Divas & Devas

In each of us there is a DIVA and there is the DEVA....

Asthana Arts 6th production collaborating with SG Production with the Artistic Direction of Lam Ghooi Ket, we present to you ....

10 choreographers, 10 ideas, 10 stories in Divas n Devas...
featuring indian classical, fusion, contemporary and dance drama in 10 different perspective....

Divas n Devas presents -
Nimal Raj( Mystic Creation - The 16 faceted Genesha ),
Geethashankaran Lam (Geethashankarandance - Odissi Odyssey),
Chandrika ( Sai Performing Arts - The Shakti ), Rithaudeen (Universiti Malaya - Ecodi),
Lex Laksman ( KLpac - Devadasis),
Indrani ( Indrani Dance Academy - Yasodha ), Komathi ( Athiradee dance studio - The Perspective n The Pessimist ),
Ravi Shanker (Asthana Arts - Love at the first sight ),
Lavanya ( Asthana Arts - The Thandava)
Sharan (Asthana Arts - Bahucarya , my mother ).

Also featuring guest dance artiste Win Thang from France.


I am diva I am deva,
I am the feminine.
I am the masculine.
I am one and I am both.
My darkness can be trying.
My lightness can be blinding.
But in balance there is harmony.
There is always a choice to make.
Which one will it be?
The path of surrender,
Or the one of resistance?
They both lead to the same goal.
The darkness is only the void
That you travel from time to time.
The lightness is the intuition that
Gently guides you from within.
The resistance is to fight the elements.
The surrender is to embrace the flow.
How many falls will you create before
You walk on steady ground?
Which is better for you?
Harmony and freedom,
Or chaos and turmoil?
What about balance and stability?
I am diva and I am deva.
And I can be all that at once.
The choice is yours to make.



The tickets are RM28 for students and RM38 for Adults in the aid of Asthana Arts Young Performing Artist Fund.......also check out www.theactorsstudio.com ...book your date now...

The soul of The Dancer

Once there came to the court of the Prince of Birkasha a dancer with her musicians. And she was admitted to the court, and she danced before the prince to the music the lute and the flute and the zither. She danced the dance of flames, and the dance of swords and spears; she danced the dance of stars and the dance of space. And then she danced the dance of flowers in the wind. After this she stood before the throne of the prince and bowed her body before him. And the prince bade her to come nearer, and he said unto her, "Beautiful woman, daughter of grace and delight, whence comes your art? And how is it that you command all the elements in your rhythms and your rhymes?" And the dancer bowed again before the prince, and she answered, "Mighty and gracious Majesty, I know not the answer to your questionings. Only this I know: The philosopher's soul dwells in his head, the poet's soul is in the heart; the singer's soul lingers about his throat, but the soul of the dancer abides in all her body." An Excerpt From The Wanderer by Khalil Gibran

The World of Maya

It was 9 something.....parked my car at Jaya 33 and went straight to normal workout gym. Coming out of the gym is my long lost mentor. He was my brother as well my friend who have been giving me the positive vibes on life....His name is Maheswaran.....

I saw Mahes for the first time when i entered this company as an intern. He was the sales manager. I really like the guts of this person. I would say a new age Indian that we hardly find in the 90s. At the time when i was building my career, he left to an another company and then gone is the communication with him. He is very ambitious. He have done so many thing. He have met failure as well succcess.A very metrosexual men.

When i saw him after so long, there was huge smile in me. Actually today, i was quite down and demotivated today due certain things. My day today was hopeless. Met Tina the designer in the afternoon, went to Taman Budaya then came back to studio. Nantha was there and he was the scapegoat for me to venge my fury. The day was terrible, so i my took bag and drove to PJ. In between i was thinking who should talk to about my uneasiness. Should i do meditation.

Never thought he will be at the same gym. Maklumlah kita baru seminggu kat True Fitness.Neway Back to Mahes....After the normal greeting, we shared stuffs about work. Mahes was surprised that i have resigned from my career a year ago. Told him about the backstabbing by collegues, bitching bosses and corporated slut i was before. The worst is the politics, who does what and who climbs the corporate ladder fast and in an unethical way.For me this is not what i wanted.

" Ravi think!!" he said, When you were the Promotions Manager Ravi Shanker, so many people wants to be beside you, the want to be seen with you, they wanna be in the good books. There will be 300 calls, 500 smses .....but once you take out the Promotions Manager, you were just Ravi Shanker. How many of them wants to be associated with you. They only saw the position and the chair you are sitting....not you...but the decision to be out this corporate slavery is act of GOD...he wanted to be out and concentrate on Performing Arts......

Yeah , i remember when Kudsia Kahar asked (The only immediate superior i have respect till now) for an interview for that position, she asked, You are so active in arts and broadcasting....Which one will be your priority??? I said " When the time come i will choose"....actually i didnt, arts choose me....

"Even when everyone snaps at you, or forgets you or hates you, God will never forget you.........You are living in this world of Maya...career, money, family, traffic jam, True Fitness, KFC everything is Maya....Maya is illusion...illusion created by god ......The truth is your Athma.....and the one who always be with you is Paramaathma ot the great soul" explained Mahes in clear Tamil with proper arranged diction.

I was taken a back...as if he can read my mind.what are my eyes are telling...I told him now i have time to concentrate on the studio , my dance, my creation, my passion....past one year i have been doing so many showcases and creations and this has been giving me the fulfilment that always eagered for...... Thats why GOD wants to be out of the fake situation where people praise you for your position....It is the same thing my ex collegue, Ramesh said when i was at GH for Nebulizer session for my Asthma Attack when i was still working. Working for 5 -6 K month, if you put your heart and soul, u can do more that being on your own....doing what you like......said Ramesh

I started to realise that people are beside you not because of who you are but what you have....even now.....and this is the never ending situation....

