What Are The 9 Ras Of Acting With Examples?

Welcome to the world where acting is queen and feelings dominate on the stage, leaving heartfelt impressions. Did you ever ponder how actors can become different characters with apparent effortlessness? The secret lies in the 9 ras of acting.

The 9 ras (also called navarasas) are a concept in classical Indian aesthetics that classifies the emotional flavors or moods expressed in various art forms, including acting. Each 9 ras represents a specific emotional state or feeling. Although there are different interpretations and variations among the nine rasas.

Coming from ancient times, these 9 ras of acting are the result of the Indian art of expressing and were used as an instrument for understanding and portraying emotions onstage.

Also Read: Learnings from Indian Art and Culture

Overview of the History and Origins of the 9 Ras of Acting

To understand the real meaning of 9 ras of acting, we really need to understand the historical background and the origin of Rasas. The concept of Ras, which is based on the aesthetics of ancient India, can be traced to the Natya Shastra, a Sanskrit text that gives a full description of the performing art. Bharata Muni is said to be the author of the book, and it explains the different facets of theater, dance, and music.

The Natya Shastra accommodated the 9 ras, which are genuinely considered the heart of emotional expression. They are a sine qua non of effective communication, which allows the actors to bond with the audience.

Every Rasa, in particular, is tied to a certain emotion. It makes use of different sorts of poses as well as particular timbres of voice, and colors may happen.

Through inner knowledge of and external manifestation of these Rasas, actors will become capable of displaying powerful and genuine performances that will foster deep connections with audience members.

 Rasa covers quite a plethora of emotions, such as joy and happiness and rage and fear. Ultimately, through emotions, the actors discover different techniques to portray these complex human emotions.

The 9 Ras of Acting

Here is a commonly accepted list with brief descriptions and examples:

1. Shringara (Love):

This breed represents the feelings of love, romance, and beauty. Examples of this are the expression of love between two characters in a play or the depiction of the feelings of a person in love.

The dominant themes are love, beauty, and material desire, which reign here. Slow, calculated movements of hands, gentle, graceful bodily gestures, and soft, melodious singing are some of its hallmarks.

Typically, such songs have a melodic tune or a heart-touching story. Shringar Ras exhibits emotions such as love, adoration, and wonder in the artist; it is obvious that their role transcends being human; they become the inspiration, desire, and awe of everything that is good.

2. Hasya (laughs):

Hasya represents the emotions of comedy, humor, and laughter. It consists of provoking laughter through witty dialogue, funny situations, or humorous performances.

Hasya Ras is an element mainly used for those specific situations when the protagonist desires to set the mood for amusement. It is through this method that others will want to be happy as well, smiling, talking exaggeratedly, and cheering people up with their positive tone.

The Ras of comedy may seem very lively and funny to the viewers of the show, and this could be a trademark of a great Hasya Ras performer.

3. Karuna (Sadness):

Karuna represents the feelings of sadness, compassion, and empathy. It is about depicting pain, sadness, or compassion for a character or situation.

The Karuna Ras, this so-called love potion, enables one to experience the emotions of suffering, compassion, and love. It is non-verbal; those looks of sadness and the voice are soft and reassuring.

Hence, a good actor who is capable of embodying the Karuna Rasa can make the ruins of the world of tragedy not only on our rational minds but also on our emotional state by inducing the emotions of sadness and pity.

 4. Raudra (Anger):

Raudra represents the emotion of anger, wrath, or fury. It is about expressing intense anger through dialogue, body language, or facial expressions.

Ras Raudra is a form of anger and fury. It is a type of dance that employs explosive, rough motions, compressed fists, and an eerie screaming noise that signifies respect-challenged, aggressive competition.

 The artists who specialize in Raudra Ras will be able to resonate with the presence of tension and anger to such an extent that the audience will admire their convincing transformation.

 5. Veera (Heroic):

Veera represents the feelings of bravery, heroism, and bravery. It's about showing courage, strength, and a heroic attitude.

Veer Ras, as a main character, represents courage, strength, and fearlessness among the many human virtues.

The appropriate and suitable motion, firm and resilient stance, and robust and powerful voice serve as examples. The audience knows for sure they feel inspired to respect and be brave when the actors can tell their rasa in Veer Ras.

