CHAPTER 4

Portrayal of love and marriage practiced in the selected plays of Girish Karnad

To unearth the disappeared selfdom of a colonized nation from its detritus not only calls for a lot
of endeavors, but also cautious outlining as it includes detailed touch up of the nation's practices,
customs and disciplines which had fallen into mental blankness as a conclusion of the colonizers’
bid to make the third and fourth worlds entirely complete. Myths are customarily looked at as
fairy tales or delightfully described flights of creative fictitious by primitive people for their
delight or relief in the face of puzzling accustomed experiences. Although they also call
attention, as Carl Jung has advised, to the collective unconscious of mankind (Segal 107).
Absolutely, myths carry on working a thoughtful affect on our lives even as they are formed by
the way we live.

It can be defined that theories need myths as much as myths need theories, for if theories
highlights myths, myths ratify or examine theories. Various regimens have tried to evaluate
myths by exercising several forms, trying to find what myth is, what is signify, how it acts and
what its aim is. The pioneering English anthropologist E.B. Tylor is of the vision that myth is at
advantages with science. According to him,

"Myths cannot be called untrue or outdated, but they ascribe a personal cause, as
understood by the myth-maker, to natural events and processes. Since the personal causes
are neither predictable nor testable, there is uncertainty surrounding the significance of
myths.” (85).

The aim of myth is to be conciliatory, as Robert A. Segal comments:

"Myth thus constitutes a compromise between the side of oneself and the side that does not even
want to know they exist. For freud, myth functions through its meaning: Myth vents oedipal
desires by presenting a story in which, symbolically, they are enacted." (94)

Myths can be said to act as an intellectual effect on our traditions and day-to-day actions by way
of religion, philosophy, arts and literature. Myths have eternally been specifically importance in
arts and literature. In India they have everlastingly wielding extraordinary power. Since ours is
the oldest surviving civilization in the world, Indian ethos is sumptuously nourished from
innumerable resources, and Indian mythology and folklore are amid those sources. Myths are
upholder in the four Vedas, the Upanishads, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas
and their artistic and social bid has endured through centuries and remains effective even in
modern times.

Various concurrent India playwrights have curved to myth for their work. They have supplied its
broad possessions to accompany forth an array of understanding of contempo circumstances,
giving a recent angle to the avail of myth. Actually, the use of myth in literature has been an
explanatory plan of action to make texts represent both the past and the present.

Shashi Tharoor, as an illustration, has used mythology from the Mahabharata in the Great India
novel to counterfeit recent insights by mixing the mythical and the contemporary to arrange a
type of modern mythology. He progresses easily from Bhishma to Gandhi and at another time to
the present world, contrasting, distinguishing and admixing different periods and ages and
conceives a new in sighting of Indian past and present in this way. Dharmavir Bharati, in Andha
Yug, also avails episodes from the Mahabharata to represent a world of anguish, emptiness,
cruelty and death culminating from a colossal and horrible war.

Among the contemporary Indian dramatists, Girish Karnad had used myth in tenably the well-off
and the most intricate methods. He investigates the possessions of myth, folklore, legend and
history to build his dramatic cosmos. Hayavadana, The Fire and the Rain and Yayati are
implanted in Indian myth. Bali is found on both myth and folklore. Nagamandala makes use of
folklore, while Tughlaq and Dreams of Tipu Sultan are galvanized by history and legend. Karnad
used myth and history from the prospective of the present and contour the present in a better
aglow.

HAYAVADANA

As reported by an anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowsky,

“The primitive people use myth to reconcile themselves to the aspects of the world that
cannot be controlled, such as natural calamities, ageing and death”.
Hayavadana is most renowned and most cheered play based on a tale found in Kathasaritasagara,
a collection of stories in Sanskrit present in 11th century linked to the cultural past where love
and marriage plays a vital role. Hayavadana was formerly composed in Kannada in 1970 and
later its English translation came in 1977, at the request of Mr. Rajinder Paul who published
Hayavadana in his journal “Enact”. It was penned when Karnad was on the Homi Bhabha
Fellowship. The story of Hayavadana comes partially from Thomas Mann’s German novella
“Transported Head” which is based upon the version of story in Vetal Panchavimshati. As the
title advocates the play approaches with the objectives of the head, the supreme part of the
human body, without the head, the body is abridged and without supremacy, control and balance.
The equilibrium of the head decides the mental health or craziness of a person and gears him to
either affray fate or be overwhelmed by it. In this play, Karnad shows the various issues present
in one’s life on the basis of love relationships. Karnad uses the assemblage and concepts of folk
tales and folk theatre to create a new world. Myth and history in the grips of Karnad are not just
desires to sojourn the past, but are used also to envisage the prospects which the expected time
appears to clutch. He faucets myth and folklore, the mystical origins of mutual significance in
the society for which his plays are meant to bother some of the customary ideas of this
community. Pursuant to karnad, the spirit of folk theatre comes from the reality that although it
seems to support traditional values, it also has the ways of interrogating those principles, of
preparing them exactly stand on their heads. (Introduction to three plays 14). Hayavadana means
‘The one with horse head’ is entitled horse-headed man who wants to get rid of his head and
become like a normal human being.

Twain stories whirl all over a woman who accidentally exchanges the head of her husband with
another man's head after both men commit suicide in a temple, thus facing the three with the
difficulty of who the real husband is. In The Kathasaritasagara, there is a fair bisection amid the
working of the human body and the human mind. The classical Indian standard is that the body
has to be organized by the head so that one may endow for religious development. When the
demon asks King Vikramaditya for a key, he answers:
 "The one with the husband's head is her husband because the head rules the limbs and
personal identity depends on the head." (Mahadevan 24).

Mann, however, carry forward the story ahead by conferring the consequences of the wife's
blunders which eventually experiences to the passing away of all three characters. His tale
experiments the themes of completeness, ambidexterity and envy. While karnad handles with the
alike plot he introduces an archetypal sub-plot to heal the issues of completeness in man. He
commences as per the assemblage of Yakshagana which K.V. Akshara demonstrates in Theatres
of India: A Concise companion:

"A typical performance opens with the Bhagavata's (narrator) invocation and is dialogues
with the hasyagara (comedian), followed by ornate dance pieces by Balagopala (child
krishna) and the female characters. Then the particular Prasanga (script) begins with the
Oddolaga and moves from one episode to another, mingling songs and dances with
improvised dialogue.” (447)

Ensuring these standards karnad painted a picture of India's rich civilization which was
entombed deep under the waste after an advanced 'civilized' society was forced upon it. With this
approach the channel of writing back established. Each of these stories have a brain-teaser at the
end, which the Vetal calts the kind to resolve. A modern wellspring of the plot of Hayavadana is
Thomas Mann's narrative, “The Transposed Heads". Mann who got the story of Zimmer
alternations and intricate it additionally preparing it an agent for the emotions of his preferred
thought, namely, the sarcastic conflicts between unlike in human life.

"if Mann's aim was to stress the ironic impossibility of uniting perfectly the spirit and the
flesh in human life, karnad tries to pose existential ideas life problem of 'Being' and the
metaphysical anguish of the human condition.” (M.I.C. Naik 137)

The manner of going back to mythology is not completely fresh in Indian English Drama. The
authors before Girish Karnad, have framed stories from mythology and elucidated them a new.
Karnad also became aware of bond between theatre and mythology is very palsy-walsy. As the
act of theatre is to give back society, best indicated in myths and the best reservoir of it is epic.

The Dramatist desires to convey advice that for the modern Gordian world Puranic resolutions
do not outturn the conclusion. In fact, the genuine difficulty takes place when it appears to be
resolved. Hayavadana mien a issue to look up the psychological and philosophical desires of a
person who is a result of society and is involved in his endemic fake beliefs and views endeavor
with the metaphysical pain of the snarled relationships.

Karnad discovers it really quite difficult to go with the unfolding given in the folktales and
acknowledges as deeply iffy situation: the head is "Uttamanga" or "the best part of the body",
but what about the whole character of a being? Is it the complete man? Does the body have a
sensation disconnected from the mind? What about the woman who experiences her husband's
body and brain and now is enforced to acquire his head with other's body in one person? Will
they be at blockheads, or will one holds over the other?

Hayavadana wonderfully forms up the combats between the predominance of head and body,
brain and heart, extrinsic and intrinsic, ethical and unethical, idea and brain, man and animal,
religious and tangible, flawlessly illustrated in the rebellious dialogues from the beginning to the
end. It tries to prominence the facts and disposition of life carrying the world that the very
concept of completeness is ridiculous and distant. The play is composed in an effort to find an
appropriate alternative between mind and body.

The dramatic society in Hayavadana is weird and topsy-turvy. But the mental stress clashes
bestowed in the play possess a glass to the facts of man's quotidian desires. The play is penned as
an aim to investigate the personality, and to disclose the touching states and the internal
operations of the brain. The author has very lithely included the ethical issues with the cerebral
embarrassment of social life as in the case of Padmini who challenges the ethical code of
conduct, is definite to endure the distress of estranged life as propounded in the play. At this
point Karnad as a rationalist tried to cast off the pinky beliefs concerning courtship, adolescents,
marriage and life.

George M. Williams imparts an explanation of Lord Ganesha in Handbook of Hindu Mythology:

Ganapati has a prominent place among Hindu deities as the god who removes all
obstacles. This is a natural extension of his strength as an elephant. He is worshipped as
Vignesvara, the remover of all obstacles.

. . . The form of Ganapati with his huge ears, trunk, and big belly is philosophically
interpreted by Hindus as symbolizing openness of mind for acute receptivity and
alertness. In temple images, Ganapati (Ganésa) is most often found in ensembles with
Siva and Parvati. He has a large rat for his vehicle and, in many images, one broken tusk.
His image is almost obligatory for businesses, since he has become the god of wealth.
(135)

Like Ganesha, Hayavadana has a horse’s head and a human body, however different the
mythological figure he does not endowed angelic potentials. He is an accustomed earthling who
struggles to transform into a complete man.

Hayavadana talks about the absurdity and futility of life where half-formed beings arises right
from the beginning in the form of lord Ganesha and Hayavadana- a stallion, where dolls
articulate and annotate more than human beings; while the son of Padmini rarely open his mouth
to talk, where goddess is uninterested towards human beings.

Hayavadana is laboriously cast of Karnataka folk theatre with the inclusion of dolls, masks,
Ganesha pooja, classical hints, karma and rebirth theory, family, marriage, fate, story-within-a-
story device, curtains, mines, stage-hands and the civil problem to develop spooky and charming
cosmos with a rational scientific push to show the knowledge of people at the rate of artful
blissfulness. P. Dhanavel describes,

"As Ulysses is the best novel of the twentieth century, according to the Random House
committee, so is Hayavadana the first best drama of this century for India".

The beginning of the dramatic composition owing with alienated and existentialistic morals
carrying the connotations of absolute depression and sorrow, all extensive in the whole universe.

"The stage is empty except for a chair, kept centre-stage, and a table on stage right- or at
the back" may advices that complete globe represented as "the stage" is separated and
barren of any spirit giving water which can satisfy the religious desires of a modish being
roving through the void examining for a selfdom. The playwright of all centuries,
Shakespeare, once made a universal comment "all the world is a stage and all the men
and women merely players".

The stage is the reflection of the society and symbolizes its whole figure in authentic form with
all their misfortunes and abnormalities. The term 'empty' mentions to the 'emptiness' and a 'void'
in one's life and fate, which advocates the theme of the play directing the behavior as well.

The chair symbolizes for supremacy and ascendancy. It grasps the utmost competence and is the
primarily dream of any ruler particularly in terms of legislative foundation. The line is deeply
representative as it mentions to the brass-tacks that there is 'nothing' on the stage of world other
than the depthless codes and regulations passed by the chair. "The chair" is the crest of
deceitfulness pretence of modish commanders. Karnad has very lithely represented the
worldwide crisis and the disabilities of the complete system under the force of civic maneuver
and schemes of modish chieftain who at the pole of lives of civilian hold the position at the
centre stage intrusivingly the forthcoming of trillions into the Cimmerian. Karnad as a reformist
desired to lay down the concentration of the society at force to wake up and clamor contrary to
the unfair treatment set on it by the few axial authorizations dominating over millions of people.

"The Table" symbolizes for “intellect" or "Knowledge", here the playwright desires to advise
that personal determination and knowledge are the greatest aptitude to deal any mental stress or
difficulty in our lives. The symbols also echo the fundamental accession of Karnad against the
patriarchal aligning gratification of a male governed world which always holds at centre of
society. On the other hand, a woman in the terrene of men is subject to dismissal.
The inanity of life and its futility is debated with the batty and flawed appearance of Ganesha-
the lord of perfection, whose mask is carried on the stage and kept on the chair.

The play begins with the Ganesha’s mask brought on the stage and kept on the chair, rituals are
performed and Bhagavata sings verse in praise of Lord Ganesha. Karnad describes the
significance of our axioms and traditions. It is not for us to comprehend this puzzle or try to
solve it. As folklore and heroic poems has taught the value of tradition and customs. Our
responsibility is hardly to pay devotion to the elephant-headed God and educe on with our works.
Karnad induces the thematic copiousness of myth as the content which is not in the hold of
humans, can only be achieved by gods. The traditional faith which is in the entity in our customs
and society. The whole play is casted in the shape of traditional Indian myth drama which takes
various characteristics of age-old Sanskrit drama, but accustoms them to its own distinctive
desires as a well known contour of art. After the invocation, Bhagavata unfolds the story of
Devadatta, Padmini and Kapila. But the Actor 1 intrudes the Bhagavata and tells him that he has
seen a man with horse’s head. Following the Actor 1, Hayavadana reaches to the stage there he
narrates his story to Bhagavata.

