KANNUR: The outbreak of Covid around two years ago, had dealt a body blow to the art fraternity as many institutions were shut down and artists who eked out a living through stage performances got confined to their houses cursing the pandemic. When crisis hits, people find ways to overcome it and it happens in the field of art too. When everything went online, art couldn’t stay behind.
The start-up initiative Natya, of Kerala Start-up Mission, was one such attempt to teach art lessons to the aspirants online. Natya, launched by Kalamandalam Sivaprasad (35) of Kanhangad, has already become a hit among art lovers and now it is available in both android and iOS versions. Around 4,000 students from India and abroad have been learning lessons in Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchippudi, Carnatic Music, Chenda and Nattuvangam as Sivaprasad, along with his wife Kalakshetra Anjali, who is a dancer, runs the initiative successfully.
There are live classes and recorded versions for aspirants. Natya ensures the best training for students. Sivaprasad, who has been active in the field of art for the past 19 years, has been running an institution since 2015. “I am happy that Natya provides an opportunity for housewives and working women, along with other students, to learn art online”, said Sivaprasad.
Natya offers certificate courses in arts. As of now, classes are available in Malayalam, English and Hindi. “We have received a grant from Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in recognition of the work done so far which gives us great satisfaction”, said Sivaprasad.
On the occasion of World Theatre Day on March 27, Natya plans to enter into the field of theatre to woo more enthusiasts to its fold. “We have already completed homework regarding the start of classes for people interested in theatre arts. Once we come up with a syllabus, seminars, classes and find experts to conduct sessions, we would make our presence felt in this area too”, said Sivaprasad.
Another start-up initiative which has grabbed the attention of art lovers is ‘Limelight,’ which is a high-quality mobile-based online video streaming OTT platform. ‘Limelight’ offers movies, music, web series and is available on websites, and Android TV. ‘Limelight,’ registered under KSUM, offers films and talk shows in 10 languages now.