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FOREWORD
It is indeed a commendable effort on the part of Shri Dipak Giri to have edited an anthology of research articles entitled Indian English Drama: Themes and Techniques. Indian English Drama, as we all know, is a literary offshoot of the cultural encounter between the East and the West occasioned by the colonial rule in India. Indian English is a controversial marker that has fascinated and flummoxed the experts as regards its origin and features. Similarly, Indian English Drama as a hybrid literary genre is sure to tease us out of thought on account of the two dramatic traditions (English and Indian) that it is an heir to. English Drama with its mixed origin from classical and indigenous traditions, and Indian Drama with its folk and oral heritage came together to bring forth a varied offspring. If bilingualism and multiculturalism have ensured the blurring of boundaries between ‘Indian English Drama’ and ‘Indian Drama in English Translation’, then local heritage and global trends have contributed to the breathtaking variety and diversity in its themes and techniques.
Students, researchers and enthusiasts of Indian English Drama, therefore, should laud the labour of love that Shri Giri has undertaken. The contributors deserve to be praised for sharing with us their research findings to the best of their ability. Similarly, the publishers of the anthology must be given credit for bringing out a useful book on an area that deserves active academic investigation.
The different chapters of this edited anthology seek to tackle diverse facets of Indian English Drama. The themes and techniques employed by playwrights from Rabindranath Tagore to Mahesh Elkunchwar have been taken up for discussion. Similarly, authors and works have been revisited from diverse critical perspectives.
The Editor undoubtedly commands our praise for this academic venture for which he also gains our good wishes. As for possible improvements, more studies on multiple authors and on the plays written by the Indian Diaspora may be included in subsequent editions of the anthology.
Amit Bhattacharya
Professor and Head,
Department of English,
University of Gour Banga,
West Bengal
Email: amit.eg@ugb.ac.in
Amit Bhattacharya
Professor and Head,
Department of English,
University of Gour Banga,
West Bengal
Email: amit.eg@ugb.ac.in
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
1. Restructuring the Theatrical Space and Experience in Badal Sircar’s Michhil - Tirthankar Sengupta
2. The Genealogy of Uttamanga: A Foucauldian Analysis of Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana - Thulasi Das B
3. “The Uncanny” Harvest : A Freudian Reading of Manjula Padmanabhan’s The Harvest - Rafseena M
4. From the Sound of Sonata to the Din of Mourning and Maiyyat: A Critical and Comparative Analysis of Major Plays of Usha Ganguly and Mahesh Elkunchwar - Sreetanwi Chakraborty
5. Leela Benare: Muffled Voice of a Female in Vijay Tendulkar’s Silence! The Court is in Session -Dr. Seema Sarkar
6. A Study on the Children’s Plays of Vijay Tendulkar -Shruti Roy Chakraborti
7. Tapping the Anxiety of the World of HIV Positives as a Subsumed Territory: A Feminist Study of Mahesh Dattani’s Ek Alag Mausam - Dr. Shachi Sood
8. The Use of Myths for the Depiction of Human Dilemma; Life between Reality and Illusions, in Girish Karnad’s Naga Mandala -Dr. Irum Alvi
9. A Study of Gender Dynamics in Select Plays of Mahesh Dattani -Dr. Prachi Priyanka
10. Power Politics in Ghasiram Kotwal and Tughlaq: A Comparative Study –Gunjan Gupta
11. A Thematic Study of Rabindranath Tagore’s Plays - Ragini Kapoor
12. Probing the Element of Greed and the Role of Divine Dispensation in Manoj Mitra’s Banchharam’s Orchard - Tanveer Qureshi & Ashraf Karim
13. Mahesh Dattani : A ‘Dramatist’s’ Techniques -- Dr. Archi Madhani-Patel
14. The ‘Idea’ of Violence : Vijay Tendulkar’s Vultures - Dr. Archi Madhani-Patel
15. Retracing Leftovers of Leftist Theatre in Retrospect through Habib Tanvir - Armeen Kaur Ahuja
16. Presentation of Victimization of Woman through Innovative Symbols and Technique in Vijay Tendulkar’s Silence! The Court is in Session - Dr. Mangesh Madhukar Gore
17. Popular Theatre, Tradition and Continuity: Interrogating the Journey of Jatra as a Synthesis of Culture -Shubhra Ghoshal
18. Clash of Divergences in Mahesh Dattani’s Bravely Fought the Queen - Dr. T. Sasikanth Reddy
20. Utpal Dutt’s Greatest Contribution to the Theatre - Dr. Brajesh Kumar Gupta “Mewadev”
21. Sanichari’s Journey from a Helpless Victim towards an Empowerment and Agency in Usha Ganguli’s Rudali - Supriya Mandal
22. Multiple Aspects of Gender Discrimination in the Selected Plays of Mahesh Dattani - Sujoy Barman
23. Pangs of Conscience: Tara -Subhrajyoti Roy
24. Existence and Distance of Self in Badal Sircar’s Plays - Anupam Das
26. Violation of Human Rights and Values in Mahasweta Devi’s Aajir and Water – Amrita Datta
27. Changing Power Structure in terms of ‘Sex’, ‘Religion’ & ‘Politics’ : A Study of Vijay Tendulkar’s Ghashiram Kotwal - Dipak Giri
Notes on the Contributors
NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS
1. Tirthankar Sengupta
(M.A., M. Phil.) is an Assistant Professor in English at Dhola Mahavidyalaya,
Dholahat, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. He was formerly Lecturer in English
at The Bhjawanipur Education Society College, Kolkata and Guest Lecturer in
English at Sivanath Sastri College, Kolkata, West Bengal.
2. Thulasi Das B
is working as Assistant Professor in English, Department of Studies in English,
Kannur University, Kerala.