Hayavadana: “My mother was the Princess of Karnataka. She was a very beautiful girl.
When she came of age, her father decided that she should choose her own husband. So
Princes of every kingdom in the world were invited and they all came. From China, from
Persia, from Africa. But she didn’t like any of them. The last one to come was the Prince
of Araby. My mother took one look at that handsome Prince sitting on his great white
stallion-and she fainted…She said she would only marry that horse…So ultimately she
was married off to the white stallion. She lived with him for fifteen years. One morning
 she woke up-and no horse! In its place stood a beautiful celestial Being, a Gandharv.
Apparently this celestial being had been cursed by the God Kuvera to be born a horse for
some act of misbehavior. After fifteen years of human love he became his original self
again… Released from his curse, he asked my mother to accompany him to his heavenly
abode. But she wouldn’t. She said she would come only if he became a horse again. So
he cursed her…He cursed her to become a horse herself. So my mother became a horse
and ran away happily. My father went back to heavenly abode. Only I- child of their
marriage- was left behind” (P.79-80).

Bhagavata suggest Hayavadana to go to the devotional place so that he may recover and blesses
him. Bhagavata asks Actor I to accompany Hayavadana to the shrine. Thereafter he turns to the
main story.

Kapila and Devadatta are the denizens of Dharmapura and they are close friends. Devadatta
belongs to Reverend Brahmin, Vidyasagara and Kapila to Ironsmith Lohita but the villager calls
them the pair of Lava and Kusha, Rama and Laxmana, Krishna and Balarama.

Bhagavata sings: “Two friends they were- one mind, one heart. (P.74)

Bhagavata: ….The world wonders at their friendship. The world sees these two young
man wandering down the street of Dharmapura, hand in hand, and remember Lava and
Kusha, Rama Laxmana, Krishna and Balarama. (P.74)

Devadatta is known for his writing skills, knowledge and learning where Kapila is known for his
Body building and wrestling. Satirically, it is Kapila, the low-caste who acts as a helping hand
for Devadatta to convince Padmini's hand and at last acquires her heart too, in spite of being
uneducated and impolite as compared to Devadatta with all his poesy and acumen. The Varna
system of Hindu mythology is encore asks for answer which everlasting calls Brahmins like idols
neglecting all their imperfections and deficits while a Shudra in the appearance of Kapila
consistently lays on changes at the expense of his life, and selection. He is not granted to lead
like Kshatriya Pandavas and Draupadi. P. Dhanavel grasps on this matter as,

"A Norwegian playwright like Henrik Ibsen can write A Doll's House with the heroine
 walking out of her husband's house. An Indian playwright like Karnad cannot end his
Hayavadana with the separation of Padmini from Devadatta and union with Kapila for
various reasons, especially caste considerations".

Devadatta falls in love and narrates the beauty of the girl to his friend Kapila.

Devadatta: How can I describe her, Kapila? Her forelocks rival the bees, her face is…

Both… is a white Lotus. Her beauty is as a magic lake. Her arms the Lotus creepers. Her
breasts are golden urns and her waist…” (P. 84-85)

Devadatta desperately asks Kapila to find her. He took her as a motivation to his poetry.
Devadatta painting Kapila forenamed that the hands and the head were not valuable if he didn’t
possess her his poetry would not exist beyond her. The “Abhignana Shakuntalam” composed by
Kalidasa would not at all be surpassed his poetry was prosperous, better and more considerable
than Kalidasa's poetry but he could not discover the method and span to give a reason to her. He
asks Kapila to find her in the market place that he had seen in “Pawana veethi” and convey his
marriage proposal to her. On seeing her, Kapila ponders

“She is Yakshini, Shakunthala, Urvashi, Indumati/ all rolled in one.” (P.87)

Kapila searches for the lady, Padmini and the marriage takes place between Padmini and
Devadatta. But before the marriage Devadatta tells Kapila

“… Kapila, with you as my witness I swear, if I ever get her as my wife, I will sacrifice
my two arm to the Goddess Kali, I will sacrifice my head to Lord Rudra…” (P. 85)

Bhagavata comes on the stage and announces that the marriage takes place. He says,

“…The old friendship flourished as before. Devdutta- Padmini-Kapila! To the admiring

citizens of Dharmapura, Rama-Sita-Laxmana” (p. 90)

Devadatta is thankful to Kapila and the thing looked like, Rama-Sita-Laxmana. (P.42)

After six months, Devadatta, Padmini and Kapila plans to visit Ujjain fair. Formerly Devadatta
did not agree with this plan later he become bound as Padmini insisted to visit there. However
the relationship between the three becomes tangled. Kapila is inclined towards Padmini and she
too by his muscular body. She cannot resist with her feelings and says to herself

“No woman could resist him, [Kapila].”(P.96)

The frequent visits of Kapila impinge upon the privacy of Devadatta and Padmini’s relationship
therefore Devadatta was not comfortable with his visits.

“He only has to see her and he begins to wag his tail. Sits upon his hind legs as though he
were afraid to let her words fall to the ground. And that pleading in his eyes- can’t see
really see that. (P.92)

Devadatta takes an excuse of Padmini’s pregnancy and try to postpone the proposal trip. Padmini
gets ready and says:

“What’s wrong with me? I’m perfect. I had a headache this morning. But a layer of
ginger paste took care of that. Why should we cancel our trip for a little thing like that”
(P.94)

Kapila drives the cart and Devadatta and Padmini are sitting at the back. On the way, they
stopped to admire the beauty of the woods. There she shows her fascination for the fortunate
Ladies Flower and Kapila goes to bring it. Kapila removed his shirt to climb over the tree and
fetch flower for Padmini. She is fascinated by his

“Broad black- like and ocean with muscles rippling across it” (P.96)

Devadatta is able to feel the flame of passion in the eyes of Padmini towards Kapila. He
perceives that he is a hurdle between the two throughout all these days. On seeing his wife’s
facial expressions Devadatta takes a crucial decision. He says:

“Now! So late! Don’t turn away now, Devadatta look at her, look at those yellow purple
flames, look how she’s pouring her soul in his mould. Look! Let your guts burn out- Let
your lungs turn to ash-but don’t turn away. Look- and don’t scream. Strangle your agony.
But look deep into these deep eyes- look until those peacock flames burn out the
blindness in you”. (P.96)
Her longing for the body of Kapila and the brain of Devadatta comes to her head:

Padmini: (back at the window) where is Kapila?

Devadatta: ... and drool over Kapila all day.” (20)

The stress escalates in the dialogue between husband and wife. Padmini begins persuasive
Devadatta discloses his concern in the place of marriage relationship.

In the Indian tradition and mythology, husband is considered as equal to god. A women loves,
courtesy’s him as god. She sees the importance of her husband in saffron color. The saffron color
is a sacred color which demonstrates the denotation of divine nature. In our tradition and culture
the saffron color is used for the asceticism and peacefulness the marriage thread,
mangalsoothram, which clutches two persons together as man and wife, is a connection built
everlasting in life. It's holy force shallow in chastity, where it should be taken carelessly.
Padmini makes clear to Devadatta when he gets upset about Padmini Paying attention for Kapila.
She told her that Devadatta is god of her.

Padmini: Look now. You are annoyed about Kapila. But why? You are my saffron my
marriage- thread, my deity. Why should you feel upset? I like making fun of Kapila- he is
such an innocent. Looks a proper devil, but he way he blushes and giggles and turns re,
he might have been a bride.” (20)

The significance of male companion in Indian myth is considered as god, saffron color is a
sacred color or the chastity and divine nature. Saffron color is used to make marriage thread.
Padmini tells Devadatta that Kapila is angelic by attributes and benevolence where as his
appearance is completely wicked. Demons are known by us only in the folklores and narratives.
Karnad describes the crucial features of the Indian culture and tradition as per the mythology.
Karnad demonstrates the significance of a husband's sensations in Devadatta as Padmini
chuckles and communicates to Kapila; the devotion of a husband. When Padmini inquires about
Devadatta why he experiences enviousness when she communicates to Kapila. Karnad acutely
demonstrates the customs and tradition in the marriage as per myth become a swathe.

Devadatta is not able to share Padmini anymore. Kapila and Padmini go to Rudra temple and on
other hand Devadatta takes a firm decision to kill his own self in the Kali temple. There he says,

“Goodbye, may the Lord Rudra bless you. You are two pieces of my heart-live happily
together. I shall find my happiness in that.”(P.98)

He also claims that he is performing such activity as he has promised for fulfilling his deepest
craving for marrying Padmini. Feeling his intention, Suman Bala writes,

“His generosity and selflessness are near shame because the real reason of sacrifice is his
refusal to share Padmini with Kapila.”

After returning from Rudra temple, they are not able to find Devadatta near the cart so Kapila
decides to follow the foot prints seen by him, which leads towards Kali temple. After reaching
there, he is shocked to see the dead body of Devadatta. As he sees his body, Kapila guesses that
Devadatta must have committed suicide due to feeling of detestation for him. He says:

“… Did you feel such contempt for me- such abhorrence? And in anger you forgot that I
was ready to die for you? If you asked me to jump into fire, I would have done it. If you
had asked me to leave the country, I would have done it. If you had asked me to go and
drowned in the river, I would have gladly done it. Did you despise me so much so much
that you couldn’t even ask me that? I did wrong. But you know I don’t have intelligence
to know what else I should have done. I couldn’t think- and so you have pushed me
away? No, Devadatta, I can’t live without you. I can’t breathe without you. Devadatta,
my brother, my father, my friend… (P.100)

Kapila too picks up the sword that is lying in the temple and says,
 “You spurned me in this world. Accept me as your brother. At least in the next. Here
friend, here I come. As always, I follow in your path.” (P.100)

He too cuts off his head before Kali. Though Kapila says before Kali that he is cutting off his
head out of his friendship but the reality is that he wants to avert the scandal due to Devadatta’s
death. Padmini gets worried, when both do not turn up. She reaches the Kali temple and finds the
truncated body, stares at them and then screams-

“Oh God! What’s this? Both! Both gone! And didn’t even think of me before they
went… Devadatta, what did I do that you left me alone in this state? Was that how much
you loved me? And you, Kapila who looked at me with dog’s eye- you too? How selfish
you are-How unkind! What shall I do now- Where shall I go? How can I go home?... And
what shall I say when I get there? What shall I say happened? And how will believe me?
They all say the two fought and died for this whore.” (P.101)

She also picks the sword and is about to kill herself. Frightened at the glimpse of the two
beheaded bodies, she calls to the goddess Kali for help. The goddess emerges, but karnad does
not symbolize her as the fierce- looking divinity of mythology but as a drowsy, dull and abrupt
idols. Disinterested, she cuts brief the story of Padmini.

"Skip it! Do as I told you. And quickly, I m collapsing with sleep. And she adds, Actually
if it hadn't been that I was so sleepy, I would have thrown them out by the scruff of their
necks"(102-103).

She grants to the conjuring Padmini the two men's lives after blaming the men for their
nonsensical lies and false atonements. Goddess Kali asks her to join the heads of the dead to the
bodies and press the sword on their neck to bring them to life. Soon she finds that the heads has
mixed up and she has joined Kapila’s head on Devadatta’s body and vice versa. Seeing such
combination they laugh. But the real twist arises when Devadatta’s body and Kapila’s head claim
for Padmini as his wife. He also reminds Padmini about the Oath she had taken during the
marriage. Devadatta argues that she belongs to him as she had married to him not his body
therefore; Padmini belongs to the man who has Devadatta’s head. At last Devadatta proves his
point through Shastras,
 “According to Shastras, the head is the sign of a man…Of all the human limbs the top
most- in position as well as in importance- is the head” (P.110)

Padmini succeeds in having both of her favorite things in one man. She says, “My Devadatta
comes like a bridegroom with the ornament of a new body…” She, therefore, fixes the best brain
and best body to create a perfect man. Suman Bala expresses her view:

“The extraordinary situation helps Padmini to breakout of moral codes inflicted by

society. She wants that her companion in life should be an ideal man-both in brain and
brawn. She wants Devadatta’s mind in Kapila’s body while the society forces her to seek
these qualities in one man. But since such a perfect man doesn’t exist, she succeeds in
having brain and brawn, the spirit and the flesh: ‘fabulous body- fabulous brain-fabulous
Devadatta.”

Padmini is afraid to establish extramarital relationship but accepts his body through this
transformation. Padmini reflects that she is a woman of perfect education and understanding.
According to Mary Wollstonecraft,

“A purely perfect education is the exercise of understanding to strengthen the body and
form of the heart.” She further says, “To enable the individual to attain such habits of
virtue will render it independent.”

The change in Devadatta’s body is perfectly depicted by the Dolls which he brings for his child.

Doll1. His palms! They were so rough, when he first bought a here. Like a laborers’. But
now they are soft- sickly soft- like a young girl’s.

Doll2. I know. I have noticed something too.

