely resemble existing ones. 'Creative and highly innovative outputs are not going to be so easy,' he told The National. How it works Showrunner works by letting users input short text prompts, from a few sentences describing characters and setting to more detailed scene-by-scene scripts. The AI then generates storyboards, animates characters, voices dialogue and stitches it all together into watchable episodes. Users can either create original series or customise templates of existing shows such as Exit Valley, a Silicon Valley satire, or South Park -style animations. Access is currently restricted to a select group of creators testing the platform, with only a small library of prebuilt series available to modify. While the AI can quickly generate plotlines and character arcs, it works best when those stories resemble familiar formats and genres, a limitation Professor Bentley says still keeps it far from replacing traditional filmmaking. Fable has said broader access is expected in the coming months, prompting debate over whether these tools are already capable of producing watchable, formula-driven seasons or if they remain in their early experimental phase. Filmmakers' fears Faisal Hashmi, a UAE-based director and co-writer of the upcoming City of Life 2, said platforms such as Showrunner risk removing human vision from the filmmaking process. 'These tools are designed to undermine traditional narrative craftsmanship,' he told The National. 'What is film if not the vision of a storyteller using their own experiences to make you feel something? If you remove that process, is it really a film any more?' Some experiments, such as the AI-generated short film The Ghost in My Machine, showcase the technology's potential for speed and visual novelty, though critics say such pieces often lack emotional subtlety. Mr Hashmi believes audiences will eventually reject AI-only content, though he sees potential for AI to support, rather than replace, filmmakers. He has used AI for storyboarding and visual effects. 'If AI aids the process rather than replaces you,' he said, 'it has a place in filmmaking.' Prof Bentley echoed this, saying AI cannot yet match the originality of a human storyteller. 'We need creative people to make the outputs truly watchable,' he said. Will we need filmmakers? Razan Takash, filmmaker and head of film at SAE University, Dubai, said AI shortcuts essential learning for aspiring filmmakers. ''Instead of learning filmmaking, they're learning film prompting,' she told The National. She compared it to weightlifting: 'You can't prompt somebody else to lift the weight for you and expect to become a bodybuilder.' Ms Takash said AI could offer opportunities to those who understand filmmaking but lack resources. However, she warned that as access becomes widespread, originality could be lost. 'Eventually, everybody's going to have the opportunity to make this kind of content,' she said. 'So no one is special, and it is going to be hard to stand out. We can compare this to the early days of streaming and YouTubers.' Prof Bentley also noted that most AI-generated content is derivative, trained on the work of human artists, which raises copyright concerns. 'Artists may need to license their work for use by AIs, or consider legal action against companies that use it without permission,' he said. No humanity Nada Majdalawieh, a UAE-based master's student in TV and screenwriting at Stephens College in Los Angeles, said students are already worried about how AI will affect their careers. 'Storytelling is inherently human and the idea of replacing that with something generated feels like a step backwards rather than forward,' she told The National. She added that if AI tools take over those creative roles, 'we're not just talking about streamlining a process, we're eliminating entire career paths for creatives who've been working years to find themselves in this industry'. Ms Majdalawieh said AI could eventually automate everything from scriptwriting to directing. 'These aren't distant hypotheticals,' she said. 'They're real concerns already looming over us as students. We can all feel it, and honestly, it's scary.' New access for creators Mohammed Mamdouh, filmmaker and assistant professor of film and new media design at the American University of Sharjah, offered a more optimistic view. He said AI can empower voices previously locked out of the industry. 'AI-generated shows and films empower storytellers who might otherwise be sidelined,' he told The National. 