Renowned 17th-century German scientist Johannes Kepler's groundbreaking science fiction novel, 'Somnium,' is poised to undergo a unique transformation into Kerala's classical dance form Mohiniyattam. The adaptation, titled 'Nilakkanavu' (Moonlit Chronicle), is set to debut at the national dance-music festival Samanwayam 2023 in Palakkad on December 25. 

Conceived as a tribute to the dedicated scientists behind India's Chandrayaan Mission, 'Nilakkanavu' will be presented at the festival by national award-winning filmmaker Vinod Mankara. The artistic vision will come to life through the expertise of acclaimed danseuse Gayathri Madhusudan. While music for the adaptation is crafted by national award-winning composer Ramesh Narayan.

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Vinod Mankara, Gayathri Madhusudan, Ramesh Narayan | Photos: Arun Krishnankutty, Santhosh KK

This innovative project seamlessly merges art, science fiction, and Indian cultural heritage, marking a historic occasion as the first adaptation of a science fiction novel into classical dance. 

Somnium is a Latin word which means the dream. Published posthumously by Kepler's son Ludwig in 1634, the novel Somnium tells the story of an Icelandic boy and his witch mother discovering the Moon, named Levania, through a daemon. Somnium intricately describes Earth's appearance from the lunar perspective, marking it as the pioneering scientific treatise on lunar astronomy. Esteemed figures such as Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov have hailed it as one of the earliest contributions to the science fiction genre.