Doll1. What?

Doll2. His stomach. It was so tight and muscular. Now…

Doll1. I know. It’s loose. (P.116)

Padmini gradually realizes the transformation of Devadatta’s body. Her feeling for Devadatta as
a perfect husband diminishes day by day. With the passing time, she wonders about Kapila.
 “What could he be doing now? Where could he be? Could his body be still fair and his
face dark” (P.118)

She sends her husband to Ujjain to fetch a new doll for their child. In his absence, she plans to go
and meet Kapila in the forest. After reaching there, she notices Kapila has again regained his
muscular form. Padmini sits by his side and says that his son looks exactly like him. Padmini
expresses her interest in him thus:

“…If Devadatta has changed overnight and had gone to his original form I would have
forgotten you completely. But that’s not how it happened. He changed day by day. Hair
by hair. Like the trickling sand. Like the water filling the Pot. And as I saw him change- I
couldn’t get rid of you. That’s what Padmini must tell Kapila. She should say more,
without concealing anything: ‘Kapila, if that Rishi had given me to you, would I have
gone back to Devadatta someday exactly like this? But she doesn’t say anything.” (P.125)

Kapila asked Padmini that he has overcome with all the memories and thoughts which are lying
deep in his heart. He says.

“…I am Kapila now. The rough and violent Kapila. Kapila without a crack between his
head and his shoulders. What do you want now? Another head? Another suicide? Listen
to me. Do me a favor. Go back. Back to Devadatta. He is your husband the father of your
child. Devadatta and Padmini! Devadatta and Padmini! A pair coupled with holy fire as
the witness. I have no place there, no peace, no salvation- so go. I beg you. Go.” (P.125)

Padmini doesn’t leave the place and stays there for four to five days. Kapila gets restless and
feels that the re-entry of Padmini in his life has brought a volcano of memories. Kapila too made
an attempt to blow the nameless recollections of the past but when he comes across Padmini
encores, these remembrances are restored. Kapila is full of Pain. The song in the play discloses
his factual crisis.

"The river only feels the pull of the waterfall"

There are intense representations like 'the river, water, scare crow' etc in the song which
exemplify existential circumstances. Devadatta returns from the Ujjain fair,

“Yearning to taste the blood of Kapila”. (P. 76).

As he finds no one at home, he realizes that Padmini must have gone to Kapila in his absence. As
Devdutta reaches Kapila’s hut, he asks him whether he loves Padmini. On getting a positive
response, Kapila proposes Devadatta,

“Couldn’t we all three live together-like the Pandavas and Draupadi?” (P. 129).

Devadatta replies that the only solution to this problem is

“Fight like lions and kill like cobras.” (P. 130).

At last both of them died in the duel. Padmini says,

“If I would say yes, I will live with you both, perhaps they would have been alive yet.
But I couldn’t say it.” (P. 130)

Padmini’s quest for perfection last for long. She performs Sati in the end. She wishes to get
perfection in her next birth. During articulation on this entity P.D Nimsarkar composes,

"Padmini does not publicly admit her love for Kapila because she is aware of the socio-
cultural restrictions which prohibit a married woman from developing extramarital
relationship which would otherwise have been taken as a breach of social condition and
violation of marriage institution. Moreover, Kapila is a Sudra, a lower caste person and
inter-caste marriage would not have been approved and accepted…Her idea of a perfect
man is already at the centre of her game plan and by shutting the eyes she transposes the
heads, Devadatta’s on Kapila and vice versa deliberately, with the advantage of the
goddess’ blessing.” (Nimsarkar, 104)
Before performing Sati, she hands over her son to Bhagavata, with an instruction that her son
should live his life in the forest as Kapila’s son. Moreover, after the age of five, he should be
taken to Reverend Brahmin Vidyasagara as son of Devadatta.

The social norms persist. The religious belief says that a husband and wife pair for seven births
haunts Padmini. Parallel story of Hayavadana’s mother relates with Padmini. On one hand
Hayavadana is thrown out of this world and on the other hand Padmini’s son became withdrawn
from the world. When Padmini’s son meet Hayavadana at the stage, his innocent smile makes
him a complete horse and the child too feels complete after getting the affection of horse.

Hayavadana is born with a horse head, as his mother married a stallion, a cursed Gandharva. In
this reality, as mythology and legends had authentications of the animal being married to human
in assertive feature. Gods getting unrecognized in the shape of animal for assured logics had
been remarked in the legends like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Devi Bhagavatam etc. In
Ramayana, when Rama and his brothers stayed in Gurukulan under the instructions of Bramha
Rishi Vishwamitra to acquire information and knowledge. Rama destroys a demoness titled
'Thataki' after searing remark. Such occurrences are observed in august epics as per mythology.
Hayavadana has been attempting to evolve into entire being through many spiritual penances and
social aid for many years. On the recommendation of the Bhagavata, he goes to Goddess Kali to
look for her sanctification. In the case of Padmini, she loves Devadatta, marriage and get
pregnant but was attracted or infatuated towards Kapila. Throughout her pregnancy and after
having child, her desire for Kapila’s body has not minimized. Padmini faits to attain the coupling
of the mind and the body in Devadatta-Kapila. She becomes aware of her blunder and accepts
the genuine issue. She clarifies the issue to Kapila whose brain is frost-bound to the feelings of
his body on basis of self-alienation:

"Be quiet, stupid. Your body bathed in a river, seam and danced in it. Should not your
head know what river it was, what swim? your head too must submerge in that river- the
flow must rumple your hair, run its tongue in your ears and press your head to its bosom!
until that's done, you will continue to be incomplete"(58).
She desires to acquire her goal by dint of her son. So she appeals the Bhagavata to let her son be
brought up as the son of Kapila by the hunters in the woods for five years and then as the son of
Devadatta by Vidyasagara, her Father-in law and well-accomplished Brahmin. Thus she desires
to bestow both physical and mental preparation for her son so that he may achieve combination.
After passing her oral will to the Bhagavata, she performs Sati on the pyre of Devadatta and
Kapila who have passed away in a sword fight (duel). Thus she demises her life in remoteness
and thwarts the possible dilution of her will.

Padmini's son is brought to the Bhagavata again after five years. He is a morose as Kapila after
his switch. Hayavadana who becomes a complete horse approaches and discloses his mental
suffering over his human voice. When he chuckles with human voice, Padmini's son disposes of
his dolls and starts chortling and applauding as if he were liberated from a hex. Like wisely,
Hayavadana mislay human voice when Padmini's son joyrides him and blows a nursery rhymes.
Thus Hayavadana and Padmini's son symbolizing the initial unity and last wholeness
individually attain Dionysian ego. Padmini wins in attaining her goal after her death. As the
Bhagavata says:

"So at last Hayavadana has become complete (To the actors) you two go and tell the
Revered Brahmin Vidyasagara that his grandson is returning home in trumph, riding a
big, white charger"(71).

Padmini's son showing the forthcoming man acquires social agreement not only betwixt the mind
and the body but also among himself and nature defined by Hayavadana. At the end of the
completeness of Hayavadana and the child is all attained by love and bond of care takes place at
the stage.

In Three Plays, Girish Karnad indicates:

 . . . the story initially interested me for the scope it gave for the use of masks and music.
Western theatre has developed a contrast between the face and the mask – the real inner
person and the exterior one presents, or wishes to present, to the world outside. But in
traditional Indian theatre, the mask is only the face ‘writ large’; since a character
represents not a complex psychological entity but an ethical archetype; the mask merely
presents in enlarged detail its essential moral nature. (This is why characters in
Hayavadana have no real names. The heroine is called Padmini after one of the six types
into which Vatsyayana classified all women. Her husband is Devadatta, a formal mode of
addressing a stranger. His friend is Kapila. Simply ‘the dark one.’) Music – usually
percussion – then further distances the action, placing it in the realm of the mythical and
the elemental. (13)
Apparently what Karnad tried to acknowledge through Padmini is the hardship of a concurrent,
independent and brave woman who is divided between actions, a woman who adores her
husband as well as someone else for two dissimilar features of their bigwigs. Padmini, after the
exchange of heads, has felt that she has the best of both men, but moderately absoluteness areas.
She has the capacity of gross acquaintance.

It can be forenamed that the head and body issues has been used by karnad to survey the axial
crisis encountered by a modern Indian amid assorted antagonistic elements of subjectivity such
as the religious and the mundane, the cerebral and the bodily, the Arcadian and the metropolitan,
the pre-colonial and the colonized, the classical and the modern. Thus, Hayavadana puts bare
different tiers of duality present at the core of modern Indian subjectivity. Karnad thus attempts
to investigate in this play the dubious ipseity of the modern Indian matter. Through the use of
discrete tools, he appears to be even purposefully pointing to bring home the complicatedness of
the issues. As Karnad declared in the Introduction to Three plays.

“The chorus, the masks, the seemingly unrelated comic episodes, the mixing of human
and non-human worlds permit the simultaneous presentation of alternative points of
views, of alternative attitudes of the central problem.” (14).

The play accomplished in dramatizing the circumstances favorably however it does not speck to
either fair reply. It challenges the dualities and variance to something, without propounding the
chances of any easy rapprochement.

NAGAMANDALA

In Indian society, marriage is contemplated to be the sacred of holy institutions. It is relyed on

that faithfulness in the relationship of a woman to her husband is the technique to her escape.
Celibacy is looked upon, as greatest integrity which she is contemplated to take care at the cost
of her life. Under such situations, she is rebuff adoration joy, and education at her age.
Genuinely, her place in the family is like a mattress, an insignificant Rani is the absolute sign of
woman’s devotion and bearing. She was married in her teens and Karnad is blissfully objected of
the assemblage of such an early conflicting marriage. However, she grows physically mature and
because, her husband’s aloofness towards her she behaves like a frightened child in her new
house. In the assemblage of Naga, she is happy. He proposes her strong likings, amusement, and
awareness of the world.

Naga-Mandala is an eternal and worldwide accepted play established on local mythology of

storytelling art. It wondrously captures the significance of artistry presenting a complex and
aggravating dubious world where fictional characters interlace and the lines amid the apparent
and the hidden are obscure. Within the foundation of traditional folk structure Naga-Mandala
analysis social problems that are ‘Contemporary”.

Fundamental themes of faithfulness, belief, respect, male-chauvinism, the exploitation of women

in patriarchal society make the play a spell binding tale. Naga-Mandala analysis the complex
theme of human predicament and the need to live by dreams and partial-truth, the suffering and
distress faced by both men and women in their growth into adult roles and social acclimation in a
conventional society which suggests a very small room for self-development, acquaintance and
liberation as a being. The play discusses problems of men-women relationship, position and
ipseity of women. It also speaks about the psychological appulse of social and culture ways. It
embraces very ordinary characters who are more adumbrative of their class and creed than
common people to cast off light on the communal and cultural intolerance on one hand, and to
analyze the result of these dissimilar powers on the psyche of an individual, on the other hand;
Savita Goel says.

“The artifice of metamorphosis of Naga-Mandala is mythical, ritualistic and traditional and the
playwright seems to endorse traditional values, yet transformation is employed as a means of
interrogating these values. It provides a profound insight into the meaning and significance of the
play.”

“Nagamandala” examines into the female and male growth into selfhood and their mature
adjustment with the stereotype. It is not only about the male adversity to belief and adores
women, and goes beyond his narcissism. It appears to be about the socialization process of both
men and women, specifically in the Indian society where marriage is, more often than not, the
first acquaintance of sex and love for most of the people. Nagamandala delves into the female
and male development into individual, and their mature balancing with the social acts selected
for them by the traditional society. Myths and folk tales in a patriarchal society symbolizes
basically the male benumbed abhorrence and desires and are patriarchal builds and “man-
oriented”. In these stories the woman’s knowledge and core emotions often don’t discover
suitable countenance. They don’t give many facts about the women’s fears, anxieties and
psychological issues.

The original story of Nagamandala was narrated to Karnad by A.K Ramanujan. The heading of
the play is awfully representative Naga signifies the character of the king cobra. A “Mandala”
dwells of a triangle and a square, i.e. a triangle within a square. The zeitgeist of the play is the
Mandala. The three specks of the triangle are Rani, Appanna and Naga. It exemplifies the eternal
triangle of an unfaithful circumstance demonstrating the wife, the husband and the lover. The
four edges of the square supports the dramatic frame-work and means the flames (the observer),
the tale, the Man (the writer) and the audience (the repondees). The role of a story here is same
to that of Sutradhar or the chorus in the Greek play. Her arrival on the stage during the whole of
the play sums to the feministic aura of the play. It belongs to the oral tradition of storytelling.
Interestingly, a man, who is a writer, is a playwright himself where on one hand he is telling a
story within a story as well trying to keep him awake at the inner sanctum of a ruined temple. He
is distressed by the fear of death as he is told by a mendicant that he must keep awake at least
one whole night in this month else he would die on the last night of this month. He was unable to
keep himself awake. The man also swears by God that he will never narrate or tell story and
acting if he survives.

