India / Arts and Culture

Indians are inherently aesthetic their dress, in their habitat, the way they serve food as well as in forms of creative expression. There is a great variety that the country has to offer and each region has its own distinct cultural tradition.

Classical dance styles from the south include Bharatnatyam from Tamil Nadu, Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh and Kathakali from Kerala. Manipuri, which is characterized by limpid graceful movements, is generic to the northeast. Odissi, with elements similar to Bharatnatyam, is from the eastern state of Orissa. Kathak, originally a style adopted by courtesans in the Mughal era, is a typically north Indian style.

In music, classical styles are divided into the north Indian, comprising various gharanas (ateliers) and south Indian - the after loosely classed together under the label, Carnatic. Aside from classical styles in painting, India has a rich contemporary art resource.

Currently, many Indian artists like M.F. Hussain, Raza, Souza have international recognition. India has a rich folk art tradition - in theatre, dance and the visual arts - as much alive today as it was in the past.

Most of India's 950 million people are avid cinema goers and so it is hardly surprising that India is one of the largest producers of commercial films. More than 800 films are produced annually. While the hub of the film industry is Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta are also important centers of production. There is also a vibrant parallel cinema movement - prominent among those who belong to this genre are Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal and Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

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