GOTIPUA KRIDA

In the Odia language, Gotipua means "single boy" (goti-pua). Gotipua, a dance form that originated in the Jagannath Puri temple centuries ago, is kept alive in the small village of Raghurajpur and surrounding areas. The film locations were carefully researched. The film hopes to fuel a revitalisation of the normal settings in which it was founded made of natural materials unlike the extremely hostile cement-concrete ones.

It is a group dance where the dancers praise Lord Jagannath
meaning "the master of the world" in Sanskrit, and Krishna by depicting a variety of tales from the lives of Radha and Krishna. Young boys transform themselves into graceful feminine dancers for this dance. Their femininity transforms into grace and poise, while their inner masculinity transforms into strength, acrobatics and yogic mudras.

They learn to tie it into a knot and decorate their faces with make-up, including kajal, bindi, and traditional paintings. They wear a tribal dress called kanchula and nibibandha (a blouse and a silk apron tied around the waist like a frill). Their palms and soles are anointed with a red liquid called Alta. Furthermore, they wear necklaces, bracelets, armbands, nose rings, ear ornaments, and other jewelry items, which are considered sacred.

Today in India, the Gotipua, which presages the classical dance of Odissi is at risk of disappearing due to the loss of its natural and traditional settings.