“I asked the mendicant what I had done to deserve this fate. And he said: ‘You have
written plays. You have staged them. You have caused so many good people, who came
trusting you, to fall asleep twisted in miserable chairs, that all that abused mass of sleep
has turned against you and become the Curse of Death.” (22-23)

At the very moments, some Flames enters the temple at the irregular time as they enter the
premises, escaped from their houses, to giggle, gossip and have some cheerful time with one
another. Each flame is a female personification. The writer himself jumps into the conversation
and force a flame to narrate a tale that has been escaped from an old woman's head. The Flame,
who is about to narrate a tale where she, a young woman, becomes a Story and the Song her
saree. The Story and the Flames are female narrators in the play and they provide female context
to a male-oriented text. Santosh Gupta rightly observes.

“He brings within the play the strong association between oral narrative tradition and
women’s sub-culture, existing within the patriarchal societies. Women tell many of these
folktales, myths, and legends, and in their telling, often reinvent and transform them. In
the introduction, Karnad says that women tell stories when putting children to bed or
while doing their household chores. In the presence of other women and children, women
give expressions to their own point of view and experiences which are not perhaps
permitted or recognized by patriarchal, classical stories. Their stories represent, Karnad
says, a “distinctly woman’s understanding of the reality around her, a lived counterpoint
to the patriarchal structure of classical texts and institutions”. (P.17)

Rani, a young girl married to Appanna, portrays herself with two images- one of a suffering
bride and other of a divine. The initial stage for Rani is quite painful after her marriage, on one
hand, she misses her parents, feel home-sick and lonely and on the other hand, Appanna comes
home only for the lunch, ask for food, stays for a while and then goes away. But Appanna has
been aware of his own biological needs; therefore, he visits the concubine every night. For
Appanna, there is no communal, moral or entrenched taboo. He is free from all restraints and his
conducts are not exposing to queries. Karnad terribly adroitly hikes the problem that our
conformist society and social laws insist faithfulness and devotion from a married girl unfaithful
and brutal husband. Rani is usually locked by Appanna in the house. This lock and key is an
illustration of the patriarchal cage man has made for women. Manchi Sarat Babu says that

“This solitary confinement of Rani by Appanna in the house symbolizes the chastity belt
of the Middle Ages, the reduction of women's talents to housework and the exclusion of
women from enlightenment and enjoyment.” (Babu, 239)

Young Rani is innocent of sexual desires but definitely, she too needs a person with whom she
can share all her tantrums. In his absence she agonizes for her parents:

Rani: I am so frightened at night, I can't sleep a wink. At home, I sleep between father
and mother. But here, alone –Kurudavva, can you help me, please? Will you please send
word to my parents that I am, like this, here? Will you ask them to free me and take me
home? I would jump into a well- if only I could-. (P.32)

Appanna’s behavior shows his unbalanced emotional and physical selves. Mostly, the emotional
aspect of his personality creates an impression to be an underdeveloped, as he treats Rani and the
prostitute in a crooked way. Women’s close-knit bonds with the other comrades of family and
their lack of liberation to investigate the world on their own are one of the goals why selfdom for
them is commonly a matter of relationships. Sudhir Kakar call attention to that the

“Dominant psycho-social realities of a woman’s life can be condensed into three stages.
First, she is daughter to her parents; second she is wife to her husband (and daughter-in-
law to his parents): and third, she is a mother to her son (and daughter).”

Neither of his relationships is complete and appeasing to him. Rani and Appanna act like a
stranger to one another, as Appanna treats her with disdain, aggression, and distrust. He locks her
in the house and scolds the old lady Kurudavva and her son Kappana when they tried to become
over friendly with Rani. Rani, in her isolation, begins to imagine herself to be a princess locked
up by Demon,

“So the demon locks up her in the Castel. Then it rains for seven days. Then a big whale
comes to Rani and says, ‘come, Rani, let us go.” (P. 35)
Her story Grows and perhaps takes her to the fantasy world. Her story expresses her true
feelings in the bounded house. The forces of Love dominate over those of authoritarianship. That
is why Rani is helped by the king Cobra. She not only is dislodging the conspiracy but is also
respected and idolized by the humankind. So B.T. Seeta is absolutely sustained in calling
attention to:

“If Nagamandala symbolizes a woman’s predicament in a tradition... Family set-up, there

is also an underlying metaphor of love that rises from the realms of an abyss to reach the
heights of a sanctified relationship of acceptance and reverence.”

The Analyst accumulates:

“Rani and Appanna are presented as characters who ‘live happily ever after’, though not
without a sense of restlessness in Appanna’s inability to comprehend Rani’s motherhood
and her status as a goddess and Rani’s anguish to know whether it was her husband who
come to her as the lover, because ‘no two men make love alike’. The desire and instinct
to be happy buries the past, only to make it possible to move ahead in times.”

Rani’s loyalty and modesty are set against Appanna fidelity. Appanna’s furtive relationship with
a concubine is known to all the villagers but he is never questioned. The patriarchal arrangement
needs the woman to be extremely complaint and Rani does not anticipate her husband to return
to her with none expectations. She is quite perplexed to see him in a mood for blether and loving
touch. However Naga allures her over with patient and benevolence. Rani begins to relish his
company and care, and waits for him every night. One afternoon she tries to speak to Appanna,
who boycotts her one more, making Rani apprehensive that the incident of the previous night
exists solely in her imagination. She keeps on moving between the twin poles of trust and
acquaintance. The question is whether or not it is just Rani who patricians between reality and
anecdote or whether it is a customary of human plight.

Human beings are affected and mastered by discourses, consistent with Michel Foucault, and are
led to rely on what discourses need them to accept. Every period produces assured
communication through which the subject may be objectified in consonance with the ruling
conducts, principles and curiosities of its society. What we call the reality is a result of
communications over a period of time. Foucault inquires the very risk of believing and facts
outside or on the other side of discourses.

Naga makes use of his patriarchal power and reticence’s queries that Rani may begin to have:

“. . . Listen, Rani. I shall come home every day twice. At night and of course again at
mid-day. . . .When I come and go at night, don’t go out of this room, don’t look out of the
window - whatever the reason. And don’t ask me why.” (45)

It can be questioned whether this command is to be read among the differing competence
relationship between man and woman and what would happen if Rani is allured to disregard it.
But she is ready to silence all her queries, in return for the adoration and care she had been
seeking in the strange new home. She does not raise any queries and waits for Naga every day. It
is quite troublesome to say whether Rani assumes that Naga and Appanna are not one however
two completely different persons. M. Sarat Babu says.

“Appanna and Naga are the two faces of one man symbolizing the exploitation and double
standards of man.” (35)

However do both of them not represent the breathless discourse of patriarchy, silencing women
in one manner or another? Appanna’s delinquency of Rani and his visits to the odalisque hints at
the methods patriarchy can use the instrument of sex to put down women. It despises the
concubine by using her as a sex mortal, whereas it humiliates Rani by disagreeing her the
relationship that schemes the premise of wedding. Appanna is accepted with everything but the
woman is booked even in suspension. Rani doesn’t get any attention, love, and care from her
husband which a girl desires from her partner. Karnad deconstructs the discourse of marriage as
an vital and achieving amalgam and describes how marriage is used by patriarchy to enclose and
to take advantage of women.

As in Sakharam Binder in this play too,

“Patriarchal arrangement in a marriage is shown to mirror the class relations between a

capitalist and a worker.”
An aphrodisiac root is given to Rani by Kurudavva to mix in curry for Appanna to attract him
towards herself but on seeing blood red color of the food she poured on the ant hill that makes
the king cobra loves her. But Rani cannot be accused of this relationship as Naga always
approaches her in the disguise of Appanna and she cannot differentiate between them. Human
beings are lead to believe and disciplined by communications, as stated to Michel Foucault, and
are derived to rely on what conversations desire them to believe. Each epoch creates absolute
discussion through which the subject may be objectified in accordance to the governing
principles, doctrines and concerns of its society. What we call the certainty is a result of
conversation over a course of time. Foucault inquires the very feasibility of nailing any facts of
existence extreme or yonder discussions. Naga’s competent questions ask her to choose either
he should come or accord with the duality of his conduct:

Naga: what should I do then- stop coming at night? Or during the day?

Rani: Who am I to tell you that? It’s your house, your pleasure.

Naga: No, let’s say, the husband decides on the day visit. And the wife decides on the
night visits. So I won't come at night if you don't want me to.

Rani: …..

Naga: I am afraid that this is how it is going to be like that during the day. Like this at
night. Don't ask me why. (Page 42-43)

It can be inquired whether the instruction is to be apprehend within the disproportionate

competence relationship between man and woman and what would happen if Rani is desirous to
violate it. But she is ready to hush all her convictions, in return for the adoration and care she had
been looking for in the strange new home. She does not inquire any query and hold back for
Naga every day. It is hard to make declaration whether Rani speculates that Naga and Appanna
are not but two dissimilar persons. M. Sarat Babu is of the view that

"Appanna and Naga are the two faces of one man symbolizing the exploitation and
double standards of man (35)".
But do both of them not stand for the strangled discussion of patriarchate, silencing women in
one way or another? Appanna's misconduct of Rani and his sojourns to the harlot indicates at the
methods patriarchy can avail the tool of sexuality to degrade women. It debases the concubine by
utilizing her as a sex object, while it degrades Rani by renouncing her relationship that designs
the foundation of marriage.

Rani, who has never experienced such love and affection from her husband naturally accepts the
offer and conditions for the good company. Initially, Rani hesitated to adapt herself in the role of
wife, laterally; Naga makes her aware of the process of socialization and sexual needs of the
body. As she has not talked to anyone except Appanna, Naga, and Kurudavva after her marriage
so the things are quite strange for her. In this way, Flame composes stories and

“Perhaps it is in her fantasy that she takes a lover. Her story expresses her psycho erotic
need which she does not fully understand. But she needs to relate to someone, for it is
through her relationship with some other that she, as a woman is likely to realize herself
(P.252) (J. Dodiya: The plays of Girish Karnad).

Appanna’s character is not completely developed. He is much defensive to his wife and always
haunted by fear but he is mocked at as he could not protect his wife's chastity and Fidelity and in
his (Appanna’s) disguise form Naga sexually abuses Rani. She always remains in an illusion.
Though somewhere in her heart, she knows the reality. Appanna buys a dog to keep a watch on
her but Naga killed it. During the fight, Naga gets some injuries when Rani goes to the mirror
box to get an ointment to apply on the wound she gets scared.

“She rushes to the mirror box and opens it. Before Naga can move away so Rani won't
see his reflection, she looks at him in the mirror. Screams in fright. He moves with the
lightning speed, pulls her away from the mirror and holds her in his arms. She is
trembling.” (P. 43)

Marriage in Naga-Mandala is pious. However, the couple has to adjust and to compromise with
each other to prevent their social setup.
The important term takes place when Rani becomes pregnant. Appanna is shocked and
astonished that how she managed to go out of the house and built up a relationship with another
man and she calls her whore and harlot. It is quite obvious for him to behave in such a way as he
has never had sex with his wife. For Rani, it's quite confusing. The husband of the day abuses her
but in the night she gets a warm consoling. But how her husband can love or react in a positive
manner when he knows that body in his wife's womb does not belong to him. Appanna takes her
for the public trial where the Naga prepares her for the snake trial.

“There is an enormous Ant-hill under the banyan tree. Almost like a mountain. A king
cobra lives in it- say you will put your hand into the ant Hill.” (P.53)

Rani discovers herself deserted in the critical situations, for the lover as well as the husband fail
to feather ethical or ardent help. Naga apologizes.

“I am sorry but it can’t be done.” (P.53)

When she says that the snake would bite her, he assures her.

“No, it won't bite. Only you must tell the truth.” (P.53)

Rani further asks many questions to make her normal with the situation and Naga, too, tries his
best to provide her emotional support. Naga says the king cobra is as friendly as humans can be.
His deep words:

“It must be the truth. I can't help it, Rani. That's how it has always been. That’s how it
will always be.” (P.54)

Naga motivates Rani for the snake ordeal and his final assurance that the truth will fall on your
side.

Naga: (gets up) All will be well, Rani. Don't worry. Your husband will become your
slave tomorrow. You will get all you have ever wanted. (P.54)

The reality for Rani is that she has been loyal and pious to her husband. On the other hand,
Appanna has never touched his wife so how could she be pregnant. Fortunately, Rani's language
saves her life. The play, hence surveys the problems of reality and false belief. Rani, Naga and
Appanna are well conscious of the Realities. Still, all of them treat deception as absoluteness. In
fact, each of them perceives and discerns certainty from his/her own approach. In the snake
ordeal, Rani utters the truth that she has been touched only by the two--one her husband and the
other the king Cobra. Naga accords her armor by lifting his Hood over her head. Appanna’s
angle is that he has not touched his wife. So, the snake ordeal amazed him. In the snake ordeal,
before the Elders, her words became the savior. The anxious, abashed, young girl discovers
within herself a boldness and belief and attains social integrity. She came out successfully from
the public trial, as the snake does not bite her. The cold, belligerent, and indifferent husband is
subdued, mildly pacified and approbate the acumen even if he is not fully convinced.

Rani: since coming to this village, I have held by this hand, only two.

Appanna: (triumphant) There. She admits it. Two, she says. Two! who are they?

Rani: My husband and…..

Appanna: And- say it who else?

Rani: And this Cobra.