'That's a radical shift in access.' Mr Mamdouh described AI as transformative rather than destructive, calling it 'not the death of cinema' but rather 'the rebirth.' However, he cautioned that AI could compromise filmmaking's collaborative spirit. When the director 'becomes the sole engine prompting alone', he said, the rich dynamic of working alongside production designers, cinematographers and sound artists may start to erode. Industry outlook The AI market in the film industry is projected to grow from $1.28 billion in 2024 to $1.6 billion in 2025 and reach approximately $14 billion by 2033, according to The Business Research Company. The wider AI in the media and entertainment sector is expected to rise from $25.98 billion this year to nearly $99.48 billion by 2030. In the Middle East and North Africa, subscription video-on-demand revenue is forecast to hit $1.5 billion by the end of 2025, driven by platforms such as Shahid, Netflix, YouTube Premium and StarzPlay, according to Omdia, a consultancy firm specialising in technology and media. Analysts say AI could lower production costs and accelerate localisation, while Hollywood studios are already testing hybrid models that blend human creativity with AI-generated visuals. Future of storytelling While the technology gains momentum globally, UAE filmmakers and students remain cautious about fully adopting it. Mr Hashmi believes the pendulum will eventually swing back. 'People will crave original stories made by human beings,' he said. Ms Majdalawieh said students face an uncertain path ahead. 'Filmmaking opportunities will still exist for a while,' she said. 'But there's a growing uncertainty about how long that will last.' Mr Mamdouh said filmmakers must help shape AI's role in storytelling rather than resist it. 'We must shape the future,' he said, 'rather than let it shape us.' On whether AI can truly replicate human emotion, Prof Bentley was sceptical: 'If you don't mind unoriginal and rather drab content, then it will be fine for you. Sounds a bit like many Hollywood movies, so maybe there is a place for AI there.' His advice to creatives and educators: 'Reality is always better than imitation, and AI can only imitate us.'
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE summer: How some residents shift to weekend mode as early as Tuesday
'After over 25 years in the UAE, I've come to treat Thursdays like a soft start to the weekend,' says Omer Abd Elkhalig, a Sudanese artist. 'I take a walk to unwind, plan small weekend tasks, organise meals, and spend time with family to ease into a slower rhythm." "In the summer, I explore new indoor cafés for a change of scene. I start planning my weekend as early as Wednesday, as it motivates me to be more energetic in my work. Sometimes I watch movies and keep a long list ready to download my weekend bucket list. I also value digital detox hours, small things that help me recharge before the weekend really begins.' From prepping ice cubes for cold coffee to neatly arranging salad ingredients, these small acts become rituals of joy. For many in the UAE, the art of making the most of summer lies not in escape but in embracing it, one thoughtful step at a time. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. 'Keeps us connected, refreshed' 'My mom was born and brought up in the UAE, and my dad moved here around 1966, so they know the UAE summers really well,' says Ana Fernandes, an Indian resident of the UAE. 'We've found our rhythm with the early weekend; it adds real sunshine to our plans. Since both my parents have a half-day on Fridays, we get a head start. We usually plan during the week, whether it's checking for a Bollywood release or something new on Netflix. Even in summer, we stay active with evening walks with our dog Ande, family board games, or quick pet-friendly staycations in Dubai. It keeps us connected, refreshed, and ready for the week ahead.' Felyjoy Gonzales, a 33-year-old Filipina who has lived in Dubai for a decade, says early weekends help her stay refreshed during the summer. 'I love short staycations, spa sessions, and karaoke nights with friends. It's my way of staying cool and mentally recharging indoors. Even a few hours of planned quiet time during the week, I start mine as early as Tuesday, makes a big difference,' she shares. As summer peaks across the UAE, a growing number of Dubai residents are shifting into weekend mode well before Friday. With temperatures crossing 45°C, many are adjusting their routines. To prepare for the weekly break, they start wrapping up work tasks earlier, switching to wellness and social plans by Thursday evening, and redefining what the weekend feels like. From packed cafés by late Thursday to wellness classes fully booked before sunset, the trend points to a collective behavioural shift. Businesses are also adapting, with some flexible workspaces and agencies quietly supporting 'soft Fridays,' allowing hybrid or half-day routines in response to employee well-being. 