on
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.
Professor and Head,
Department of English,
University of Gour Banga,
West Bengal
Email: amit.eg@ugb.ac.in