Natya, Nritta and Nritya

Natya means drama, Nritta means ‘abstract dance’ and Nritya means ‘interpretative dance.’ Katahakali is a story-play. It involves elaborate dance depicting the stories of the victory of truth over falsehood. For such presentation, one of the features of Kathakali is the use of elaborate makeup and colorful costumes which is used mainly to emphasis that the characters are supreme beings from the other world. In other words, Kahtakali is overwhelmingly dramatic in which a performer enters the stage with elaborate makeup, grand costumes, and headgears belonging exclusively to the world of Myth and Legends. Then, the entire story is enacted with the most significant language of hand gestures. Not a word is spoken except for the weird cries of the demons. In this way, Kathakali is a distinct combination of Natya, Nritta and Nritya.