(Suddenly words pour out)

Yes, my husband and this King Cobra. Except for these two, I have not touched any one
of the male sex. Nor have I allowed any other male to touch me. If I lie, let the cobra bite
me. (P.58)

Thus, Naga-Mandala ridicules the men who always run after sexual satisfaction and ignore the
importance of love and trust which are the important factors to build a relationship. The Elders
ignores extramarital relationship, uphold the institution of marriage. The Elders call her divine-
human, seek her blessings and force Appanna to welcome her in your life as your wife and take
the best care of the child as well. The decision by the Elders is not the sense of judgment and
reasoning, therefore, Appanna treats her as a moral responsibility.

It is arduous to assume accurately when Rani begins to make a distinction among Naga and
Appanna. The play hints at many such incidents which should have reinforced Rani's assumption
about Naga not being Appanna, yet it bob up that Rani avoids the observations of all these
moments- such as Naga's injuries, his appearance in the mirror and his being able to arrive a
latched house. It emerges to be a willing suspension of disbelief on Rani's part not to have
arrived at the right consequences. Or if she had figured out it earlier, she yet instinctively goes on
playing the role of an unaware woman, since it matches her best. The alike applies to Appanna
who gladly dangles his disbelief of Rani's purity and goes on to carry out the role of perfect
husband and father near the completion of the play.

It is hard to discover whether he absolutely believes the myth of the goddess around Rani, or
endure before the composite burden of the village elders and the people:

“Elder 1. Appanna, your wife is not an ordinary woman. She is a goddess incarnate. Do
not grieve that you judge her wrongly and treated her badly. That is how goddess reveal
themselves to the world. You were the chosen instrument for revealing her divinity.
Elder 2. Spend the rest of your life in her service. You need merit in ten past lives to be
chosen for such holy duty”. (59)

And that is what Appanna does, but is he actually persuaded that Rani is pure? The man too
boosts his confusions about the denouement, which makes Story changes her story as she builds
Appanna sound off his pain:

What am I to do? Is the whole world against me? Have I sinned so much that even nature
should laugh at me? I know I have not slept with my wife. Let the world say what it likes.
Let any miracle declare her a goddess. But I know! What sense am I to make of my life if
that's worth nothing? (60).

The assurance and an individual declaration about truth of the rational being come into sight to
be in affray. The use of myth often weakens the idea of the dependability of rational self. Also
the meaning of the fusion between the myth of goddess and the real woman withstand out here.
Karnad seems to be problematizing the segregation between the two, propounding that the myth
of the goddess enforce a marked performativity on the part of the real woman which is nourished
by the speeches of celestiality. On the other hand, while determining a goddess our judgment is
affected by our foundations of determining the real woman. Through Nagamandala, Karnad
seems to be indicating at this disorientation between the regions of absolute being and mankind.

It is hard for Rani to adjudge whether to enact as a goddess or as a genuine woman. Apparent
divisions are barely accessible. She must carry out diversified role at the alike time. Story raises
the problems of Rani's perplexity when she acknowledges that Appanna is not Naga:

“No two men make love alike. And that night of the village court, when her true husband
climbed into bed with her how could she fail to realize it was someone new? Even if she
had not know earlier? When did the split take place? Every night this conundrum must
have spread its hood out at her.” (60)

But story advices that these apparent imperfections in the concluding part must be disregarded.
The playwright indicates at the essential features of innocence on which play acting develops in
the classical drama, and he chases Ibsen in accomplishing a outstripping result from the
audience.

“When one says, 'and they lived happily ever after', all that is taken for granted. You
sweep such headaches under the pillow and then press your head firmly down on them. It
is something one has to live with, like a husband who snores, or a wife who is going
bold.” (60)

In fact, story offers the man a option of conclusion betwixt which he may prefer any,
propounding how far our lives are formed by stories, fictions and partial-truths. Reality is always
conditional and fragmentary, and consign the ending open adumbrates the hopelessness of
embracing a final form of reality, if there is any. One has to build one's own authenticity.
Appanna in the last part of the story fulfill all his duties as a father and a husband. After the
death of king cobra, Appanna agrees that their son should lit the ceremonial fire (pyre) and that

“Every year on this day our son should perform the rituals took commemorate its death.”
(P.63)

As, all these activities, are being performed by the son when the father is no more. It is not clear
whether Rani knows the truth about Naga or she is simply regarding him as a fatherly figure as
Naga has saved the life of the child. But the play does not confine here. The man goes on to offer
additional conclusion at the appeal of the flames which are of the assessment that the concluding
part given by Story is not suitable,

"Stop making excuses!... The story may be over but you are here and still alive!... Listen,
we do not have much time left... Get on with it, for goodness sake, etc."(64)

Appanna questions,

“But aren’t you going too far? I mean- that’s done only for one's own father. And I am
still alive”

Rani: We are not important. But our son is the ‘blossom’ of our family. He has been
saved. He has been given the gift of life by the cobra, as by a father” (P.69)

In the other ending of the play, Rani comes closer to Cobra as she saves it from being killed by
Appanna by hiding it in her hairs. She says to Cobra:

Rani: (Softly, to the cobra) You? What are you doing here? He will kill you. Go, go
away. No! Not that way. He is there. What shall we do? What shall we do? Why did you
ever come here, stupid? (Suddenly) my hair! Of course. Come quick. Climb into it. (She
lets her hair down to the floor.) Quick now. Get it. Are you safely in there? Good. Now
stay there. And lie still. You don't know how heavy you are. Let me get used to you, will
you? (Appanna comes in with stick) it went that way- towards the bedroom. (Appanna
rushes out of the bedroom, towards the bathroom, looking for the snake. Rani pats her
hair.) This hair is the symbol of my wedding bliss. Live in there happily, forever. (P.64)
The play ends with the note of love. Naga sacrificed his love for the sake of her chastity and
Fidelity. Naga’s love proves that love is not about possession. While Naga’s love gives Rani
each and every opportunity she wants in her happy married life, therefore, Naga prefers to die in
her hairs to avoid any possibility of coming into their married life. The king Cobra mislays his
ipseity in the amour. He involved in the pains of love. Almost in the play’s call off, his
relationship with Rani is “a pleasing pain” for him. He cannot bear to see her in the
companionship of her husband. So, he makes a determination to bite her. But he flops to do it
since he himself declares:

“No, I can’t My love has stitched up my lips. Pulled out my fangs. Torn out of my sac of
poison... Yes king cobra is now no better than a grass snake.”(296)

This is how Karnad accumulated the king Cobra, as Milton does the Satan in the Paradise Lost.
The pride and poison of the king Cobra have been quest by Rani’s love and affection.
Nevertheless, he affirms superior to both Appanna and Rani by giving up his life for Rani’s
conjugal ecstasy.

V. Rangan suitably says:

“Does Nagamandala... mean the ‘coils of the cobra’ that entangles Rani or is it Naga himself
caught in the coils of love for Rani? Sex seems to be the road to salvation in the Karnad canon
and holds an important place in all his plays... It is the supreme path that teaches the lessons of
life to Rani, Naga and Appanna”.

Nagamandala illustrates the man and woman goes through many stages of disbelief, ambivalence
even defeat afore they grown up and acquire information to live unite as husband and wife,
within the family-fold. Appanna becomes a nurturing husband, accepting Rani’s choices which
may at times perplex him. This change in Rani’s rank comes through her parenthood, and the
public trial, where her brave approval of the truth attains her public integrity. This
metamorphosis of both Appanna and Rani adduces the importance of the institution of wedding.
It is through mending that they acquire the rank within the life of community. As, individuals,
they gain the complete selfhood only after going through these portrayals. Both man and woman
accepts and social pressure in keeping away personal emotions about selfhood, imaginations and
illusions about love and liberation and acquires to give up to the other for the sake of family and
community. Rani’s vision of lover who had clumsy her and loved her as a woman, and
Appanna’s self prostitute, and given up, and they work collectively in the interest of the family
and the community.

The public and private selves become linked through the accidences of socially accountable acts.
But does that entirely choke the unseen, restrained wishes for adoration and individual
achievement? The bifold closure of the play gives this combined form through the formative
tools.

The woman’s story signifies the female point of view about her requirements, difficulties and
acquaintance within the patriarchal institutions. It feathers an empathizing into the intricate
attributes of human connections while also manifesting women’s way to balancing into their
bothersome social aspects. The snake-lover’s story has become a “Vrat-Katha”, a story told as a
celebration of Cobra worship, where women plead to the cobra for authorizing safety, and
offspring to their family. A.K. Ramanujan penned

“ritual tale itself is a public even told during the cobra Festival to propitiate snake, to
ensure safety and fertility within marriage.”(12)

Further, it seems to be public acceptance of endangers to which marriage is always open, and an
identification of the good wishes and kindliness of the outsiders for bringing all together the
husband and wife. Karnad uses the folk tale in its feminized form to present the issues faced by
both men and woman in marriage and the method of metamorphosis of the young and
immanently lagging person into a developed and a grown up adult.

Marriage does not only define living all together. It is a holy nuptial bond, a vow of virility.
Karnad through Naga-Mandala desires to bring to observe the tendentious societal outlook which
suggests freedom to a male to adore extra-marital relationship but when a female does so, she is
harshly birched. Rani is asked by the village leaders to carry out the ordeal of holding the hot
iron rod to attest her purity. This reference admonishes us the episode of “Sita Agnipariksha” in
the Ramayana, which has been the cultural and ethical convoy of Indian society for generations.
Like the village court of the play our rural society is sill at the mercy of the judgments of village
Panchayat that are beyond question and inescapable.
Girish Karnad like all different modern writers made intensive uses of myths in his plays to
convict socio-cultural evils, which have deeply worned the personal life of woman. Karnad
wished to survey the social-injustices perpetrated on chaste, benighted Indian women. The author
seems to mention that Matriarchy which in accordance with Bachoten’s theory of Mother Right
is the Lost Paradise of mankind, will definitely come again. Indian women were strained to just
accept celibacy as a social worth which was made-up by patriarchal culture, which bound
woman since generations. Sita undergoing the fire ordeal to analyze her purity to Rama has been
a cultural convey to the Indians. Each Indian family tied their daughter to patriarchy by
conveyance upon them that chastity was additionally necessary and change from it becomes a
social shame. Innocent women who were subjected to the brutality of their barbarous husbands
were created to sustain their husbands as result of they were terrified of social stigma. Thus
several modern dramatists wished to get rid of these wrong ideas, which afflicted the Indian
society.

Karnad’s Naga-Mandala approaches with intensely psychological issues faced by modern Indian
in the existing social atmosphere. This play effectively represents the distress faced by people in
the modern society.

WEDDING ALBUM

"Wedding Album is irreverent, subversive and radical, and reveals the Indian middle class family
as seen never, felt, or breathed before"

-Neelam Mansingh Chowdhary

Wedding album (2009) based upon Technology- affected and culture- infected Indian family.
Karnad scrutinizes a classical Indian wedding with an illustration to bring to light the pretended
relations which come to the fore on the celebration of an espousal when even the remotest
relatives come together to feast the marriage ceremony. In addition to this, Karnad practices the
event to examine various contemporary concerns linked with relationships and society. It is the
translation of Karnad’s Kannada play Maduveya Album (2006). This play portrays the picture of
typical Indian arrange marriage but shows the reality of today's world through the politics of the
tale serials and internet café’s, used to fulfill the fantasies. The play also highlights the mere facts
of Indian wedding and harshly denigrates the Indian cultural norms, purity of familial
relationship and the general tendency of departing Indians to expert serenity and sincerity from
their housewives. According to Amit Srinivasan,

“Wedding album works as (a) modern myth, whose condensed logic straddles both the
real and the techsimulated world of today, to help us confront our own mixed-up, a
moral, craven, unhappy selves… Karnad, thus, reversed the charge laid against him
sometimes that his preoccupation with history and folk myth makes him evade
contemporary Indian reality.”

Wedding Album presents the monotonous life of the members of a south Indian Saraswat
Brahmin family where parents are worried for their daughter's marriage and son in an arranged
manner. The writer tries to show the real picture of urban middle class family and their anxiety
of Indianness in search of a suitable boy for their daughter and appositely girl for their son. The
locale of the play is all set in Dharwad, city in Karnataka. Karnad presents the situation in
Nadkarni’s living room where the ideology of two generation doesn’t match. The Elders have
traditional Outlook therefore they like to keep their native anthropological and theosophical
culture pure and free from the modernity. But their children are quite open to the society and
they have liberal thoughts which are quite conflicting between the thoughts of two generation.
The family is directly linked to Australia and America as Nandkarni’s are well educated and
have broad outlook on human relationship. Their younger daughter Vidhula finds a match,
Ashwin, and an expatriate staying in USA finds the Hi-Tech world of the west detrimental to the
development of relation as he himself denies for the dowry to Vidula’s family. The Play begins,
Rohit as the camera man is engaged in making documentary of Vidula for telecasting it. Vidula,
on other side, is quite nervous while facing the camera. Rohit directs Vidula that she should look
more confident than her usual talk in her speech on TV screen. Thus, the interview of Vidula is
made to introduce her for the person with whom she desires to marry.

Vidula introduces herself.

