India, March 21 -- Can Cinema be called as 'Natya'? Let us take a step back and understand what 'Natya' signifies? Natya is not the same as drama or play, rather it is the subject-matter or the essence of a play (Nataka). The ancient Indian dramaturgy, as illustrated in the Natyashastra (composed between 200 BC to 200 AD, by generations of scholars and the authorship is attributed to sage Bharata Muni), explains many concepts which claims to cover all kinds of arts subservient to Natya.

Natyashastra meant to serve as a practical guide for poets and artists for the successful creation and performance of 'Natya'. It begins with the mythological anecdote about how Natya was created. In one of the key dialogues, Indra, the king of Gods, requ...