3. Rafseena M
is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Studies in English, Kannur
University, Kannur, Kerala.
4. Sreetanwi Chakraborty
(M.A., M. Phil.) is an Assistant Professor in Amity Institute of English
Studies and Research, Amity University, Kolkata. She was a former faculty of
English at Salesian College, Siliguri and Sonada.
5. Dr. Seema Sarkar (M.A.,
Ph. D.) is an Associate Professor in English at Navyug
Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Rajendranagar, Lucknow (U.P.).
6. Shruti Roy Chakraborti
-M.A., N.E.T., PGCTE, (PGDTE)- is a Lecturer in the Dept. of English at DBPM
Degree and PG College for Women, Secunderabad, Telangana.
7. Dr. Shachi Sood
(M.A., Ph. D.) is presently working as Assistant Professor in Department of English,
Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, J&K.
8. Dr. Irum Alvi
-M.A. (Gold Medalist), PhD- is presently working as Assistant Professor in HEAS
(English) Department, and Assistant Dean, Applied Sciences, Rajasthan Technical
University, Kota.
9.
Dr. Prachi Priyanka (M.A., Ph. D.) is an Assistant Professor, School of
Languages & Culture, Sharda University, Greater Noida (U.P.).
10. Gunjan Gupta
is an Assistant Professor, School of Languages & Culture, Sharda
University, Greater Noida (U.P.).
11. Ragini
Kapoor is an M. Phil.
Scholar, Department of Modern Indian Languages and Literary Studies,
Delhi University.
12. Tanveer Qureshi
is a Research Scholar, Dept. of English, AMU, Aligarh (U.P.).
13. Ashraf Karim
is a student of M.A., Dept. of English, AMU, Aligarh (U.P.).
14. Dr. Archi Madhani-Patel (M.A., M. Phil., Ph. D.) is a Freelance
writer. She formerly worked as a Visiting Lecturer at DBPM College,
Secunderabad, Sarojini Naidu Vanita Mahavidyalaya, Hyderabad, Gujarat Arts &
Science College, Ahmedabad and GLS Institute of Computer Applications,
Ahmedabad.
15.
Armeen
Kaur Ahuja is an M. Phil. research scholar, Department of
Modern Indian Languages and Literary Studies, Delhi University.
16. Dr. Mangesh M Gore (M.A.,
B.Ed., M. Phil., Ph. D.) is the Head and Assistant Professor, Department of
English, Sundarrao More ACS College, Poladpur, Dist. Raigad, Maharashtra.
17. Shubhra Ghoshal
is a Research Scholar at the department of Humanities and Social Sciences in
Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India.
18.
Dr.
T. Sasikanth Reddy (M.A., B. Ed., S.E.T., Ph. D.,
P.G.C.T.E., P.G.D.T.E.) is a Lecturer in English, S.C.N.R. Govt. Degree
College, Proddatur Town, YSR Dist., Andhra Pradesh.
19.
Milda
Mary Savio is a student of M.A., Thalassery Campus, Kannur
University, Kerala, India.
20. Dr. Brajesh Kumar Gupta “Mewadev”
(M.A., M. Phil., Ph. D.) is the Head and Assistant Professor, Department of
English, Eklavya Mahavidyalaya, Banda (U.P.).
21. Supriya
Mandal (M.A., B. Ed., N.E.T.) is an Assistant Teacher in Bairboba P.P Primary
School, Malda, West Bengal. She was formerly Guest Lecturer in Malda Government DIET College, Malda, West Bengal.
22.
Sujoy Barman (M.A., N.E.T.,
S.E.T.) works in Bhatun Junior High School, Vill-
Malibari, P. O. - Bhatol Hatch, P. S- Raiganj, Dist- Uttar Dinajpur, State-
West Bengal.
23.
Subhrajyoti Roy (M.A., B. Ed., N.E.T.)
is presently working as a Guest Lecturer in the Department of English at Pijush
Kanti Mukherjee Mahavidyalaya, Alipurduar (W.B.) as well as Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch Behar
(W.B.).
24. Anupam Das
(M.A., B. Ed., S.E.T.) is an Assistant Teacher in Saheberhat Purnananda High
School (H.S.), Cooch Behar (W.B.).
25. Saurabh Debnath
(M.A., B.Ed., N.E.T.) is an Assistant Teacher in Pundibari Ramgopal Lakhotia
High School, Cooch Behar, West Bengal. Besides he is an Academic Counsellor of
Netaji Subhash Open University, Cooch Behar College Study Centre, Cooch Behar,
West Bengal.
26. Amrita Datta
(M.A., M. Phil., D.E.L.T., B. Ed., M. Ed.) is an Assistant Teacher in Mowamari
Tattanath Vidyapith (H.S), Cooch Behar and Ph. D. Research Scholar in English
in Raiganj University, Raiganj, Uttar Dinajpur (W.B.) She was formerly Part
Time Lecturer at Vivekananda College, Alipurduar, Academic Counsellor at A.B.N
Seal College Study Centre IGNOU, Academic Counsellor at Cooch Behar College
Study Centre NSOU, West Bengal.
27.
Dipak Giri - M.A. (Double),
B.Ed., NET- is an Assistant Teacher in Katamari High School (H.S.), Cooch
Behar, West Bengal and a Ph. D. Research Scholar in Raiganj University,
Raiganj, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal. He is an Academic Counsellor in Netaji
Subhas Open University, Cooch Behar College Study Centre, Cooch Behar, West
Bengal. He was formerly a Part-Time Lecturer in Cooch Behar College,
Vivekananda College and Thakur Panchanan Mahila Mahavidyalaya in West Bengal
and worked as a Guest Lecturer in Dewanhat College, West Bengal.