Vijay Tendulkar’s seminal play ‘Kanyadaan’ is a ruthless criticism of this caste-ridden Indian society.But what is interesting is that Tendulkar highlights here caste system,rather he pinpoints how all attempts of social amelioration prove fruitless in our progressive post independent society.This article shows the predicament of Nath Devalikar,the protagonist of this drama when he confronts hazards in real life in his effort to abolish caste system.Side by side with this ‘dalit’ and ‘elite’ issue, this play also shows foolishness of a theorist who keeps his daughter’s life at stake to prove the supremacy of his theory.The play also obliquely hints at the pathetic condition of women in a patriarchal society.
Vijay Tendulkar belongs to those avant- guarde group of dramatists who can represent reality as it is. His plays become sharp criticism of Indian society and the condition of women in such patriarchal society. They also deal with the complexity of human relationships. Each of his plays contains a subtle critique of modern Indian society ,and a distinct character and message. ‘Kanyadaan’ explores the texture of modernity and social change in India through marriage between two people of different castes and backgrounds. It shows that what we assume as social and cultural progress in modern India ,is nothing but a big hoax the play entitled ‘ Kanyadaan’ alludes to the traditional hindu custom of marriage in our society-to give a marrigable daughter by one’s guardian to an eligible young man who will give her safety and security in life.It is also desired that the young man will prove himself a constant companion of this woman Naturally it concerns much to the bride’s father about her daughter’s post-ma...
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...imistic play about the wrong philosophy of an ineffectual dreamer. Being puffed up by false romantic notions and by ‘unworldly Gandhian viewpoints on the Harijan’, he destroys his daughter’s life. Jyoti arrives her true womanhood rejecting her father’s wrong philosophy and accepting life as it is. Tendulkar has been awarded Saraswati Samman for this play, because this play extols reality and nothing but reality, however crude it is.
Works Cited
Tendulkar, Vijay. ’Kanyadaan’.Trans.Gowri Ramnarayan. Delhi;OxfordUP,2010
Vijay Tendulkar.Delhi;Katha’2001.Print9 ( Referred to as VT )
Tendulkar Vijay :Collected plays in Translation. With an Introduction by Samik Bandyopadhyay.Oxford India Paperback (OUP)
Ghosh arpa: Tendulkar’s Kanyadaan: A study of patriarchy’ taken from ‘Discourses on I ndian Drama in English’ ed. Ankur Konar Avenel Press,2013
Gurinder Chadha’s Bride and Prejudice, a Bollywood adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, places Jane Austen’s emphasis of equality in marriage within an intercultural context, where the difference in culture is the source of social tension. As West meets East, American tycoon William Darcy sparks cultural conflict with his presumption of Indian girls’ “simple” and traditional characteristics and of their ready subordination to American men. Parallel to Elizabeth’s assertion of her father and Darcy’s equal class standing, Lalita’s fierce rebuttal of Darcy’s assumption highlights his ignorance of the Indian culture, especially his inability to understa...
Hess, Linda. Rejecting Sita: Indian Responses to the Ideal Man's Cruel Treatment of His Ideal Wife. Vol. 67. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.
The eunuch is an integral part of the 18th century play The Mogul Tale, by Elizabeth Inchbald. He serves a historical role by being the Mogul’s advisor, watchman, and, most importantly, harem guard. Eunuchs are generally defined as castrated males and are thus excellent choices to guard the Mogul’s women – no fear of the guard taking the ladies for himself. Inchbald reinforces these noble positions by showing the eunuch as the Mogul’s “right-hand man”. But with the passing of time these traditional roles have died along with the people who embraced them. Eunuchs now exist in an India that has all but forgotten their position as protectors. They are now part of a larger, marginalized group that exists on the fringe of Indian society - the hijras1.
Most of the Indian women living in an orthodox and conservative family feel inhibited to raise their voice against aggressive dominance of the male person of the society owing to their inferiority complex and rigid code of conduct imposed on them. Their ambitions, desires, sense and sensibility are faithfully expressed in Nair’s novels. Her novels show how such women in spite of being highly educated undergo psychological suffering due to inferiority complex and dead sense of inhibitions. She not only limits her writing to upper class urban people, but also picks up characters from all stratum of society. Her theme is not only restricted to domestic problems, but it is variegated in nature. Besides, her novels represent what is authentically Indian or native.
Aravind Adiga’s debut novel The White Tiger published in 2008, and a winner of Booker Prize examines the issues of religion, caste, loyalty, corruption, urbanization and poverty in India. The novel besides receiving critical acclaim was also lambasted by some in India for giving in to western prejudices and playing up to their image of a poverty stricken, slum governed country. Some even went to the extent of calling it a western conspiracy to deny the country’s economic progress. It seems ...
The film displayed India in many ways that went from Religious diversity to cultural and political diversity. There were many characters in the film that differed in financial income and status. Also, there were characters that came form different religious backgrounds. Furthermore, there were many different cultures and traditions that were made present from the film. However, the major inclination that was created by the film was the idea of “ Power might change hands, but injustices will continue the same.” Many years have passed since India has been under Colonization, but many of the same ideas and thought process influence the people. Most of the character sin the film were jaded or felt as if there was nothing that could unite India. However, through one tragic event, many of the characters were giving a second life and way of thinking. They stopped sitting on the sideline and complaining about the issues that affected them and their love ones. Nevertheless, they stood up and decided to change things that were injustices in their
Ramamoorthy, P. “My Life is My Own: A Study of Shashi Deshpande’s Women” Feminism and Recent Fiction in English Ed. Sushila Singh. New Delhi: Prestige, 1991.
Mahasweta Devi, always writes for deprived section of people. She is a loving daughter, a clerk, a lecturer, a journalist, an editor, a novelist, a dramatist and above all an ardent social activist. Her stories bring to the surface not only the misery of the completely ignored tribal people, but also articulate the oppression of w...
Naikar,S.Basavaraj. “Tughlaq as an Experimenter” Ed .Tutun Mukherjee. Girish Karnad’a Plays: Performance and Critical Perspectives. New Delhi: Pencraft, 2008.Print.
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Aparna, Bhargava. Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, and Urban Performance in India Since 1947. New York: University of Iowa Press, 2009.
The measured dialogue between Reader and Editor serves as the framework through which Gandhi seeks to discredit accepted terms of civilization and denounce the English. These principle characters amply assist in the development o...
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Garg in ‘Hari Bindi’ discusses the story of a common woman and made it extraordinary by the active force she was experiencing in herself to live her life. The husband of the protagonist symbolises the power and control of patriarchy that had restricted her life in such a way