This paper investigates digital embodiment as a critical aesthetic and performative strategy through a comparative study of Shakespeare’s "Twelfth Night", Rabindranath Tagore’s "Chitrangada", and the Kathak interpretation of Jayadeva’s "Gita Govinda", with particular attention to “Dheera Sameere Yamuna Teere” and its opening sequence “Rati Sukha Sare.” Situated within the interdisciplinary frameworks of performance studies, intermediality, and digital humanities, the paper examines how digitally mediated performance transforms embodiment, identity, emotional expression, and audience perception within contemporary media culture. The study argues that digital embodiment functions not merely as technological enhancement but as an expanded mode of corporeal expression through which the performing body negotiates disguise, desire, gender fluidity, and emotional transformation. In "Twelfth Night", Viola’s disguised identity creates a performative space where gender and selfhood become fluid and theatrically mediated. In "Chitrangada", Tagore’s dance-drama reimagines transformation and feminine selfhood, revealing the tension between external appearance and inner identity. Similarly, Kathak interpretations articulate longing, desire, and emotional interiority through abhinaya, rhythmic movement, and expressive gesture. By incorporating digital scenography, projection aesthetics, multimedia performance, and virtual theatrical spaces, contemporary performance practices reconfigure these classical traditions into immersive intermedial experiences. Through this comparative analysis, the paper demonstrates how digital embodiment bridges tradition and technological modernity, enabling new forms of artistic expression while preserving the emotional and cultural depth of the original works. Ultimately, the study contends that digital embodiment creates a transformative artistic space in which disguise, identity, and emotional memory are continuously reconstructed within contemporary global performance culture.

Authors:
Kakali Adhikary, RONY, Sweden

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Kakali Adhikary is a freelance researcher and currently working as a Business Communication Management Consultant for EU Zone with RONY Group of Industries (Pvt) Ltd.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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