By José Sarmiento Hinojosa

The sinuous forms in the floor, carefully drawn by the women in Bela, create a wonderful pattern of contours. This movement, carefully paced and produced as a celebration, serves as a preparation for the Chhau, a local traditional mask folk dance in the town. In the first moments of Bela, we see the men of the town, preparing for the dance, their movement sinuous also create contours in the air, a strange electricity captured by Indian director Prantik Narayan Basu.