A Critique of Naga-Mandala as a Feminist Play
Author : Narendra Sonu Tayade
Abstract :
Girish Karnad is one of the renowned bilingual playwrights of India who was also an actor, a director and an activist. His play Naga-Mandala is a blend of feminist and patriarchal elements. The play is based on one of the folk-tales in Indian mythologies. The protagonist, Rani, a meek and submissive character suffers a lot in the hands of her husband. Her husband enjoys the patriarchal freedom to the extent of its height. Feminism throws light on the secondary positions and treatment given to women in society, in general. Patriarchy asserts dominance of the males over females in almost every sphere of life. The play focusses on the marital relationship between the husband and the wife. It questions to the licentiousness of the male protagonist in the play. In contrast it is more about the rights of a wife in her conjugal life. His name itself has been interpreted as ‘any man’ and her ‘princess’ in meaning.
Keywords :
Naga-mandala, feminism, feminist movement
