Timeless Rhythms: Indian Movies Celebrating Classical Music and Dance

A classical dancer, Balakrishna, faces many struggles, but is eventually redeemed.

The story of a rare and exceptional bond between the master of classical music Sankara Sastry and his admirer Tulasi, a woman from a family of prostitutes.

A painter who recently moved into the neighborhood helps his neighbor, a retired cultural dance artist. He helps by painting billboards advertising events in which the artist and his daughters perform. The younger daughter does not want to dance. Instead she aspires to work and make it in America but she also falls in love with the painter.

Somayajulu, an orthodox high-priest of a village temple weds his grand-daughter Hema to his grand-son Gaurinatha, also a priest by profession, without realising that she is in love with Murali, a Harijan. Hema is a professional dancer who gives performances along with her father's troupe, while Murali plays flute in the troupe. Gaurinatha marries Hema, but only succeeds to see the goddess he worships, in Hema. He learns the truth from Hema and decides to unite her with Murali. After much deliberations, Yajulu not only gives consent, but actively carries it out in the face of stiff resistance from the village.

In the ancient dance village Natyam, Sitara attempts to resurrect her Guru's forgotten masterpiece choreography and discovers the true power and purpose of Indian Classical Dance. To dance is to tell a story that can change our world.

Divakar is a poet who adores his wife, Jamuna, and soon begins to see her as his muse in his imagination and even names her Mohini. But his obsession with Mohini begins to destroy his home and career.

Vasantrao is the biography of the classical Hindustani nonconformist Vasantrao Deshpande. Born in a village in Vidarbha, Maharashtra and then raised unaided by his mother in Nagpur, Vasantrao's life is a canvas of exciting events. Events that shaped his life and, ultimately, his music. It includes his unique friendship with P.L. Deshpande and Begum Akhtar, life in Indian Military Accounts, learning music in Lahore to his destination on the Indochina border during the 1962 war, or performing in Katyaar Kaljaat Ghusli, the play that made him a force to be reckoned with. The film tries to show the unknown history of Vasantrao to understand how he came to be known as Pandit Vasantrao Deshpande. This film was part of the Official Selection of AFFBCN2021.

A clash of two musical families, where in the end, music is the winner. When greed takes the front seat, manipulations shift gears. A race starts, a race that kills whatever comes across the way, a race that ultimately ends on the losing side. When it happens to a music maestro, it is only the music that suffers. Katyar Kaljat Ghusali depicts the story of the art of music suffering, which is uncannily narrated by a Dagger (Katyar).

A mridangam maker's son, who aspires to learn the instrument from a maestro and become a mridangam player, has to cross social and personal barriers to reach his goal.

Love between a danseuse and a musician brought under attack from various sources. Will their love survive amidst treachery and competition?

The film, set between 1920s and 195os, tells the story of Madhura, a South Indian girl exploitation by her landlord Mirasu and the system.

A middle-aged couple want their daughter to follow in their footsteps and become a dancer.

A dance teacher runs into trouble when he protests against society, which doesn't allow girls to perform Kuchipudi.

Self-doubt, sacrifice and struggle converge into an existential crisis for a devoted classical vocalist as the mastery he strives for remains elusive.

In Mughal Emperor Akbar's court, young musician Baiju challenges maestro Tansen to a musical duel in order to avenge the death of his father, which he holds Tansen responsible for.

The tale of two classical musician brothers: while the elder squanders his life and talent away, the younger one fulfills their joint responsibilities towards their family.

The police are called to investigate the death of a woman who was killed during a riot by a stone thrown by an agitated person. She was known in the community as "Sardari Begum", a popular singer and courtesan in her time. This story chronicles her youth, her contacts, and her lifestyle.

A victory over neighboring state Vaishai has always eluded Magadh Samrat Ajaatshatru despite being winning and taking control over all neighboring states. He attacks Vaishali only get defeated again. Wounded, lost and on the run, Ajaatshatru dons the guise of a Vaishali soldier and takes shelter with a woman named Amrapali and they fall in love with each other. Ajaatshatru finds an ally in Senapati Balbadhra Singh and both start a plot to gain control of Vaishali. Vaishali Samrat comes to know about Ajaatshatru and Amrapali's liaison with him, he sentences her with a death penalty. Ajaatshatru is enraged at this, he gathers together his armies and storms the unsuspecting Vaishali and virtually burns the city down, killing almost everyone in it. This accomplished, he rushes to free his beloved from the dungeons. He does set her free but it is not the same Amrapali; this Amrapali is quite different. She is not at all thrilled to be in the presence of her conqueror lover. She teaches him what he won in the battle ground but what he lost in reality.

Nandagopan is a respected dance teacher. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when his wife commits suicide causing him to become an alcoholic and compulsive rule breaker.

Kalpana is a dramatic dance fantasy, about the story of a young dancer and his dream of setting up a dance academy.