In this delightful conversation with Dr. Nagaswamy, we discuss various issues that lie at the heart of the North-South divide, the relationship between the Dharmashastras and Thirukkural, the great Bharata Muni and his conception of Rasa in his Natyashastra, Dr. Nagaswamy’s own ordeal in the long court battle where he was the expert witness in retrieving the now-famous Chola Nataraja murti from the U.K. We also ask him about his views on the misconception floated around by colonialists(which has continued) that Adi Shankara created an atmosphere of intolerance leading Buddhism to leave India and spread further east. Finally, we touch upon Missionaries in Tamil Nadu who studied Hindu texts, translated them and were no doubt scholars but whose ultimate agenda was to appropriate the knowledge as their own Christian work.