A still from the film
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Bharatanatyam artiste Savitha Sastry and director AK Srikanth’s film, A Song for ERESHA, is set for a theatrical and OTT release across USA, and Canada (August and later in India). Seamlessly blending classical Indian dance with storytelling, the production, Savitha says is a cinematic tribute to the expressive power of Indian classical arts.

The film follows the complex emotional journey of Eresha, a revered head of a prestigious art institute, whose unexpected romantic entanglement leads to a dramatic unraveling of the institution she built and her own inner world. Featuring Savitha Sastry in the titular role, the film includes a predominantly female cast with 100 classical dancers from across India. The film also marks the debut of Bengali actor Mayurakshi Sen along with Mekha Rajan and Arshya Lakshman in key roles.

The film traces the life of a dance institution’s head
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The film is also written by Srikanth, who has received accolades for his earlier works — Slow Rivers (Florence Film Awards 2023) and Colors: White (New York International Film Awards 2021). “The film is an exploration of what it means to be human. It captures the full spectrum of emotion: the joy of triumph, sting of regret, and the delicate balance between light and darkness, logic and emotion. I envisioned it as visual poetry, brought to life by an impressive cast and crew,” shares the director.

Savitha portrays three different phases of the protagonist’s journey. “Each demands a different perspective. The dance sequences serve as expressions of her internal struggles and triumphs, providing a physical and emotional framework for the story,” explains Savitha.

Savitha plays the titular role in the film
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The soundtracks are composed by Abhay Nayampally, a Grammy-nominated Carnatic guitarist and a protégé of the legendary Mandolin U Srinivas. Building on Abhay’s collaborative work with global artistes such as Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra, the film’s score includes influences of several genres — Carnatic classical, Western classical and Middle Eastern music. “Movies with such nuance come by rarely and so to treat it musically becomes an emotionally engaging experience. Good writing and execution make the process of musical scoring more satisfying,” says Abhay.

A Song for ERESHA is not just about pushing the boundaries of Bharatanatyam but also marks a step towards reimagining traditional Indian art forms for a global audience. “The film is also my homage to the legend who has defined my love for cinema and literature – Satyajit Ray. From a young age I found his cinematic storytelling to be my inspiration,” adds Srikanth, most of whose films are based on classical Indian arts. The film, which recently had an intimate screening at Art Centrix Space, New Delhi, is preparing for its international release.