 6. Bhayanaka (Fear):

Bhayanaka represents the feeling of fear, terror, or fear. The aim is to create a feeling of fear or tension by depicting a character's fear or causing fear in the viewer.

By presenting therein the image of the fearful, the dead, and the horrifying Bhayanak Rasa, it implants into the minds of the audiences the feelings of dread, death, and astonishment. It seems to pave the way by means of quivering gestures, a look of the eyes, and a specific sound of the throat.

Through their clever portrayals of Bhayanak Ras, actors are able to excite the spectators through their repertory effects, generating the spine-tingling and suspenseful atmosphere that makes horror shows a special delight.

 7. Bibhatsa (disgust):

Bibhatsa represents the feeling of disgust, repulsion, or aversion. It is about depicting uncomfortable or repulsive emotions, situations, or characters.

The very element of emitting repulsive disposition and hatred is in the nature of Rās Bibhatsa. Unnatural facial expressions distort the sound, the body does not appear to be beautiful but rather the opposite, and the singers make the song more alluring by using a voice of extreme disdain.

The actors’ performance on the satirical edge in showing one of the rasas indeed yields disgust and depression to the audience members.

 8. Adbhuta (Amazement):

Adbhuta represents the emotion of wonder, amazement, or wonder. It is about the presentation of impressive or unusual events, objects, or people.

Adbhutha Rasa stands for being amazing, strange, and astonishing. Its manifestations are glowing eyes, open body gestures, and an amazed tone of voice.

One of the functions of Adbhuta Ras is to create an atmosphere of wondrous awe around the actors, leaving the spectators desirous of more and thirsty for curiosity.

 9. Shanta (Peace):

Shanta represents the feeling of peace, calm, and serenity. It is about expressing a calm and serene mood or creating a peaceful atmosphere.

This category is expressed through soft, calming movements and a quiet body position, as well as by one’s quiet, peaceful speech.

The actors, who not only understand but can skillfully transfer Shanta Ras, can make the whole atmosphere tranquil and calm to the point where the audience can just sit back and relax as the serenity infiltrates their soul.

These rasas can be individually combined or experimented with to create a range of emotional experiences in plays or other art forms. It should be noted that it is not related to acting only but can be seen in various art forms such as dance, music, literature, and painting.

 Examples of Nine Emotions in Acting

Now that we've explored how these 9 ras of acting, let's dive into some examples of how Rasas can be effectively portrayed in acting.

 Example of Shringar Ras

By showing gentle, affectionate movements, eye contact, and speaking in a soft and melodious voice, the makers of a romantic scene can make Shringar Ras feel between two characters.

The chemistry between the actors, which is the substance of their roles, as well as their ability to portray beauty and love through the use of their physicality and voice tunes, will take the audience back to the world of passion and bewitchment.

Bollywood Example: As in “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) and Simran (Kajol), by slow, tender movements and quiet glances, embody Shringar Ras while dancing in mustard fields.

 Example of Hasya Ras

Actors employ over-the-top facial expressions, wild body movements, and an energetic animated voice to make the situation comic. With their superb comedic perceptiveness and delivery of well-timed punch lines, they can evoke laughter and a light environment.  

Hollywood Example: "The Hangover" is a film that exemplifies a funny scene where the characters wake up in a hotel room in Las Vegas after a wild night and discover a tiger in the hotel room. The over-the-top reactions of the actors, combined with their great timing, evokes laughter from the audience.

 Example of Karun Ras

The actors may integrate Karuna Rasa into the heartbreaking scene when the character faces grief or tragedy by using gentle movements, teary eyes, and a soft, empathic voice only.

The actor’s mission, to express their own emotions and represent compassion and sorrow in an honest and genuine fashion, will resonate with the audience to a huge degree, using empathy and sadness.

Bollywood Example: From "Bajrangi Bhaijaan," the scene where Munni was left alone at the train station without her mother is an example of Karuna Rasa when the director shows sorrowful moments by showing subdued gestures and tearful eyes of all actors.

 Examples of the Raudra Ras

During an intense showdown between the protagonists, actors, by performing strong, tough acting moves, clenching the fists, and screaming the voice with rage, can draw the Raudra ras from the audience.