 “I am Vidula. Vidula Nadkarni. I am twenty. Twenty-two and half, actually. I have done
my B.A in geography. Passed my exam last year. I am not doing anything at the moment.
Worked for a travel agency for six months” (P.5)

Formerly she briefly describes about herself then about her family. In the modern society
conceit is all the more substantial. Marriage is represented as the 'market' where we have to
demonstrate our best face to conquest their heart. People are derided to act in an assertive way.
The caste system in India is widespread from the ancient times. Traditional Indian marriages are
supposed to be in caste. Inter-caste marriages are considered as wicked and an immoral activity
to people in India. Moreover, caste is highly connected to working of marriage as a social
institution. People choose to ally in their own community. The approach following this can be
that if two individual marries within caste, it will succeed, more representatives will be combined
to it. There is assertive power politics following the concern of caste in India. To marry in the
alike community is a tool for it, so that one caste should stay more effective. In the play Pratibha
is women around forty from Orissa, who is very grown-up. She fiercely analyzes the
circumstances of Vidula. She explains:

Pratibha: A girl from an educated family middle class family- a graduate-agrees to

consider marrying a man whom she has never met. The boy turns up, all ready to jump on
the alter, without even having seen her. In this day and age?

Rohit: They were not total strangers. I mean, they had video exchanged video tapes.
SMSed. Talked on Phone. And he belonged to our caste. (8)

Pratibha very scornfully questions that in the modern society an educated girl would do so?
These undertakings were administer in ancient times where the two outlanders marry each other
beyond being aware a bit. She gives priority to that an educated girl should be appraised of her
selection, and additionally she should not select someone unexpectedly without assemblage him
and knowing him individually. But Rohit, who can be seen as the caretaker of competence, right
away answer back, wraps the fact and stress that the boy is best because he being part of their
caste. The Nandarkarnis, they always give priority on accepting to an upper caste, Brahmins. The
selection of Vidula hardly concerns, even if they have confabulated less, the indispensable
content on which Rohit focuses is he is also a Saraswat Brahmin. Some people marry for
accompaniment, some marry due to being strained, some for reproduction but most of the
persons marry as a socio-biological responsibility. In accordance with the law, marriage has two
essential constituents’ viz. mutual consent and marriage ceremony. However, what foreshadows
concession and what takes the place of marriage life. As the mother of Vidula explains,

"A wedding means expenses- there is no getting away from that."(15)

And, the big fat Indian wedding turn into the stage on which people get the possibility of
examining their resources and great pleasures In the play Vidula's father comments,

"Shopping! A wedding is essentially for shopping. Everything else is secondary."(31)

This emulates the usual Indian mindset. The purchasing and the discussion of gifts being
replaces in the two families are vital. Karnad has absolutely blend how wedding includes careful
expenses, and one should set money aside for later use from the very starting of an event if you
have a daughter. As Vidula's mother says,

Mother: Hema, you were a witness. You saw how i pleaded with your father I almost fell
at his feet. I said our daughter and son-in-law are going abroad; let's get some jewellary
made for them. But he has ever listened to me? He just snarled at me: 'our son-in-law isn't
asking for anything. So what are you making such a fuss about? (15)

Buying jewellary for the wedding is mode of materialization. It is a tradition rather than a
decision. One has to propose some enrich to your son-in-law and daughter, it is essential.
However the groom and the bride have not questioned for any acquisitive, it's an obsessive
tradition to support it, to examine their position. So, karnad here fiercely disapproves the Indian
ceremonies that gifts should not be due to boy from the girl's family. Hereafter, economical
assessment is still a controlling mental analysis betrothed agreement. Wedding become a
platform is which people just come and join to ephemeral a disturbance about preparations,
beautifications, food etc. As Vidula's mother remarks,

Mother: It's all very well for him to waive these things. He lives in the U.S, after all. But I
have attended weddings in our neighbor’s families. Accepted their hospitality. Gorged
myself at their wedding feast and now, when it comes to my own daughter's wedding,
you want to pack the guests of with a betel leaf and a nut? (16)

Vidula's mother feels surprised to hear about the new environment and manner of marriage when
Rohit assured that, the talking on phone and video calling doesn't accepted the union. Only if
Ashwin liked Vidula, then he wants to go the Registrar and sign the further says,

"He already has said he doesn't want all that. No rituals, no wasteful tamasha, nothing."
(25)

Mother becomes unexpectedly doubtful when she heard this, and wants to stop the marriage. She
wanted to done with this then and there. Marriage is such a grand occasion for the girls in Indian
society. The madness of the mother shows that parents are so much compelled by this. Once the
boy has been chosen they want to resdute to be done with it. Traditionally, in India once the
marriage has been intent, the girl's identity is smacked to it. After the fallacious statement of her
mother about the marriage being break off, Vidula outcries,

Vidula: No we can't. We will become laughing stock of the town. We agreed to all this.
No to break off for no reason! I can't face it. (26)

Marriage is a social institution in the ailment of which the public is at large is intensely curious.
Breaking up of marriage is such a big problem in Indian society. A person very skillfully binds
the mishaps of the marriage to the girl's integrity. The family becomes an amusing stock as
pointed out by Vidula. She has not that much braveness to face it. In other words, we can acutely
illustrate that

"Marriage is a gamble." (27)

Rohit is in love with Isabel Pinto, a Christian girl with whom he is making teleserial. Rohit is
already thirty-two and is still in search of a good job. He is a script writer for teleplays. Ramdas,
the brother of Father, is the police commissioner with whom all the members are attached. The
thinking of Nadkarni’s children is broader than their parents. Nadkarni’s thought for marriage is
“Marriage is a gamble” and only the community may fulfill the needs and guarantee conditions.”
On the other hand, Nadkarni’s believe “A wedding is essential an excuse for shopping” (31).

The word 'dowry' defines interchange of the de rigueur acquisitive gifts within the two families.
It is the possessions, priceless protections, capital that brings to her husband's house at the time
of her marriage. Dowry is a shape of mental analysis (in cash or otherwise) asked by the groom
or his relatives in acknowledgement for marring the bride to be. (Mitra 1). It is one of the social
immoralities which karnad has used to reveal in the play. It can be a pleasure to same time it is a
blaspheming for the bride's family as they have a lug the gigantic expense to fulfill the absurd
request of the groom's family. In the play, the two bridegrooms didn't inquire for any dowry.
They rather propound the 'ideal marriage'. As the father says,

Father: But Hema's husband didn't take a penny. And this boy who has come for Vidula-
what's his name?

Rohit: Ashwin.
Father: Ashwin. Ashwin Panje. He says the same thing, no dowry. Who says today's
youth lacks values? Idealism? The first thing he said was: 'No thanks: I don't want any
dowry'(31).

Karnad by means of Hema's husband and Ashwin desired to focus that the in the institution of
marriage, dowry plays a vital role in the Indian weddings. Some people look that 'social evil' as
duties which have to be rigidly superseded. The practice of dowry is widespread in almost all the
divisions of our society in form or the other. In the modern society even though both the girl and
a boy are educated, they are working, still some of the families boost the claims dowry. In the
ancient times, it was asked chiefly by groom's family but in the modern times bride's family have
also chosen it as a working approach to bride the boy. It is more important for them to settle
down as Ashwin is coming to India. Another aspect, Gopal and Vatsala, the member of Sirur
family, has come from Hyderabad to settle their daughter’s marriage with Rohit. Gopal Sirur is
the brother in law of Rohit’s father. Rohit makes an excuse for not marrying Tapasya that he
wants to settle down yet or may be due to his pathologically vitriolic hatred. Tapasya is a
postgraduate, modern girl with love for tradition as well. But Rohit is completely Americanized.
He runs after Isabel and his sister as well pokes him,

“Why should you take up with a Christian girl? Are not there nice girl in our
community?” (P.42)

While Sirur’s proposes Rohit for marriage with Tapasya, he doesn't say ‘yes’ to the proposal. On
such reaction, Vidula says:

“To have a girl waiting for you - her parents kneeling before you- begging and
pleading… it really must make you feel grand… Why did not you tell them you were
going around Isabel? You could have told them you two work as good as engaged”
(P.42).

One of the chief speck to notice is that mainly in the Indian society, whenever a boy seems to
chunk the marriage propound of a girl. They right away link this point in question to the
existence and honor of the girl. And, it is widely recognized that the refusal supports some kind
of power to the boy. They experience dignified. As Vidula scornfully points to Rohit:

Vidula: But it gives you a sense of power, doesn't it? To have a girl waiting for you her
parents kneeling before you begging and pleading... It really must make you feel
grand(44).
From the play we can draw out that both Vidula and Tapasya are in the same circumstances, if
their marriage will be impede, they won't be able to accost the people. Here, karnad points on the
ephemeral and fragile ipseity of women. The Indian society more frequently be opt to join the
appraisal of women to their anticipated marriage. A married woman is more deemed than a
single working woman. Thus, women and their integrity are accompanied to their connubial
condition. This is one the outlooks of marriage being a civil institution and how it encloses the
ipseity of the women.

Rohit objects saying that there is a no need to disclose his personal life as he finds no difference
between Christian and Hindu girls. Like many young boys, he is full of ambitions and career
aspects. He doesn’t even recall that Tapasya’s father had financed his trip to Germany for
training in software production. The Sirur’s begs before Rohit for Tapasya.

Sirur Tells Rohit

“Think of her, she has come here under the impression that you have. She has come from
Hyderabad sure that everything will go well today and she will be engaged to you…”
(P.38)

In response Rohit says

“I don’t care if I have a stroke for the sake of my daughter. To you, Rohit, it may seem a
small matter. But we have told everyone in Hyderabad. Our relations have congratulated
us on getting such an excellent son-in-law. Her classmates have actually thrown a party
to celebrate the event. And now if we go back and say- can you imagine? She won’t be
able to show her face. She is our only child, Rohit. She is sensitive. Don’t hurt her please,
don’t wound her. We have brought her up like a flower. Don’t insult her. Please. Don’t
please. I’ll fall to your feet… (P.39)

Gopal, Mohan and Mira are baffed at Rohit’s attitude. Mr.Nadkarni seems to be an important
person but he is not much involved in Vidula’s marriage. Marriage for an Indian society has been
considered as an important events, eminent with charm, pleasure and keen interaction usually,
Indian wedding be opt to receiving the indulgent and glorious backgrounds with august
celebration. As the budding frugality draws a new resource into the country; marriage
ceremonies have curved into authentic showpieces. With the developing times the celebratory
spirit of the environment of marriage has taken on a more extravagant one as weddings become
event for India's very quickly budding profuse classes to show off their social status and wealth.
The event of marriage goes on wide scale and arrangements takes so much time these days. As
Mohan states,

Mohan: Well, in the good, old days, weddings would go on for weeks on end. Just
preliminary discussions over exchange of gifts would take days. (31)

Endowments and discussion of clothes are one of the valuable colloquies among Indian
weddings. Time and people are tangled in it for such a long time that people become annoyed.
As Vidula and Hema held a discourse,

Vidula: I never thought getting married would be such a hassle. Everything seems to...

Hema: All weddings are like that, don't worry. I haven't told you... (50)

Mrs. Nadkarni is full of pride and Prejudice and wishes to celebrate Vidula’s marriage at per
neighbors she afflicts that fifteen years ago Hema’s marriage was without any pomp and show.
She even complains her husband for not giving gifts to Hema on her wedding.

Hema’s husband is a Chief commercial officer in Australia. Hema and Vidula believes that

“These days most Multinationals, International banks, corporations they all have Indians
in top position” and “Indians are about to take over the entire commercial world.” (17)

Hema’s husband is in a transferable job where he keeps on shifting from one place to another.
Hema being an Indian wife always follow the footsteps of her husband. She says

“The white wife refuses to go trailing after her husband. We Indian women, on the other
hand, are obedient, Sati Savitris, ever willing to follow in our husbands footsteps. Look at
 me- Melbourne, Johannesburg, Singapore and now Sydney. Our men may get all the
jobs. But I’m in no better position than Ma (17)

Hema expresses that how the Indian wives suffer due to multinational corporate sector.
Apparently, this is the reason Hema has not been able to avail her creativity and knowledge and
resides as a homemaker, uniformly anguishing about her children and home. She is as likely as
not so abandoned by her companion and her conjugal life is so boring that she is delighted when
Vivan, a boy even younger to her son, shows a concern in her. She is at first amazed at getting
attention from a boy so young, but later she experiences exalted and looks forward to short
meetings with him and his amorous charged letters. But in the end of the play, Vivan dumps her
for a young girl. Karnad, by this scene, indicates at the sensual broad-mindedness widespread in
society where all restraints of age, relation and comparability vanish. Mahesh Dattani feels that
Karnad does not take any ethical opinion related to any of the passionate concerns illustrated in
the play, but rather paints them with an immoral brush.

“We feel privileged in having had an insight into a way of life that goes beyond social
decorum and upper class demureness. This play is a winner because we do not find her
surreptitiousness in any way immoral (6)”.

