Epics of India

By Dalbera (https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalbera/2790476302/) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons After the Nina character receives the email from Dave, her boyfriend, breaking up with her there is an extended musical and dance sequence. There is one main female dancer that uses aspects of classical Indian dance, Bollywood dance, and Western dance. Some elements from classical Indian dance include the hand positions called mudras , and the characteristic body posture called  tribhanga composed by bending of the body into an "S" shape. There is also a segment when the Hindu gods cycle through the video replacing each other showing how they are essentially the same being. Fire is a common theme throughout the sequence as Nina's rage and grief burn after Dave's cruel breakup, and Agni, the fire god, can be seen riding his vahana the ram at various points in the sequence. The fire grows and envelopes more and mor...

"If I go to the grocery store around 11:00 I can take my time and won't have to rush. When I get home I should have some time, but I'll need to start prepping the vegetables around 12:30," I thought as I lay in bed trying to sleep. I've always enjoyed planning out how a meal will go. That way things don't get chaotic or stressful while I'm cooking because what's the point if it isn't any fun. "How should I cut the carrots? Rounds or chunks? I think the chunks will be better. It's going to cook for a while, and he likes carrots. Then it'll be about 1:00 or 1:30 when I'm ready to start searing the meat and sautéing the vegetables." "Do I have enough wine to cook with? I'll have to stop into the liquor store, too. Ok if I stick to this everything should be ready around 7." "Love you babe good night." Mise en Place by David Huang via flickr The next morning I woke up for a lazy Saturday. One of t...

Sita emerging from the test of fire with the protection of Agni and other gods Source: Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley via Wikimedia Commons In Nina Paley's  Sita Sings the Blues, after  Sita asks Rama to capture the golden deer for her we see her alone in their hut singing about her love for Rama. This scene focuses on Sita's devotion to Rama which is depicted with the song "What Wouldn't I do for that Man" by Annette Hanshaw. Sita is supposed to be the ideal devoted wife in the Ramayana, and the lyrics in the song are similar to her character in the epic. The song says "love was blind to me, now it's kind to me" just like Sita never loved another man before Rama. Also she says in the song "I'll be so true to him, he'll never doubt me." Sita is always true to Rama and believes that he will trust her even after she has been held captive by Ravana. She then vows in the song to "make his troubles [her] own" li...