Growing up in Mumbai, this Tamil writer remembers watching Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan performing special shows in Singapore, and wondering why. “The connection goes farther than that. You realise that the national airline of Indonesia is called Garuda, right?” Aravinth Kumarasamy, artistic director of Apsaras Dance Company, points out, adding, “Singaporeans with Indian roots are a minority, but a key component of the society.” The performance of Amara: The Enchanted Citadel by the repertory on Sunday will offer more evidence to that.

The visuals of the Banteay Srei complex will be part of the multimedia showcase

Established in 1977, the repertory has been creating productions that connect their Indian traditional roots with the forms of the Far East. Kumarasamy trained in India — Carnatic music, as well as Bharatanatyam under Padma Shri-awardee Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai — before leaving for Singapore, where he was  later awarded the Cultural Medallion for his contribution to the arts.