Sare Saath: a Kathak Tale of Courage

‘Sare Saath: a Kathak tale of Courage’ is a dance film inspired by a chapter of the epic Ramayana dated between 500 - 200 BCE.

This short film tells the story of a King who captures his rival’s wife and is confronted by an unexpected visitor which ultimately leads to the start of a brutal war.

  • Melissa Das-Arp
    Director
  • Ritesh Das
    Producer
  • Labonee Mohanta
    Key Cast
    "Hanuman"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Dance, silent film, india, music
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 3, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    25,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.90∶1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Melissa Das-Arp

Growing up in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Melissa watched her father create storyboards and was his young assistant director on film sets. It wasn’t until she joined tabla classes in Toronto in 2011 that she would finally start the path of creating her own music videos and documentaries.
Melissa created and directed ‘Faceoff’ for the Toronto Tabla Ensemble which was featured in film festivals around the world and won Best Music Video at the Toronto Independent Film Festival and Delhi International Shorts Film Festival.
Pushing the bounderies of what people think a specific artform is, and transforming their belief system is what she hopes to achieve. While still a dedicated tabla student, she says this helps her understand the depth of the instrument and inspires her to keep showcasing its beauty to the rest of the world.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I wasn't familiar with the stories of the Ramayana until I got involved with the Toronto Tabla Ensemble. Through learning more about this epic and watching it portrayed through kathak dance I wanted to create a short film that looked very fresh and modern.
By not using traditional costumes or props this short film highlights the hand gestures, face and body movements to tell the story.
As I was editing the film it reminded me of the silent films from the past and wanted to blend this in to give it a timeless feeling.