THE RASA DESIGN CHALLENGE: FROM EMOTION TO EXPERIENCE

The Rasa Design Challenge

Topic: Aesthetic Principles: Rasa, Bhava, Alankara and their Application to Visual and Narrative Design

Duration: 60–90 minutes
Class Type: Interactive Group Activity
Group Size: 3–4 students per group 

Activity Title: From Emotion to Experience

Students become Creative Directors hired to redesign an ordinary story so that the audience experiences a specific Rasa.

Their challenge is not to change the story—but to change how it feels.

 

Step 1 – The Rasa Lottery (10 minutes)

Each group randomly receives one Rasa.

Examples:

Shringara (Love)

Hasya (Humour)

Karuna (Compassion)

Raudra (Anger)

Veera (Heroism)

Bhayanaka (Fear)

Bibhatsa (Disgust)

Adbhuta (Wonder)

Shanta (Peace)

No two groups receive the same Rasa.

 

Step 2 – The Common Story (5 minutes)

Every group receives the exact same story.

Example:

"A student misses the last train home."

OR

"A child finds an old diary."

OR

"Someone receives an unexpected phone call."

The story remains unchanged.

Only the emotional experience changes.

 

Step 3 – Build the Emotional Blueprint (20 minutes)

Each group fills the following chart.

Element	Group Response
Assigned Rasa
Dominant Bhava
Supporting Bhavas
Target Audience Emotion
Visual Style
Colour Palette
Lighting
Camera Angles
Background Music
Dialogue Style
Costume
Setting

Students discover that every design decision contributes to emotional impact.

 

Step 4 – Add Alankara (15 minutes)

Groups now enrich the narrative using at least three Alankaras.

Possible examples:

Upama (Simile): "The rain fell like tears."

 Rupaka (Metaphor) "The station became a prison."

Anuprasa (Alliteration) "Silent streets swallowed sounds."

Atishayokti (Hyperbole) "He waited for a thousand years."

Personification: "The lonely bench welcomed him."

Students decide where these literary devices naturally fit within dialogue, narration or visuals.

 

Step 5 – Design the Scene (20 minutes)

Groups create ONE of the following:

Option A

Movie Poster

Include

·       Title

·       Tagline

·       Colour scheme

·       Character expressions

·       Background

·       Typography

 

Option B

Storyboard

Draw six simple frames.

Each frame shows

·       Camera angle

·       Character emotion

·       Colour

·       Mood

 

Option C

Instagram Carousel

Create six slides explaining

·       Story

·       Emotion

·       Visual language

·       Final audience feeling

 

Step 6 – Silent Gallery Walk

·       Every group displays its work.

·       Students silently walk around.

·       Each visitor writes directly on a feedback sheet.

They answer:

·       Which Rasa do you experience first?

·       Which visual element creates that emotion?

·       Which Alankara is most effective?

 

Final Twist - After everyone has guessed the Rasas,

Each group reveals

·       their assigned Rasa

·       chosen Bhava

·       Alankaras used

If classmates correctly identify the intended emotion, the design succeeds.

 

Reflection Discussion

Students answer:

·       Which design element influenced your emotions the most?

·       Could the same story produce different emotions?

·       Which Rasa was easiest to create visually?

·       Which was hardest?

·       How do films manipulate Rasa using colour and music?

·       How do advertisements use Bhava without telling long stories?

 

FOR STUDENTS REFERENCE

 

1. The Nine Rasas (Navarasa)

Rasa (Aesthetic Emotion)	Meaning	Example
Shringara	Love, Beauty, Romance	A romantic reunion or celebration of beauty
Hasya	Humour, Joy	A funny misunderstanding or comic scene
Karuna	Compassion, Sadness	Loss, sacrifice, or emotional farewell
Raudra	Anger, Fury	A protest, confrontation, or injustice
Veera	Courage, Heroism	Saving someone or standing up for truth
Bhayanaka	Fear, Terror	A suspenseful or horror scene
Bibhatsa	Disgust	Pollution, corruption, or unethical behaviour
Adbhuta	Wonder, Amazement	A magical discovery or scientific breakthrough
Shanta	Peace, Tranquillity	Meditation, nature, or harmony

 

2. Common Bhavas (Emotions Expressed by Characters)

These are the emotions shown by the characters that help create the Rasa.

Bhava	Meaning
Rati	Love, Affection
Hasa	Laughter
Shoka	Sorrow
Krodha	Anger
Utsaha	Enthusiasm, Courage
Bhaya	Fear
Jugupsa	Disgust
Vismaya	Surprise, Wonder
Shama	Calmness, Serenity

 

3. Common Alankaras (Figures of Speech)

Alankara	Meaning	Example
Upama (Simile)	Comparison using "like" or "as"	"Her smile was like the sun."
Rupaka (Metaphor)	Direct comparison	"Time is a thief."
Anuprasa (Alliteration)	Repetition of the same sound	"Wild winds whispered."
Yamaka	Repetition of the same word with different meanings	Wordplay using repeated words
Atishayokti (Hyperbole)	Deliberate exaggeration	"I've told you a thousand times."
Utpreksha	Imaginative comparison or possibility	"The clouds seemed eager to embrace the hills."
Personification	Giving human qualities to non-human things	"The wind danced through the trees."
Shlesha (Pun)	A word with two or more meanings	A humorous or clever double meaning

 

 

FOR EDUCATORS

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the activity, students will be able to:

·       Differentiate between Rasa, Bhava, and Alankara

·       Understand how emotions are intentionally created in visual and narrative media

·       Apply Indian aesthetic principles to contemporary storytelling

·       Critically evaluate design choices in films, advertisements, social media content, comics and posters

 

Why This Activity Works for Media Students

Instead of memorizing definitions, students experience how Indian aesthetic theory functions as a design framework. They discover that changing colour, composition, typography, lighting, dialogue, pacing, and symbolism can transform the same narrative into entirely different emotional experiences. This mirrors the work of filmmakers, advertisers, graphic designers, animators, and digital storytellers, demonstrating how the classical concepts of Rasa, Bhava, and Alankara remain highly relevant in contemporary visual communication and narrative design.