'Early weekend' culture Maneet Singh, psychotherapist and mental health counsellor at Keyani Wellness Centre, says the growing 'early weekend' culture in the UAE isn't just a social shift; it's a reflection of how we psychologically adapt to environmental stress. According to Temporal Motivation Theory, our drive increases when a reward feels closer and more emotionally meaningful. And in the peak of Dubai's heat, the idea of waiting until Friday or Saturday to unwind feels less satisfying. So people are front-loading joy, grabbing small moments of rest, social connection, or personal time earlier in the week. What's interesting is that our brains start releasing dopamine, the 'feel-good' neurochemical, before the reward itself, just in anticipation. This early sense of relief and control becomes especially powerful in a climate where external conditions can feel restrictive. There's also a bit of hedonic adaptation happening over time; we get used to the discomfort, but we still crave emotional novelty. Shifting the rhythm of the week offers that micro-reset our minds need. 'For families, this shift is even more significant. Parents are reimagining Thursday evenings, movie nights, board games, and intentional connection as a way to reset sooner. From a psychological lens, this ties into attachment theory, which shows that predictable emotional closeness supports children's sense of safety and regulation. And for parents, it offers something deeply valuable: the chance to be present without the usual rush of the weekend. In essence, the early weekend isn't a luxury; it's a form of emotional recalibration. It's how individuals and families in the UAE are building small pockets of control, connection, and comfort in a season that often demands resilience,' she added. As the summer heat in the UAE reaches its peak, this growing weekend culture serves as a powerful reminder that thriving often means slowing down sooner, reconnecting with what matters, and embracing the season in your way.
What's On
13 hours ago
- What's On
Review: Adaline offers a lavish, Dubai-style night out for the revellers
Flaunting a very Dubai-style of nightlife, Adaline is that spot you go to for the pre-party, the party itself and for the post-party. Occupying a glamorous corner of DIFC, the whole experience starts off chic and sleek – sit-down dinner, drinks and classy jazz music punctuating your conversations, before slowly descending into a high-energy showcase that will have you on your feet and dancing the night away. The Vibe Dim, sultry and alluring – that is the best way to describe Adaline. Draped in deep red interiors, seductive textured glass chandeliers, big, round tables and plush, velvet carpeting and furniture, the whole thing is very retro-chic, emulating the jazz bars of the 1920s, with of course just as much glitz, romance and incredible music. The Food and Drinks We start with some bites and nibbles – pillowy soft focaccia, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes and olives. Light, fresh and the perfect way to whet your appetite. The starters come as the panzanella – heirloom tomatoes, marinated capsicum, cucumber, bread and ricotta mousse, a creamy, dreamy, bright combination of flavours; the calamari fritti – crispy squid, paired with tartar sauce; parmigiana di melanzane – rich tomato sauce and melt-in-your-eggplant; margherita pizza – shatteringly crispy crust, perfect pools of cheese and sauce. For the mains, we sample pollo all'amalfi, a tender bite of chilly and lemon, a safe option, and the risotto, creamy and bodied with generous pecorino cheese and pepper. To finish off, we have the mille-feuille with berries, prepared tableside and a neat, sweet ending to the meal. The Service Smooth, efficient and attentive, the staff move within the crowd undetected, refilling glasses, clearing tables and replacing dishes while you're engrossed in the musical spectacle unfolding in front of you – some of the best live singers we've seen at any establishment in Dubai, offering powerhouse vocals, stage presence and so much soul. The live band is no less, playing up buttery music to set the mood. What to Order Panzanella Parmigiana di melanzane Risotto Mille-feuille What's On the Bill Dhs400 to 600 for two, including food and drinks. The Final Say What's On Verdict: Looking for a party? You've got one at Adaline. Location: Adaline, DIFC, Dubai Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, 7pm to 2am, Thursday and Friday, 7pm to 3am Contact: (0) 4 498 6200 | @adalinedubai Reservations: Recommended for weekends Images: Supplied > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
