Dear Students and teachers, the Dept. of English, Dattajirao Kadam Arts, Science and Commerce College, Ichalkaranji organizes online QUIZ on 'English Grammar'. Only one attempt is allowed. Click on the following link to open the quiz. https://forms.gle/kW
Video on the elements of the clause for B.A. IIIBY Dr. Velhal S.J. : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUsKSKG7eIY&t=145s
Mrs. Shailaja A. Changundi
Mrs. Shailaja A. Changundi
Associate
Professor & Head,
Department of English,
D. K. A. S. C. College,
Ichalkaranji
A
Guest Lecture on
The
Conjugal Relationships in Mahesh Dattani’s Play
Bravely Fought the Queen
Introduction
The
Indian English Drama has the richest tradition in India. One of the gems in
this tradition is Asif Currimbhoy who had been India’s first authentic voice in a dramatic era. He is a prominent figure in Indian English Drama. A playwright with a social purpose, he has
contributed to a great extent to the Indian English Drama. Actable plays,
interesting situations, arresting dialogues, a sense of atmosphere- were some
of the most important features of his writing. Further, this tradition was taken
ahead successfully by the other playwrights like Rabindranath Tagore, Badal
Sircar, Girish Karnad, Vijay Tendulkar and so on. All these writers had their
best works in their regional language first and then onwards they turned towards
English writing. All these writers were aware of the changes taking place around
them and these changes were mirrored in their writings. The post-modern era is
focused on special awareness and alertness as well in the minds of writers
during this period. Mahesh Dattani is one such belligerent name in this era,
Influenced by G. B. Shaw, Anton Chekhov, Ibsen and Eliot Mahesh Dattani has
become a well-known figure in the era of theatre. He is an author of more than
15 plays with a career of 25 years. He has written plays for Radio and also
has written a film script for the film Ek Alag Mausam. The study of his plays is
really a journey through a variety of themes involved in his plays.
The Origin of Drama in India
The tradition of Drama in India goes back to regional plays in various languages.
But the oldest tradition of the drama can be traced in the Sanskrit language.
India’s Shakespeare Kalidasa, Bhavbhuti, Vyasa, Bharata, Panini, Vatsyayan,
KautilyaVishakhadatta, Bhatta Lolita, Bhattanayaka, Abhinavgupta, Dhananjaya,
Ramchandra Gunchandra and the list continues. The origin of Indian drama can
be traced to the ancient rituals and seasonal festivals of the Vedic Aryans. Such
a rich tradition we have when we think of drama. Avery important thing is that
the plays are written according to the theory of Natyashastra the basis of
which exists in the theory and Practice
of Natyashastra in Sanskrit. Twentieth-century in India has been the century of
the novel. The main difference between drama and novel is that one can be
comfortable anywhere with the novel’. Drama, on the other hand, requires efforts.
It requires participation. Drama is the best presentation of expression and has
become much popular kind literature of all the other literary types.
Indian English Drama
The
Indian English drama begins its journey with the theory and practice in
Sanskrit plays. The first play The
Persecuted written in 1813 by Krishna Mohan Bannerji was the first play
written in this tradition. During the post-Independence period, the drama could not
flourish much and so could not make any noteworthy presence. The modern Indian
drama was observed with two tendencies in it- first that Indian playwrights
went back to tradition for their themes and techniques and second that they
made use of modern trends in the theatre during the period from the 1960s to 1970s. Girish
Karnad, Vijay Tendulkar, Mohan Rakesh and Badal Sircar are some of the
playwrights who made their entries with a purpose to bring the new trends which
will bring good changes in the society. They went back to myths and made them a
new vision. A strong ethical concern could be observed in their plays.
In
post-modern era Indian English Drama blossomed with remarkable growth and
maturity. Mahesh Dattani has emerged as a creative playwright by knitting and
knotting of the subject matter in a fine manner. Born in a Gujrati family on 7th
August 1958 Mahesh Dattani is a director, actor, dancer, teacher and a
playwright. Being a versatile personality, his plays have won international
acclaim. Many plays have been staged in India and abroad. His landmark
production is Dance Like a Man. His other plays are Where there’s a Will, Tara. Seven Steps
Around the Fire, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, Do the Needful, Final Solutions
and Other Plays and Bravely Fought the Queen. A large variety of themes
having the concern for social awareness is the remarkable feature in all these
plays. Bravely Fought the Queen is a play which emphasizes the strained
relationship in today’s world. It is this stress which is making the life of a
man intolerable. No relationship in this play can be said a happy one. Many
reasons are there which are responsible for the breakups and existing in society only because they are afraid of society.
The Plot of the Play
Bravely Fought the Queen is
a story of the frustrated Trivedi
family. Nobody in this family is in a comfort zone-neither the sons in the
family nor the daughters-in-law, nor even the mother. All this leads to depression and frustration. The characters seem to be helpless in the
situations they are caught in. The sons in the family don’t pay attention to
their wives as a result of which both the daughters-in-law are in a deep
depression. Dolly’s husband Jiten doesn’t have time to care for her. Moreover, he
is engaged in extra-marital affairs as well as prostitution. The most horrible
thing is that he kicks his wife when she is pregnant. About Alka, situations
become more critical when she comes to know that her mother-in-law knows that
Alka can’t have children and she doesn’t allow Mitin and Alka to be together.
