From Aristotle to OTT: A Drone View of Rasa, Gender, Comparative Study and Interdisciplinary Approaches

Delivered an online expert talk on "Rasa Theory, Gender Perspectives, Comparative Literature & Interdisciplinary Approaches" in the Ph.D. Course Work at Children's Research University, Gandhinagar today. It was a mutually pleasant, interactive, and academically rejuvenating experience. I endeavoured to exhibit how literature, when studied through multiple perspectives, becomes a powerful medium for understanding human emotions, social realities, and cultural diversity.

I commenced my talk with the discussion of Rasa Theory, as articulated in Bharata Muni’s Natyashastra. Rasa, meaning “essence” explains how literature for that matter any art form evokes deep emotional responses in readers and audiences. By discussing the nine Rasas—such as Shringar (love), Karuna (pathos), Veer (heroism), and Shant (peace)—along with classical and modern examples, scholars were propelled to see how ancient Indian poetics remains relevant in contemporary literary analysis. Juxtaposing Aristotle’s concept of catharsis with Rasa Theory highlighted the universality of aesthetic experience across borders. From Valmiki Ramayana and Shivtandav Stotra to Rashmirathi, Bahubali, Ashwini Bhatt, Sunderkand, Mirzapur…. An eclectic range of examples made the session gripping and convincing.

The session then moved to a panoramic view of Gender Perspectives and Feminist Literary Criticism, tracing its journey from the first wave to contemporary intersectional feminism. Beginning with Elaine Showalter’s phases of women’s writing and Simone de Beauvoir’s seminal ideas, the discussion examined how literature reflects and challenges patriarchal structures. Special emphasis was placed on the role of language in shaping gender identities and power relations. Texts ranging from A Doll’s House and The Second Sex to works by Mahasweta Devi, Toni Morrison, Ismat Chughtai, and even those of acclaimed Gujarati writers Ram Mori and Mahendrasinh Parmar illustrated how feminist concerns have evolved from silent endurance to assertive self-expression. Using AI generated infographics was a cherry on the cake.

Another major segment focused on Comparative Literary Studies, a discipline that studies literature across languages, nations, and cultures. Tracing its development from nineteenth-century Europe to modern world literature, the lecture highlighted the contributions of scholars like René Wellek, Henry Remak, and Rabindranath Tagore. Comparative literature is not just a method of comparison, but a way of understanding global creativity and interconnected traditions. Parallels between the Ramayana and the Iliad, Shakespeare and Indian cinema, Bhakti traditions, and folk literatures illustrated how literary ideas travel, transform, and resonate universally.

The theme of “Themes Across Cultures” further strengthened this global perspective. Universal human concerns—love, suffering, identity, power, nature, and social justice—were shown to transcend geographical and historical boundaries. From classical epics to modern novels and films, literature continues to reflect shared human experiences while responding to changing social contexts.

A significant part of the lecture was devoted to Interdisciplinary Approaches, emphasizing that literature cannot be studied in isolation. By integrating insights from history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, linguistics, technology, and media studies, scholars can achieve a more holistic interpretation of texts. Concepts such as Taine’s “Race, Milieu, and Moment,” forensic linguistics, partition literature, and pandemic narratives demonstrated how historical and social forces shape literary production.

The session also reflected on the advantages and challenges of interdisciplinary research. While it promotes originality, global relevance, and critical depth, it also demands rigorous training and intellectual discipline to avoid superficiality. Scholars were encouraged to cultivate multiple skills and adopt responsible research practices.

In the concluding segment, I shared my own academic journey and future research plans, emphasizing the importance of sustained reading, comparative thinking, and ethical scholarship. The interactive question-and-answer session further enriched the dialogue, fuelling the curiosity of the participants.

Overall, the session inspired young researchers to view literature as an inclusive, and socially responsive field. In an age of globalization, digital media, and artificial intelligence, such holistic approaches are essential for keeping literary studies vibrant and relevant. 

I must thank my teacher Bhairavi Dixit Ma’am for trusting my potential and giving me this opportunity. A huge THANK YOU is due to my dear students Devarshi Mehta and Neel Patel for their technical assistance

C. D. Narsimhaiah as a Critic of Indian English Literature - A Glimpse of the Ph.D. DPC Meeting

 On the last day of the commencing month of the year. I once again got an opportunity to participate in the fourth DPC (Doctoral Progress Committee) meeting of a Ph.D. candidate Devani Dipali under the supervision of Dr. Yatharth Vaidya sir at the GTU. The meeting was held today via Google Meet where I was accompanied by my friend Dr. Nishant Pandya as another DPC member. The candidate shared about the progress of her research so far and the remarkable role of C. D. Narsimhaiah as a seminal Indian literary critic.

It is evident that the IWE (Indian Writing in English) has its own complex origin and sensibility while growing under the British paramountcy. As per that cliché and jaundiced British perspective according to which India was a nation of snake-charmers and magicians, the English literature produced in India cannot gain due recognition. Indian use of English, as per John Wain and others, lacked the finesse and delicacy and could be considered just a lingua franca. In such a smothering scenario, critics like Narsimhaiah endeavoured to defend the IWE and reclaim its voice.

He underlined the need to focus on the unique Indianness in the works under the canon of IWE. The lens of western literary criticism cannot do justice to study the texts that are deeply rooted in the Indian culture and aesthetics. She mentioned that Narsimihaiah embodies a larger story of Indian academia’s negotiation with global modernity and postcolonial identity.

