The present work is organized into five chapters, being introductory, attempts to provide the basis of this book. The second and third lay foundation and provide background for this comparison. The first chapter is a comparative study of the repertoires of the Melattur and the Kuchipudi dancer traditions which provides they hypothesis with which the comparison of Prahlada Charitra Natakams in the third and the fourth chapters is taken up. The first chapter is also a comparative introduction to the tradition of Kuchipudi and Melattur dance forms. Kuchipudi is performance oriented, while Melattur is spiritual and ritualistic oriented. Review of previous literature on the subject is also provided in this chapter to emphasize on the relevance of research undertaken.

The second chapter provides cultural, historical and literary backgound against which a comparison in the third and the fourth chapters is carried out. In all these chapters a consistent stream of comparative analysis has been consciously maintained. The comparison between Prahlada Charitra Natakams has been included in the third and the fourth chapters, which are macro and micro level comparisons of Kuchipudi and Melattur Prahlada Charitra Natakams, respectively.

On account of the state and nature of dance research, heavy reliance on interviews with the tradition bearers of different dance forms and senior scholars in the field becomes inevitable. The third and the fourth chapters deal with performance study of Kuchipudi and Melattur Prahlada Charitra Natakams. These chapters are supported by fieldwork observations and analysis rather than by references to existing literature, which finds place in the first and second chapters.