The dominance of Praful, Alka and Dolly’s brother affects all the relationships
in this family. But finally, the ice breaks as an explosion takes place. The most
suffered female part becomes the Queen, Rani to fight against the violence done
to them. And with this fight of the Queen, the play comes to an end.
The Themes of the Play
Along
with the theme of the stress between various relationships, the play focuses on
the present-day society that has become rather reckless about these
relationships. Not only the relationship between the couples, but also the other
relationships like the relationship between the mother and her sons, brother
and brother, brother and sister, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and also
the relationship between friends are not on a right track. Very skillfully the playwright sorts out the
strain in all these relations. The relation between Dolly and Jiten, between
Alka and Nitin are specifically described by the playwright. In spite of the
abundance of all the comforts man is not happy, some of the relationships are
not on a comfort level because of the botheration and compulsion by some outer
factor than the couple itself. The relationship between Alka and Jiten is one
such example.
Various Relationships in the Play
The
various relationships like- the relationship between the couples like Dolly and
Jitan, between Alka and Nitin, between Lalitha and Shridhar, between thee
mother Baa and her sons, between daughters-in-law, and mother-in-law, between Praful and the two brothers, Praful
and Nitin, between Praful and Nitin- are very elaborately revealed in the play.
The two daughters-in-law suffer from the domestic violence at three different
levels- a) at the level of husband and wife, b) at the level of daughter-in-law
and mother-in-law, c) at the level of mother and sons d) at the level of friendship
between Praful and Jiten, Nitin, e) at the level of Praful and his two
sisters-Alka and Dolly. F) at the level of Praful and Nitin. Alka is the most
marginalized character in the play. This character becomes the most revolting
one as a result of the domestic violence she suffering for many years. The
title Bravely Fought the Queen, therefore, is a very appropriate one.
Relationship between Shridhar and
Lalita
Compared
to the relationship between the two couples in Trivedi family, Lalita and
Shridhar is happier than Dolly-Jiten and Alka-Nitin. Shridhar is an employee
in the company of Jitn and Nitin. Maybe he doesn’t earn much in comparison to
Jitn and Niitin, but it is true that both of them don’t have any stress between
them. Social status also can be the reason of this great gap .
Relationships between Praful and
Nitin
Mahesh
Dattani has specifically focused his attention on the relationship between
Praful and Nitin. Being a friend of Jiten and Nitin before the marriage of
Nitin and Alka Praful are engaged in a homosexual relationship with Nitin. In
other words, it can be said that the marriage between Nitin and Alka takes place
only in order to maintain the homosexual relationship between Praful and Nitin.
Both of them turn into the homosexual relationship, Praful is happy in this
relationship but Nitin becomes the victim of Praful where he has no escape at
any cost. Nitin also suffers from guilty consciousness It is in this critical
situation of his mind that he comes to know that he has done a lot of injustice
with Alka. But he has no way out of this crisis.
Revolting
Character of Alka
Alka is the most
suffering character in the play. All the domestic violence makes her becoming
the rebel finally and leads her to take revolt against the situation and the
persons who are responsible to put into critical condition. Had she been
comfortable at least in one of the relationships she is concerned with, perhaps
she would not have become the person as she is seen now. Her mother-in-law
doesn’t want that she should have children, her husband on the other side is not
at all ready to care for her, her brother Praful has been the greatest dictator
for her to lead the life which she has been living now. Alka becomes a heavy
drinker which the audience should not think a strange thing as it is the only
way to get rid of the helpless situation she is caught in.
Praful-The
Most Selfish Character
Being absent and still present
all the time- right from the beginning till the end is the character of Praful.
Before the marriage of Alka and Nitin Praful and Nitn had been friends. This
friendship has changed into a homosexual relationship and then it became
essential to continue this relationship which was possible only by marrying his
sister Alka with Nitin. His selfishness goes to such a height that he makes his
own sister his victim and continues the relations with Nitin. He is not at all
concerned with the happiness of his sisters. On the other hand he is seen as
the greatest tyrant for these two sisters.
Baa-A
Typical Mother-in-law
Baa is the representative
of the mother-in-law of typical Indian families. If her daughter-in-law suffers
from domestic violence, there is nothing new for her because also has suffered
from such violence when she had been the daughter-in-law. She proves all these
things whenever such situations are there. She doesn’t feel anything new when
Jiten her son beats Dolly, because her husband also had beaten her when she was
young and she told him not beat on the face because people will ask her what
has happened to her face. She doesn’t allow Alka and Nitin to come together in
order to have children as she might have gone through the same situation in the
past.
Conclusion
All the relationships
mentioned in the play indicate the one and only thing and it is that none is
happy in the family because of one or the other reason. The details in the play
regarding the relationships suggest these situations can arise in any family.
Finding a better way in such a situation is the final solution. Better solution
on such situations can be a way which will create the smiles in the
relationship of the family. Making one family happy can lead the society
towards making a better society. Mahesh wants to present this happy picture in
front of the readers.
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