They will be able to unleash the pent-up fury and anger that is inside them and to do that from a level of control, which will create a strong conflict and tension, leaving the audience glued to their seats in rapt attention.

Hollywood Example: In "Gladiator," a spectacular climax corresponds to vivid heavy- breathing and aggressive sword fighting between Maximus (Russell Crowe) and Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), and you can feel Raudra Ras in their boxing, stabbing, and vehement talking.

Example of Veer Ras

In the portrayal of a heroic battle scene, actors may do so by embodying Veer Ras by using strong, confident gestures, an erect stance, and a clear, commanding voice that resounds. The ability of these characters to epitomize bravery and valor will instill awe and valor among the spectators. It will make the audience acknowledge the characters and have courage as they witness their heroic victory.

Bollywood Example: "Bahubali: The Beginning" encompasses Veer Ras, while the magnificent battle scenes where he (Prabhas) faces the hordes of enemy armies, exhibiting verily supremacy, cold bravery, and mena heroism, are in the focus.

Example of Bhayanak Ras

 Actors play a part in creating a dreadfully scary horror film through their shaky hands, wide eyes and gruesome screams. As an audience, we experience the powerful emotions and energy of the voice of callers standing in front of us, embedded in our chairs, tremendously concerned about the result reached by all.

Hollywood Example: It was Nicholson who proved to be the master of the vocal and physical sides of the Bhayanak Rasa, thus successfully throwing the viewers into an ugly and dastardly world. In this regard, the audience is given the opportunity to be in the world of tension and fear by his performance. The performance of this actor not only is an example but also shows how high the level of acting can portray the specific Rasa.

 Example of the Bibhatsa Ras

In a scene where a repulsive or revolting act is shown, actors can operate Bibhatsa Rasa with their deformed facial expressions, repellent body language, and voice full of revulsion. Their realistic approach to the portrayal of disgust and repulsion is crafted in a way that will elicit an emotional response from the audience, making them feel uncomfortable and sick.

Bollywood Example: In the movie Peepli Live, there is a scene where the villagers discover a dead body in the field, and their faces showing disgust become a mixed expression with their expressions of revolt.

 Example of Adbhut Ras

A great example of Adbhut Ras is when a character experiences something that might be considered extraordinary or surprising. Actors can achieve this by enlarging their eyes, taking the open body language position, and using a voice filled with awe.

With their capacity to create emotions of amazement and awe, the audience will be totally in a state of amazement and surprise when they leave the theater.

An example from Hollywood: "Avatar" movie bring a dose (Adbhuta Rasa) of feeling of surprise and awe to scenes where Jake Sully first meets the Na'Vi crew in Pandora's bioluminescent forest, revealed through their wide open eyes and awesome display of visual beauty.

Example of Shanta Rasa

This kind of setting is inspiring as well as right for those who're seeking tranquilly and calmness. They achieve this through the gracefulness of their movements, the carefulness of their balance, the uprightness of their posture, and the calmness of their voice. The actors are able to do this because they make the audience connect themselves with an environment that is calming.

Bollywood Example: The movie "Swades" from Bollywood films has a scene, where Raj and Gayatri pick out a riverbank to watch sunset together, and the peaceful meaning of their romance is embodied in the scene. Through their motionlessness, that indicates their emotions and surroundings are as if a perfect body of Shanta.

Final Thoughts

The 9 ras of acting are the most important component for the actors to show their true emotions while acting. The range of rasas makes it possible for a performer to embody all manner of emotions, from joy, to anger, to fear, etc., which in turn grants the performer the ability to project a character and sway the crowds with beautiful, complicated portrayals.

Rather than just reviewing the lines, the actors may very well transfer the audience to real actions, gestures, voice inflections, and characters of every Rasa. Both young and old are spared the effects of loneliness through the common attribute of loving pets.

If you are a passionate actor, extremely concerned with your skills, or simply want to be well-informed about the art form, then the nine Rassas can definitely lead you towards an understanding of how to rightfully express yourself emotionally on-stage. On the other hand, artists may lift their performances to a higher level, touching not only themselves but the audience as well, using 9 ras of acting.