This book presents novel insights into the work and practice of the actor Krishnan Nair, who was unique in the field of Kathakali, the dance drama of South India. It shows how, because of his superb ability to connect with his audiences and the sheer charisma of his personality, Nair was able to achieve his burning ambitions. It highlights how Nair was able to ensure that Kathakali performers were invested with status and were paid a decent wage, allowing them to live in reasonable comfort.

This book is a unique study of how the role of ‘the messenger’ has changed throughout history, starting from ancient times and ending with the person’s role today. The chapters include an analysis of the personal characteristics required by a messenger, the dangers they often have to face, especially in troubled times, and how they have the power to change the course of history because of their functions. The book analyses various types of messengers who were, and are still, significant, and ends by looking at how the role will continue to develop and change, taking technological advances into account. The book, in short, is unusual, captivating and will be of interest to an informed general readership and academics of various disciplines. Of particular interest will be the analysis the book provides of the messengers we send into space in search of life, and the potential messengers who will visit our planet in the future.

This book demonstrates that people writing and creating characters almost 6,000 miles apart, and in different centuries, have a lot more in common than one might expect. It examines the day-to-day themes appearing in two epics, The Ramayanam and The Maha Bharatham, and some of Shakespeare’s plays (without entering into the realm of philosophy). The book reveals that whatever backgrounds people may have, they ultimately tend to tackle life in very similar ways, and this claim is substantiated with many pertinent examples. The perspectives presented in this book will be of interest to all who study literature.

This book is written for all lovers of the performing arts, especially those who love Kathakali, the dance drama of Kerala, the southern state in India. While other texts have been written about the history of the dance drama in English, this book uniquely brings in Shakespearean plays and characters, comparing them to the stories and characters in Kathakali to give it a completely new perspective.