Issue Details
EXISTENTIAL CRISIS OF WOMEN IN THE SELECTED PLAYS OF VIJAY TENDULKAR, MAHESH DATTANI AND GIRISH KARNAD
Krishnendu Haldar, Dr. Ritu Kumaran
Page No. : 1-18
ABSTRACT
Notably, the existential crisis of women is not a primary or common issue in the works of notable Indian playwrights Vijay Tendulkar, Mahesh Dattani, and Girish Karnad, each of whom has his or her own distinct style and thematic concerns. We may, however, examine the representation of gender and women’s experiences in a few of their well-known plays. Tendulkar’s plays are renowned for tackling social themes. He explores the nuanced interactions between men and women in "Sakharam Binder," "Kamala,” and "The Silence! The Court is in Session," highlighting the challenges faced by women in a patriarchal culture. In Tendulkar’s plays, female characters frequently struggle with societal expectations and the restrictive systems that restrict their autonomy. Dattani is renowned for his investigation of identity, interpersonal interactions, and societal challenges. In pieces like "Final Solutions," “The Bravely Faught the Queen,” and "Tara," he explores women’s lives in relation to communalism and family life. In Dattani’s plays, women may be experiencing an existential crisis that centres on issues of identity, autonomy, and social expectations. Though they might not directly address women’s existential crises, Karnad’s plays frequently reference mythology and history and offer insights into gender roles and power relations. Karnad tackles questions of identity and love in "Hayavadana" and "Nagamandala,” where the female characters could have existential difficulties with social expectations. The larger background of Indian society must be taken into account while evaluating the plays of these authors, as gender roles and expectations have changed significantly over time. Every dramatist approaches these topics in a different manner, and the way that women are portrayed in their works may serve as a prism through which to look at cultural expectations and the difficulties that women experience.
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