The Dramatic Element in Kumārasambhavam – A Dialogue with Arjun Bharadwaj

Arjun Bharadwaj is an author and researcher with a deep interest in classical literature, arts, and philosophy. An engineer by training, he is well-versed in Sanskrit (MA), Kannada, English, German (ZMP), and Greek. Arjun works as a contributing editor of Prekshaa and is currently studying the comparative aesthetics of classical Greek and Indian arts and literature.

He has (co-)written, (co-)translated, and (co-)edited many books and authored over fifty research articles related to literature, arts, philosophy, and science. He enjoys composing poems and playing the Carnatic flute. He is also a visiting faculty member at many universities and educational institutions, including the Chanakya University, Karnataka Sanskrit University, and MGM University (Maharashtra).

He collaborates with various academic bodies, including the Max Planck Institute (Berlin) and the IGNCA. Arjun has taught courses and conducted workshops on the Nāṭyaśāstra, Arthaśāstra, Kalātattva, Purāṇas, Sanskrit literature, and Temple Art, Architecture, and Iconography. He also composes lyrics for dance, music, and theatrical productions.

Some of his books include The Essential Ramayana, Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer's Epics, Nayana-Savana (co-authored with R Ganesh), the Saṅgīta-darpaṇa of Gaurīśvara (critically edited and translated), The Essential Mahabharata and The Essential Kathasaritasagara (co-translated, original by A R Krishnasastri) and Prekṣaṇīyam (original work of R Ganesh), and The Dramatic Element in Kalidasa's Kumarasambhavam. He has also translated S L Bhyrappa's novels Yaana into English and Niraakarana into English and German.

Arjun Bharadwaj holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka (NITK – Surathkal), and a Master's degree in Robotics, Systems, and Control from ETH Zurich. He studied the Classical Greek Language at the University of Zurich.

Phd research scholar at Jadavpur University, Sylff fellowship recipent, Former Research fellow at Smith College, south Asian studies.