Many would argue that no one knows what spark a reader’s interest. What if I told you that’s not the case? What if I told you that if your story content contains at least seven of the nine emotions, it’s good to go;
What are these nine emotions?
It’s the Navarasa, which means “nine emotions” in Sanskrit; rasa means “emotional state of mind” in Sanskrit. Shringara (love/beauty), Hasya (laughter), Karuna (sorrow), Raudra (anger), Veera (heroism/courage), Bhayanaka (terror/fear), Bibhatsa (disgust), Adbutha (surprise/wonder), and Shantha (peace or tranquility) are the nine emotions.
Let’s pick an example and learn about it. How does writing on Adultery sound to you?
To begin with, adultery is socially, religiously, morally, and legally unacceptable. However, Unfaithful, a film about this subject that I recently viewed on Netflix, grossed $52 million in North America and $119.1 million worldwide.
What was so appealing about the story? Let’s review it.
The story begins with the fiery passion of a suburban mother, Connie, who begins an erotic affair with a younger man she meets by chance. It was simple to dislike the female lead. She is vexingly selfish. Even cruel, when she gifts a snow globe to her lover, which was originally a gift from her loving husband.
There was also the agony of a husband discovering that his beloved wife is deceiving him, as well as the fear of not fully comprehending why was it so devastating.
The lover, a Frenchman, is a handsome young man who is fully aware of his sexual prowess and enjoys the opportunity to experience everything life offers, making him unlikeable. He is arrogant enough to say, “Why not?” when a married lady approaches him because he never considers the consequences.
The meeting of the two men is a powerful scene; the magnitude of what the spouse feels is clearly conveyed.
And then comes the last stroke the neo-noir element-the gothic horror.
The story concludes without even a single scene in which the husband confronts his wife about why she felt justified in sacrificing their relationship.
Finally, it ends with a reconciliation between the husband and wife.
And now let’s talk about what makes it appealing?
The script has the seven rasas, which I talk about at the start of this write-up. Shringara (love/beauty), Karuna (sorrow), Raudra (anger), Bhayanaka (terror/fear), Bibhatsa (disgust),Adbutha (surprise/wonder), and Shantha (peace or tranquility).
Writing about the realism that we all experience on a daily basis, but amplified by presenting events in unexpected places to create the Navrasa elements, is the key to a great narrative.
Bought to you by -Babika Goel.
Om asato mā sad gamaya tamaso mā jyotir gamaya, mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya. Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.
Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.Om peace, peace, peace- Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.