Mrs. Nadkarni feels that Vidula should not spend life as Hema does. As today’s modern girl has
more opportunities to settle themselves therefore during her departing ceremony, after Vidula’s
wedding Mrs. Nadkarni says:

“My father would not even let me finish college. And Hema arrived soon after. And then
you all. I never had any time for you children. Just rush, rush. And I achieved nothing in
my life. But I was hoping at least you girls would do something. So many opportunities
in today’s world. We could not even dream of such a world. But Hema did nothing with
her intelligence and good looks has been content to be a housewife. You are capable of
anything if you will only make up your mind… I’m told there are lots of opening in
America. They say you can take courses in everything- paintings, ceramics, pottery,
music. Don’t throw away your talent just bearing children. God gave me such lovely
children. But I could give them no guidance. We did nothing for you. Don’t do the same
thing with your life” (P.90)
Vidula promises her mother but fails to keep it. Like a traditional girl, she decides to follow the
footsteps of her mother and sister. Ashwin's announcements about protection and procreation of
Hinduism and Indian culture too turns up to be a skilled stratagem to triumph people and
influence upon them the fancied eminence of his culture, while, on the other side, he also tells
Vidula how he himself has seen, accustomed and appreciated each feature of American culture:

“I have drunk life in the US to the lees, Girl friends, affairs, mistresses, one-night stands
and on the public stage, glamour, success, social connections. I have been through them
all. And I have come to the conclusion that whole culture is empty of values now, bereft
of any living meaning. It is shallow, you see what I mean, glittering and shallow... Unlike
the US, India has an ancient civilization. A culture which is full of wisdom and insight.
India should have the capacity to lead the world.” (80-81)

Ashwin attempts to influence Vidula that he is in search of a life-partner from a place like
Dharwad because it aids that the girl would be full of "innocence" and "purity"(81).It is a case of
patriarchy using the conversation of devotion and culture to capitalize and restrain people by
stereotyping genders, persons and places. Ashwin tells Vidula

"Someone like you carries within you the essence of Hindu spirituality. Woman as
mother, wife, daughter, womanhood as the most sacred ideal"(81)

He expects Vidula to be a submissive house maker who should carry out her responsibilities
within the circle of the household without expecting any appreciation or without engrossing of
her own life, career or financial freedom. Ashwin tactically yet instinctively uses the patriarchal
conversation of lady as Goddess. Such conversation builds certain subject posture which molds a
woman, developing unrealistic models for her to catenae. Vidula, however, pays attention to all
this deceitfulness in silence and does not disagree to it. It is hard to rely on that she is the same
Vidula who scolded the ethical guardians in the cafe episode so deeply.

All the three children of Nadkarni’s have different opinion about love and marriage. They are
more attached to modernity. They think that their father’s decision for not bearing the risk of
joining as a private practitioner with doctor Shanbhag (Who is a renowned man in society at
present) is the biggest mistake of his life. They believe that their father’s life is no means without
money. They blame him for his affection and care for his brother, Ramdas, and for sitting alone
without taking care of anything happening around. In his reply he gives an example of his friend,
Phadnis:

“He had three sons in the US. His Kidneys packed up, he was on the death bed. So the
first son took leave and came. Waited for a month. But Phadnis wouldn’t die. So the son
went back. Next time Phadnis was critical, second son came and waited. Used up his
holidays. But Phadnis wouldn’t oblige. The third son apparently told his mother, ‘If
father doesn’t die now, I can’t come back for two years. I have promised my wife and
children a holiday in Maldives in next year.’ (P.78)

Mr. Nadkarni feels devoid in family life and the relationships he is dealing with due to
materialism commodification of culture and influence of technology. He feels loss of moral
values as well as cultural values. Ashwin who works like a God on four hands due to
multinational corporate working Indians i.e. mobile in one hand, mail in a one another, phone in
third and laptop/computer in fourth. Vidula send same email, sees him on video calls.

Multimedia has an evil effect on today's generation. They are losing their traditional roots and
following the pathway of multimedia. Karnad presents the example through Vidula’s character.
As her parents know that she regularly visits to an Internet cafe to play video game and to listen
the sermons by Swami Ananga Nath. In fact, she visits the cafe to chat with an unknown person
where she calls him “Pining peacock”. Vidula tells him a lie to get pleasure.

“I told you I am a kept woman. Kept by a trader. I am his concubine. Maintained by a

man much older than me…. He is dying. He has had a heart attack. Last night. He is in
the ICU. Could be dead by tomorrow. His family is bound to throw me out. So I had to
find a new master. A younger man. He lives in the US” (P.64)

When he says: “I will strip you. Then I will rape you” She gets excited and replies “go ahead. I
am yours. All yours” (P.65)
As she was about to perform sexual activity in the dark room of internet café there upon two
youths attacks the room and accuse her of watching porn video and calls her “A disgrace to
…ancient Indian culture” (P.69)

Vidula gets disturbed and also threatened to publish her photo in the newspaper. But she
shamelessly defends herself by saying

“I have paid for the computer time. I have paid to be left alone in this room. To work here
without being disturbed… I will do what I like here. Who the hell one you question me”
(P.70)

She as well accuses the youths “you have come here to rape me”. (P.70) Café attendant says, the
boys have come to take Hafta. But this incident shows that how illicit activities are performed in
the city internet cafés.

Vidula expects that after her marriage she can lead with her own dreams. But soon she realizes
that the marriage is like a Pandora's Box after meeting Ashwin. Ashwin realizes that west is
spirituality hollow and he desires for a partner who has the capability to spread sacred values. He
say:

“I want to be honest with you. I am passing through a crisis… A spiritual crisis... I am

boiling inside like a volcano. I want you to share my agonizing search of myself. It will
require an intellectual effort to understand the real me. It may even require an emotional
giving up. If you agree to… you will have to share my inner turmoil... I believe you will
find it enriching” (P.79-80).

Ashwin is highly influenced by the Indian ancient culture and tradition. He believes the India
has Great ethics and philosophies and says:
 “All our ancient culture, our spiritualization, our heritage. Everything had been remolded
to fit the market demand. Behind all our spiritual abracadabra, we had hitched our star,
and our hope, to Global capitalism. Gita Yajnas, Yogic techniques, upanishadic
sermons… The darkness of our souls illuminated with neon lights and Stroboscope. India
had become the Walmart of spirituality. (P.81)

Before Vidula leaves for America they shift to Bangalore for a few days. On her emotional
farewell Hema says “leave him and come back if you feel like it… we live in a modern world. It
divorce is okay. It’s not shame.” (P.86) Vidula replies “I will never divorce Ashwin” (86)

It appears that Vidula is trying to become perfect wife of Ashwin by changing herself in a
positive way.

In the subplot, Radhabai plays a vital role. Pratibha, a successful producer of television serials,
rejects Vidula’s story saying that it is a family drama where she is quite fascinated for
Radhabai’s story. Radhabai is a cook at Nadkarni’s house from last seven years. Rohit is
influenced by Radhabai’s life as her life is full of melodrama due to her husband's death and
adopted daughters forced madness.

Although she has an experience of cooking but she doesn't know how to cook the favorite food
items of Nadkarni's. The sorrow of radhabai’s Life makes him feel pity for her. He composes and
narrates Radhabai’s life story to Pratibha:

“They lived in a village. They were so poor that the daughter, Yamuna, came to
Bangalore looking for job. And found a good one. Used to send a fair amount back home.
Then Radhabai’s husband died and she too came to Bangalore. Took up a job as a cook
with a family in Malleshwaram. The day after her to her daughter's house and what does
she find? Her daughter is being maintained by a rich trader... So the mother and daughter
meet. They continue to meet. But Radhabai wanted to keep her job, so she never
mentioned her daughter to the family she worked for.” (P.52)

“This went on for a couple of years. Then suddenly there was no communication from
the daughter. No phone calls. No messages. So Radhabai went to her daughter's house
and she found a lock on the door. The house was deserted. The neighbors told her that the
 trader had suddenly died and the young woman living there had been thrown out by his
family. She was gone… one day Radhabai was on the terrace, working, and she heard
kids shouting and cackling in the street. She looked down and she saw…Yamuna. She
was standing there in the street calling out to her mother. Her sari was in tatters. And her
hair was loose and dirty. The kids were laughing and throwing stones at her. She was
obviously out of her senses, calling out, amma , amma ,asking passerby, where is
Amma’s house and hurling abuses at her tormentors…Radhabai called out. But her
daughter couldn’t hear her… She ran down to the street. But by the time she reached
there, the daughter had disappeared… Radhabai never saw her daughter again”. (P.52-53)

Rohit’s imagination for the plot widens and he composes that Radhabai’s daughter reaches the
gate one day when

“The kids throwing stones at her, Radhabai chases the kids away. And tries to take the
daughter in... But the daughter doesn't recognize her mother. .. She raves... She pushes
Radhabai away.” (P.58)

Meanwhile it starts raining. Before Radhabai reaches the stop her daughter ran away and
Radhabai again left in pain and sorrow only to recall the time which they had spent together.
Despite Radhabai's story is to some extent is marginalized in the play, yet it assuredly hooks the
eye of Pratibha and Rohit when they are outlining next scene of their TV serial. Pratibha , Rohit's
boss, discovers it more sensibly and overdramatically than the Vidula episode. They confer how
they can change the ending a little to create it even more sentimental. Pratibha compliments
Rohit for having concept of such a great thought.

"Your great advantage is that you know the lower middle class inside out." (59)

The ratification and manipulation of real life tales to accord the necessities of a tele-serial brings
to mind how far feelings can be formed by the spectacle-machine of the capitalist media. Human
grief, too, becomes a commodity in a sort of heartwarming dissamblage.
Wedding Album presents unavoidable facts about today life. Hema, who is married fifteen years
back, receives letters from a young boy of 13 year old of neighborhood. Vivan loves reading
novels so he visits Nadkarni’s to borrow from them and returns on time. Vivan has crush on
Hema and various incidents says about openness of 21st century. Hema warns Vivan that she
will inform his mother about all his deeds but his reply made her spellbound:

“Go ahead. I will tell her I love you. The moment I saw you the other day, I fell
desperately in love. I want to die kissing you. I want to die with my hand inside your
blouse… (P.45)

Thus, the play presents the pungent and mere facts of a family. The play shows how
materialistic nature of today's generation has been turned out. It is important that in wedding
album Karnad drifts from myth, folklore and history to cultural standards and modernity. There
are no direct references to either myth or history in it, yet the cultural stereotypes it experiments
is of an almost allegorical importance. Therefore, the notion of marriage mirrored in the play
Wedding Album attempts to exaggerated that

"Indian weddings are not just the usual ceremonies which have close relatives, where the
bride and groom's side are familiar with each other and the celebration gets over in two to
three days. They are enormous events which have been planned for from months in
advance, where the wedding celebrations last longer than seasons do. The whole
extended family, friends, and neighbors gather together for an event. In an arrange
marriage, the bride and groom risk their lives to live with an unfamiliar person, by
gambling their ambitions and desires” (cute nose 2013)

Sociologist Patricia Uberoi explains that in south Asia, weddings are

"The most visible site of conspicuous consumption and conspicuous waste."

Through the play, Wedding Album Karnad efforts to exhibit an embellished recur to tradition;
where longings, selection and strong desire for success of two individuals are skillfully
controlled. Although it seems to be a relatively modern play, yet the ipseity it trailblazers came
out of ancient mythical and cultural conversation. The play surveys the balance among forces of
tradition and modernity, both competing with each other for a space in individuality, abandoning
a hole in the subject. It also renders how the conversation of culture, ethics and customs are
correlated with a feeling of delinquency and grief, as it credible in the context of Radhabai and
Rohit.

BOILED BEANS ON THE TOAST

Girish Karnad has questioned many social practices which are going on in our society.
Employing “the founding myth of the city of Bangalore” as scenery, he aspires about the lives of
the people in the “Silicon Valley of India” and flawlessly elucidates life in Bangalore’s
“explosive growth in the last two decades”, authentically depicting the astronomical city
containing a gallimaufry of individuals with zest, dreams, aspirations, yearnings and
determination. It seems like an imitation of the real world, a depiction of the social make-up and
domestic affairs of the society. Karnad delves into the ever changing relationships in families
affinities to the assorted layer of the society and contribute abundant situations and
confrontations they face in their life. While the visionary family, familial unity, comfort and
harmony are endangered, gloominess, jealousy, anger, dissatisfaction, misleading,
disappointment, restlessness dominate the lives of the characters, trembling relationships and
leading us to believe their conduct towards each other. This play is embellish social annotation
and acts as a helpful aid in understanding the various aspects of the society. In “Boiled Beans on
Toast-A Play”, he has aroused many contemporary issues of the current time. He has presented
the changing trends in people's belief and values. Karnad has smartly differentiated generation on
the basis of their age and the way of dealing with one another. Karnad projects the lack of human
sensibility and despair of the modern world in today's society. The Complexity of life is perfect
of amalgamation of facts and emotions.

Karnad’s latest play “Boiled Beans on Toast- A Play” has a mythological origin. The myth is
directly connected to the 11th century to the name of the city is Bengaluru or Bangalore.
According to the ancient tale, the king Veera Ballala II of The Hoysala Empire lost his way when
he was hunting in the forest. He wandered throughout the night, with no food and no water, came
across a lonely hut. An Old woman was living there and fed him a handful of boiled beans
(Benda Kaalu) and saved his life. In order to thank the old lady, the king named the place
Bendakaluru (the place of boiled beans). With the passage of time, Bendakaluru gets corrupted
and named as ‘Bengaluru’. Bangalore is the anglicized term used by colonial rulers to
‘Bengaluru’ and toast is a British term accepted by the Indians. The title of the play in Kannada
translation is “Benda Kaalu on Toast”. “Boiled Beans on Toast-A Play” shows the changing
trends in human life. Bangalore is known as “Silicon Valley of India” where the people from
small towns are enormously shifting.

