Everything we do in India is larger than life, from cinema right to the way we dress. So, when we feel a desire to move from within, we dance, and that too extravagantly, taking aid of the numerous dance forms that our country offers. The dance production, Charishnu, is yet another glimpse of what we do when asked to move. This production, brought together by renowned Bhartnatyam performer Leela Sampson and produced by Programming Head of Dance (NCPA) Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, is an amalgamation of dance performances by 45 artists presenting classical, folk and even martial arts.

The origin of this production dates back to the year 2005 when the Ministry of Tourism wanted Samson to conceptualise a production and take it international in an aim to present Indian culture. Fusion, or a kind of performance which amalgamates many forms of dance and music, was not something which was common then for artists, and everyone wanted to keep their forms distinct and unique. It was then when Samson brought in artists from various artforms together and built in a production to put all doubts to rest. "Along with different kinds of music and dance forms, it also has martial arts, thus, representing many aspects of Indian heritage and culture. It is not a fusion, instead the forms have come together but are preformed uniquely," says Dasgupta.