This time we asked what is Abhinaya? It is an Indian term for acting. To
quote extensively from the source, it is “acting, or the medium of ‘carrying’ the
meaning of a dramatic text to the spectator. It covers all histrionic activity:
the physical, verbal, mental, and decorative.” To continue “Traditionally,
Indian theatre classifies abhinaya as fourfold: angika (physical), vacika
(verbal), sattvika (internal or emotional/ mental), and aharya (external or
‘added’, of costumes, props, make-up, as well as decor).”
The source provides much more fascinating information about the art of Indian acting. Check it out:
(2004). Abhinaya. In Lal, A. (Ed.), The Oxford Companion to Indian
Theatre. : Oxford University Press. Retrieved 3 Aug. 2022, from https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195644463.001.0001/acref-9780195644463-e-0002.
The question, and answer, were found in “The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre” which can be found within Oxford Reference Online. This database provides quick reference and scholarly articles from a broad range of subjects in over 100 titles that include key titles from the Oxford Companion series and the complete Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Find it on the library’s Research & Homework page and access it with your library card. You’ll find it under O.