Boiled beans on Toast- a place that has been brewed briskly from classical to contemporaneity,
from a small town into a goodly metropolis is the theme of the play. It is the depiction of a city.
Anjana Padabidri, the protagonist, breaks downs over the chopping of the glorious rain tree
athwart the road-a tree because of which she built her house there. It is a two-act play which
mainly shows the life of the people who are directly or indirectly linked to Padabidri’s. Anjana
Padabidri works at Karunashraya, a hospice for cancer patients. Dolly Iyer, the friend of Anjana,
regularly visits their house and works as an English elocution teacher. Anusuya, Anjana’s mother
in law, addicted to betting on Horses and lives a lavish life. Kunaal, Anjana’s rebellion son in his
teenage, prefers to play guitar instead of Veena as a revolt against his father. Vimala, the senior
made in Anjana’s house and Muttu, the junior maid, who is soft-spoken and work oriented.

The play is an absolute demonstration of desires followed by the idealistic pursuits directing to
disgruntlement and disappointment in life. The discombobulate of principles and ethics due to
arduous spheres and apocryphal beliefs of favorable outcomes are abounding. The play has a
diverging but accumulated group of assemblage trying to bestow the fortuities rising with rapid
urbanization while handling with the consequential stress. Mr. Padabidri aspiration keeps him
away from his house most of the times bring about Anjana Padabidri severe lonesomeness. The
tough span in his youth has elongated to his grown-up life directing to bicker with his son,
Kunaal. Anjana's alienation leads to her friendship with a Bengali next-door that left the place
claiming that he does not.

"...wish to be trapped into a relationship with a married woman"(78).

Anjana attempts to trespass suicide by having sleeping pills after feeding them beforehand to her
young son haphazardly and the suffering sneaks around her singing. The friend's adieu does not
hurt her as much as his valedictory words which brings to mind that he felt ambushed by her
instead of liberated. Many years later, she accompanied the assemblage of Karunashraya, a
cancer hospice, to defend away the devastation and retrieves her singing there when a dying
patient petitions for a song. She says,

"I suddenly found myself singing..."(78)

Prabhakar Telang arrives at Padabidri’s house and asks for Mr. Padabidri, Anjana’s husband,
who is usually out of the town due to his business dealing. Prabhakar has come for his job but
due to the absence of Mr. Padabidri, he explains the situation of his company to Anjana and
Dolly, who was already sitting in the room.

Prabhakar: “Please, please don't misunderstand me. That’s not what I meant. The fact is-
the boss of the company in which I am at present employed, is going to quit and join Mr.
Padabidri’s office- and he is taking four of all top-notch managers along with him. His
favorites. It’s all rather hush, as u can imagine. I am not one of them- yet- but there’s a
chance I may be taken up along with them.” (P.13)

After narrating his situation, He places his visiting card on the table and requests Anjana to
convey the message that he arrived at the place. Dolly smartly picks up the card and says that she
has something important to tell about his career. She says that she has an offer and promises him
to send him an overseas job at Wipro. Therefore he sends his wife back to the village as said by
Dolly Iyer. Sumitra, Prabhakar’s wife, and Dolly had a conversation and convinced her to go
back to the roots for a few months.

Sumitra: Hello-yes- yes. I know - I know you mean well. And my husband says that
same thing. But the thought of going back to the filthy place- I hate it! We were so happy
here- I believe you. But Vishoo’s got admission in a good School here. Back home there
are no English - medium schools. And she will miss a whole year- is that so? They will? I
 believe you. Of course, I do. Who else’s there to guide us? - I know you have been
running around for our sake- all right. Thank you so much. I will be brave. Yes. (P.35)

Prabhakar reaches the office, the next day as instructed by Dolly. He creates a commotion in the
office when the receptionist says.

“Sorry, Sir. If you want to meet Mr. Gopalan, it should have been there on my schedule
for today. And it isn’t. And he isn’t here. I can't help you.” (P.53)

Later he tries to call Dolly but was not able to contact her so he leaves the office in frustration.
He feels that he has been cheated by Dolly. He accuses her of misleading him. Later, at the end
of the play she is seen convincing an ambitious dancer, Asha.

Dolly: “No, no, it's no favor. I just happen to know some influential people. Two years in
ballet and then Bharatanatyam- that’s some training, Asha. You can’t just throw all that
away! I know the director of the Trinity Laban Dance School in London and he was
asking me why they didn’t get enough students from India. Despite the entire facilities-
No, money’s no problem. That's the thing. There are scholarships. And bright girls like
you must make use of them.” (P.73)

Kunaal, a young boy believes in living a free life on his own choice, where Anjana feels caught
between her husband and her son. He lacks social and moral beliefs as he is not cleared about the
concept of personal space and the line between right and wrong. The Young generation which is
depicted through the individuality of Kunaal discloses the crusade for absolution from the beliefs
and principles carried out on them by the elders. They have a distort approach of personal space
and the boundary between right and wrong is entirely darken. He is archetypal bellicose teenager
who is persuaded that parental budgetary aid for all his high-pried trivialities is his privilege, but
believe strongly that his father do not set any parental ascendancy over him. He is unaffected by
the changes of people around him and aspects congent affairs effortlessly. Kunaal is a part of a
music band which performs in pubs and restaurants in the evening. When his mother objects him
about his band’s sexual orientations, he shrugs it off by saying,

“… Perhaps he is a transsexual. What am I supposed to do about it? He drums like a God.

“(20).
Another incident where he lacks moral senses, Kunaal enlightens his mother that he would stay
at his female friend's house, she cannot protest despite being perplexed:

Kunaal: Mummy, if it gets late, I may not come home for dinner. I’ll sleep over at
Nandita's.
Anusuya: Who's Nandita?
Kunaal: The singer in our band. She's absolutely amazing.(started, Anusuya looks at
Anjana, who doesn't show any reaction although she has registered Anusuya's sense of
shock)
Anjana: If I'm not going to see you before tomorrow morning, I want to have a word with
you. Papa called. (Kunaal groans. Anusuya senses the tension in the air).
Anusuya: I’ll be off then.

The discourse specks to a different very austere issue. Mr. Padabidri, Anjana's husband, requires
the mode of his wife to allocate to his son. Even he as well buys an expensive guitar without
taking any permission and don't even bother to inform his parents. His parents came to know
from the credit card bill.

Anjana: “He’s seen the credit card statement. You bought a new expensive guitar.

Kunaal: Not expensive. Just a good one. Actually, I need a better one- a resonator- and
was tempted by a Dobra –but resisted.”

Kunaal cherishes his own strong desire of playing guitar in bands. As he goes contrary to the will
of his parents who wishes him to play Veena, he evenly becomes estranged from his parents:

Prabhakar: And her son? He is a guitar player?

Dolly: (not interested). I gather he's very good at veena. But he plays the guitar. As a
rebellion
Prabhakar: Rebellion? Against whom?
Dolly: His parents.
Dolly in this play is a denotative personality that represents those high society women who
treasure trove in sneaking a look to other's homes and attempt to make others stupid by their
wrong snobbishness.

"Boiled Beans on Toast" footprints the mingled live of half-a-dozen people who have chosen to
live in Bangalore. They are very dissimilar from each other, be part of extensively atypical social
layer, and come from unlike geographical ranges. Out setting under a single roof, these lives
branch out in differing angles, get involved in the wriggle of life outside where they lose mark of
themselves they disconnect or surprisingly bang and tilt each other. The city is Bangalore but
anyone well-known with life in a modern Indian megalopolis will at once answer to this
depiction of urban goals, warfare, flounder and brutality. Anusuya, who recently returned from
the religious place and now planning to go to the gallery of Bangalore Race Course. At the race,
she loses all her money later she borrows from Dolly’s husband, Brigadier. Though Kunaal
knows the activity of his grandmother but did not care to inform his mother. Anjana
acknowledges when the money lender, Raykar calls her to settle accounts. Grandmother

“… Dint mind using our car when she went on her social rounds. But never, when she
went to the races. She did not want to disturb your schedule, she said, and always hired a
cab from the taxi company. So I probed a bit. It was quite a routine for her to stop
Raykar’s on the way to the races. So I went to the Raykar. Grandma has been borrowing
money from him regularly.” (75)

Like Kunaal she too feels that she spends her son's money in her privilege and doesn't bear any
responsibility towards her family. Anusuya reveals how Anjana losses her singing capability and
accuses his son of being responsible for this loss. Later Anjana clarifies Kunaal about her
friendship with the Bengali boy, who was their neighbor and his abrupt departure made her
attempt suicide as she was not able to sing. Later, in the hospice, she acknowledged her singing
capabilities again. She adds, due to the intake of sleeping pills he could have been dead. This
makes him realize that his absence in the world would not have been affected by anyone. So he
feels inspired to write a song on Bangalore.

“Big Bang Bangalore is a big black hole” (80)

In the subplot Vimala, the senior servant secretly works at the nearby house of Padabidri’s. One
day, she is being convicted that she is a thief, and take away the necklace of Saroja’s mother in
law. Vimala in the police station smartly manipulated everyone and Kunaal was highly
influenced by her and discusses with his girlfriend, Nandita.

Kunaal: I was flabbergasted, Nandita. Absolutely stunned. She’s been with us for nearly
eight years- and we‘ve been saying oh such a nice woman, so reliable. And you know,
every sentence she uttered to the police and to me was a lie. A bright, white, brazen lie.
And she knew that I and the police knew that she was fibbing. And what courage! What
invention! She was leading us on; she was creating a story from one minute to another. I
tell you. She’s my heroine. I‘ve never seen such - what is the word -creativity! How
could we have missed her brilliance!” (P.44)

On the other side, Vimala didn’t turn up for a week at Padabidri’s house, therefore, Anjana
handover Vimala's works to Muttu. Meanwhile, Muttu reveals to Anjana that many of their
household things are at their neighbors’ house without her knowledge.

Anjana: “Heavens! And all this under my nose! I had never had -now go and tell them
we want everything back. Even forks and spoons, if they‘ve taken them. And this has
been going on for 4 months!” (P.58)

The maid servants also aid remoteness from each other. They are continually broken by envy and
a futility bent towards aggressive assailment. When Vimala, the cook, does not come for a few
days, Muttu, the maid grabs her job. The working class people, bereft of collective emotions are
shown to be affianced in attacking indirectly. Here in the following discourse we also see the
survival instinct of both the maids:

Vimala: Muttu-Muttu-
Muttu: Oh, Vimala! How nice. Come in. Come in.
Vimala: No time to come in. Let's talk here. How are you?
Muttu: Okay. As usual.
Vimala (smilingly): Oh, better than usual, surely. You’ve got a promotion.
Muttu (confused): What was I to do? Amma said you had not come or you weren't
 coming or something like that. Asked me to take charge till you come back. That's all.
Vimala: And you got stuck for good. Very nice. I worked there for eight years. You’ve
set yourself up for the next eight now.

Muttu reveals the deception of Vimala results in Vimala’s dismissal. Vimala visits Muttu’s house
and informs her about her brother being admitted to the hospital and as revenge, she conceals the
name of the hospital.

The play ends with Brigadier Iyer slapping Dolly at Padabidri’s house for cheating someone by
offering someone a foreign job. Anjana is weeping over the loss of the tree which project the
modernization has been cutting the roots of traditionalism. The play prototype portrays the
hunger for material and social success. People are rushing after burning issues such as
unemployment, financial crisis, the struggle for survival and a better life. The play encourages
readers and spectators to believe and hold an open brain against the existing facts of life. The
play explicates various tiers of the modern life in a metropolitan city using relationships as its
crux. An accustomed strife for blessedness and comfort is present in the individual; while few
citizens’ displays imprudent use of power disregarding values, few others becomes desirous
victims of the entity. The play strikingly represents the veracious hunger for tangible and civil
favorable outcomes which steers people away from their familial high spirits. The play is
mocking and the author seems enthusiastic to present the flaws of the society and afterward
encourages his bibliophers to rectify it. We can notice various situations which indicate that
everything is not acceptable in the society and a counterpart amendment is necessary. The
entangled life that the characters live in the play is an honest reflector to the society which the
readers and audience belong to. Blazing social issues like growing population, unemployment,
and struggle for vestige due to financial and other complications all find a place in the play. The
law and order in the city fails to penalize the offender involved in minor cases like burglary.
They obliquely give notice of possible occurrence to people to look out for themselves because
the police force is unable to guard them. The unconcern and incompetence of the police is
apparent to us. This also admonishes the bibliophers of the numerous types of corruption which
can be found in all coalition.

Almost all the individuals in the play are disappointing. They are after half-baked aims and
therefore their life becomes an abiding chase for happiness. The play disentangles a plea to
people to change them for the advancement of the society by abandoning egocentric and cursory
responsibilities. Karnad does not implicate to guide his bibliophers towards deceptive sensation
of superiority, but efforts to entice them from repose by engaging them to think about societal,
civic, financial and cultural confrontations. He has accomplished in describing his individual at
the vital times of their lives, their inner critical situation that spread throughout their falsehood
by giving us awareness into their admiration, aims and thwarting. He has detailed and accurate
bestowed his scrutiny through suggestion, advice and implication instead of straightforward
disclosure. His intention appears to be to draw out estimation from his readers rather than
imposing his faiths or concepts.