Vyshnavie, 20 — well-known for her scintillating performances in India and abroad — has yet again proven herself to be one of the finest dancers of her generation. World renowned French film-maker, Bernard Bloch, has hand picked this student from St Francis College for a documentary that will be released abroad.

Bloch is known for ironic portrayal of subjects. In his latest film, titled Les vaches (Oh! Cows), he juxtaposes developed countries with developing nations. “He has used the cow as an example to explain the contrast. In developed countries, cows are seen as sources of milk and meat, where as in developing nations, particularly India, we consider them sacred. So, Bloch approached me to portray the cow as it is perceived in our country,” says Vyshnavie, who performs the Bharatnatyam, Odissi and Simhanandini.

The film targets a global audience and has been filmed in the US, France, India, South Africa and other countries. If one notices that the classical elements have been toned down, it is because Vyshnavie has consciously done it. “I mixed all Indian classical dance forms, but kept in mind that International audiences can’t comprehend the mudras, so I focused on articulation through facial emotions and mingled contemporary dance forms in the performance,” she says.

However, the universality of dance remains undisputed. “It was nice to have Bloch give me a few directions on my expressions. It showed that he understood the basics, at least enough to show me some moves,” says Vyshnavie. She is currently working on similar projects by other International film-makers. Responding to a question on her interest in entering Tollywood, she says, “I don’t want to do anything commercial. I want to evolve as a dancer.”