The researcher came up with some interesting references from the works of I. A. Richards, F. R. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, Matthew Arnold etc. References in her research ranged from Bankim Chandra to Banu Mushtaq and from M.K. Naik to Meenakshi Mukherjee, making it even more significant in the age of NEP 2020 and IKS. Nishant and I made few suggestions to further enrich the ongoing research project. It was a pleasure interacting with my teacher Yatharth Vaidya sir and my friend Nishant.

 

The Year that Was - A Retro Look at 2025

Renowned Gujarati writer Chandrakant Bakshi once wrote that God must be a Marxist in a sense that he has allocated time equally to everyone – 24 hours a day. Be it a political leader or a cricketer or a common man, everyone has the same unit of time. It is how he or she manages it that matters. This Jay Mehta has many Jays within him – Jay as a teacher and a researcher, as a father, as a husband, as an employee, as a son and so on. Maintaining a fine balance while shouldering all these responsibilities has been a tight ropewalk for me in 2025.

Since last some years, it has been a customary practice to have a retrospective look at the recently faded year in the month of January. Be it aesthetic activity or academic updates or personal life events, I post it on FB and I love to scroll through the timeline to enjoy a flashback. This year is no different. However, allow me to pat my back at the onset for the fact that I have been able to complete ample creative and academic assignments in 2025. In that sense, it has been an eventful year for me. I hope to soar higher in 2026. On that note, let us embark on a journey down the digital memory lane.

January commenced with playing the role of a DPC member for a Ph.D. student Devani Dipali at the GTU under the supervision of Yatharth Vaidya sir. She has been working on a rather challenging area of C. D. Narsimahiah's role in Indian literary criticism. I attended an International Conference on "ROLE OF LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND CULTURE IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD" organized by Symbiosis College, Pune. Further, I also successfully completed a One Week Online FDP on "NAVIGATING THE PROCESS OF WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER" organized by Gokul Global University. No wonder this was an academically lucrative year for me because as they say, well begun is half done.

In February, I successfully delivered an expert talk on "Ethical Clearance Documents: Step by Step Guide" to the students of Ph.D. coursework at Children's Research University, Gandhinagar. I also attended a National Conference on "Indian Knowledge Systems" organized by the H.M. Patel Institute, VallabhVidyanagar.

March offered me an opportunity to play on the home pitch by delivering an interactive session on LEARNING LANGUAGE THROUGH LITERATURE with the students of Government Engineering College, Surat. However, the highlight of the month is yet to come. It was when I chaired a session of paper presentations at a One Day International Conference on "Connecting Cultures: Children's Literature as a Global Gateway" at Children's Research University Gandhinagar. I could witness some highly interesting paper presentations on fascinating and novel areas such as AI and storytelling, NPTEL's Jadui Pitara tool, branching narratives and children's literature and so on.

If research comes, can creative writing be far behind? With the publication of my article in Divya Bhaskar Kalash Supplement, I saw my name in print again. It pertained to William Shakespeare on World Theatre Day. I also got a chance of charity by donating 150 + books from my collection to the readers’ club called PUSTAK PARAB in Surat.

In April, I could see DR. JAY MEHTA in print again in the form of my interview in the Gujarat Mitra daily. Plus, I completed a SWAYAM NPTEL MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on ‘Introduction to World Literature’ from IIT, Madras with 80% score.

May was the month of break for me in these activities.

In June, once again, I performed the role of an expert for the third DPC of Ph.D. scholar Devani Dipali. Well, can there be any greater event in a month that carries my birthday? So, nothing much to mention in July.

August began with a noble act of blood donation at my workplace. It is like giving my life blood to my work (pun intended!) … and then comes one more article – this time it is about ‘ANIMAL FARM’ by George Orwell published in the Divya Bhaskar. With a prior apology for self-complacency, I would say that this is one of my most favourite articles so far. August also brought our first trekking expedition with family in which I explored the amazing scenic beauty of Dang with wife and son Maurya who also walked on the road less travelled by for almost 01 km.

In the same month, I performed the role of a DPC member for one more doctoral candidate Manasi Joshi under the guidance of Dr. Yatharth Vaidya sir at the GTU. It was my pleasure and pride to share screen with a stalwart like Prof. Atanu Bhattacharya sir who was one of the mentors during our M.Phil. days, salad days at Vallabh Vidyanagar.

Let’s skip September for a change. Shall we?

October – November were the months of my most awaited spiritual journey (both literally and figuratively!) to Kainchi Dham and Nainital in Uttarakhand.

December? Well, let’s be easy with the year at the end.

I am ecstatic and slightly proud of myself that I could do all these amid the plethora of academic responsibilities as a lecturer and as a Class II officer viz, Observer/Board Representative in various competitive examinations by GTU, GPSC, UPSC, GSSB, Presiding Officer duty in the election etc.

Admittedly, this write up has many first person pronoun I, it would not have been possible without the unwavering support and encouragement from people like Darshita Dave, Dilip Barad sir, Bhairavi Dixit maam, Yatharth Vaidya sir, Bindu Goyal ma’am, Nirmal Chaudhari ma’am, Lalit Khambhayta, Mitra Rathod, Bhavesh Rana sir, Chintan Madhu sir, Vaishali Biradar ma’am.

Although there are still miles to go before I sleep, it is soothing to look back in appreciation and celebrate my unwavering, unflinching, untiring, indomitable spirit to excel in the world of words in various forms.

Bless me that I can do bigger and better in 2026.

Bless the aforesaid names that they fuel my engine.

Blessed be the name of God!