I will take everything positive, to be better, to be healthier, to be wealthier and all those i wanted. Because now , everything what is in this world of Maya....I should be enlighted soon.....

Fusion is Confusion????

Asthana Arts Ah ??? Ennathu athu?? Enna seyyuranunga???....Whats is Asthana Arts??? They are so professional??....Asthana Vaa???

So these are the comments that i have recieved from the so called traditionalist or the purist of Malaysian Indian Classical dance teachers and practioners......
Not to mention personal attacks on me as well. Well, listen here you pathethics kanjipuram saree hypocrites!!!

My definition is clear....Asthana Arts is about Commercial Arts and Performing Arts. If you understand, put down your old paper on dance theory that you have been using for past 20 years and adapt into wikipedia or google to check what is dance is all about in this globalised world.... Do you guys know that there is also You Tube where you can download videos???? And do you India is so advanced in the contemporary dance category....

Fusion is confusion??? ....who are you to judge fusion and contemporary dance when you only know Aadikondar or Alarrippu theikiran 10 thousand times????

This year i am gonna be strong and bulldoze those who comes to my path....which i know you guys are coward to face me but rather comfortable talking behind...... So please concentrate on making Indian arts more visible....DAHLAH INDIA MINORITI DI MALAYSIA, YANG BUAT INDIAN PERFORMING ARTS LAGI MINORITI....IF YOU DONT RESPECT AND SUPPORT YOUR CULTURE NO ONE WILL DO.....

Time to continue my MC Breakfast with Dev at Taipan Subang!!!!

Putra Kalakshetra's Odissi Stai

Putra Kalakshetra girls performed the stai for FESKUM recently. Stai depicts the indolents maiden getting ready for an auspicious day. Starts with classical Odissi movements, gradually the dance proceeds to faster taala or beat.

Dasavathar in Fiesta Kesenian UKM

This was an opening gimmick for UKM's FK. Comprising the avathars of Maccha, Koorma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasuram, Rama, Balaram , Krishna and Kalki, was performed by UKM first year boys. We also had Vishnu as the main dancer. The idea was inspiration from the Prince of Dance India reality show. Quite a cool opening gimmick and thanks boys for a wonderful bunch.....

The Pancha Pandavas of Asthana Arts

Dear Praven, Tina, Nantha, Ley and Pooven

This might be quite late for me to write to you. i hope you guys are reading this...

Life is not fairytale isn't it???? Its not about the a handsome prince slaying a dragon, a beautiful princess in search of true beloved, and the happy ending.

Your journey started with 6 .....but finally end up with 5. I know its not easy. As if the group is cursed. Started with Sanju, then Asok and finally Sherina. All from the other part of the world. You guys know what i meant.

I always tell my self , isnt it easy just to sit as a judge for RM1500 and give comments like what i did before rather than sending dance teams under the studio???? Well each year we learn dont we....and i learnt as well

It started with audition, heats , semifinal and final. Sherina walking out of you guys few days before the competition is so uncalled of. When Nantha said " we wanna go and see her in her house!!! I asked for what, to beg her to dance with you guys??? Aren't you guys not man enough to face this world??? We have cried a lot, and we are immune to all this ......I have to be strong for 5 of them to be strong....i managed...god gave me the strength.....I made up my mind, i rather see you guys come out in the 6th position with pride rather than she takes the limelight and looks down on you guys....Even she is there , i already predicted that we wont get a good placing because we did not put much effort due to internal conflict......so just get rid of her.....

I know you guys cried a lot at the stadium....i know you guys were down....Praven its never been your fault....dont think it is.....It is the diva attitudes that clashes.....You guys are my Pandavas that managed the war....

We learnt , our dance suffered due to egos, attitude and intolerable characters...not everyone is perfect in the group....everyone have their own set of behaviour , which may be norm to youself but.....End of the day we need to sacrifice something to reach to the next destination....and each of you guys sacrificed and repented on that day.

You guys might be thinking why am i not writing nasty stuff about Sherina for what she has done to you guys......well i am not gonna hurt her via online diary because this is not gonna hurt her in anyway. Karma is there and god will take care her... Anyway she lost whatever she had in Asthana Arts.....Neway i will dedicate an entry....just dont want to waste my time now...

Thank Goodness Kuna, Thinesh and Dev was there to console you guys....Each night they came and motivated you guys.....rectified the dance moves and more.....

My compulsory training at Felda Trolak is supposed to take away my thoughts on this...The three days is about you guys....its was bit hard...again god played his game....he wanted me to see guys perform .....Astro Vaanavil at Felda Trolak???Unthinkable , but yes. I saw everything from beginning to end , I ve predicted the winner and it was them true enough.

We were ready to come at 6th . And we do not regret....Remember....Come out of this for us to concentrate on bigger things??? KRSNA , you gave us Gema Zafana at Istana Budaya and Christmas at Sabah......you read the minds, what all of them went through....As you saved Draupadi in the midst of misery, same here you came and gave us these two productions when we were quite down for us to concentrate and stop thinking about the competition's result....

And to my Pancha Pandavas of Asthana Arts, whatever you do after this, is work with humility, be humble and determined to focus in whatever you do.....Like the Kathak pirouttes needs focus when you turn and come back to the same position......

love you guys......