LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 25:2 February 2025
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

Celebrate India!
Unity in Diversity!!

HOME PAGE

Click Here for Back Issues of Language in India - From 2001

Poetic Encounter
Available in https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09TT86S4T

Poems
Naked: the honest browsings of two brown women
Available in https://www.amazon.in

Decrees
Available in https://www.amazon.com

BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ AND DOWNLOAD FREE!

REFERENCE MATERIALS

BACK ISSUES

  • E-mail your articles and book-length reports in Microsoft Word to languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.

  • PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES GIVEN IN HOME PAGE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LIST OF CONTENTS.

  • Your articles and book-length reports should be written following the APA, MLA, LSA, or IJDL Stylesheet.

  • The Editorial Board has the right to accept, reject, or suggest modifications to the articles submitted for publication, and to make suitable stylistic adjustments. High quality, academic integrity, ethics and morals are expected from the authors and discussants.

Copyright © 2024
M. S. Thirumalai

Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
11249 Oregon Circle
Bloomington, MN 55438
USA
Custom Search

From Traditional to Modern:
The Transformation of Indian Drama through Vijay Tendulkar’s
Silence! The Court is in Session

S. Feroz Khan and Dr. M.H. Mohamed Rafiq


Courtesy: www.amazon.com

Abstract

Vijay Tendulkar, a pioneering figure in Indian theatre, played a crucial role in transforming Indian drama from its traditional roots to a modern, hybridized form. This paper explores how Tendulkar’s works reflect the evolution of Indian drama by blending indigenous cultural elements with Western modernist influences. Traditional Indian drama, rooted in Sanskrit plays and epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, focused on moral dichotomies and societal norms. However, post-colonial Indian English drama, as exemplified by Tendulkar, shifted toward addressing contemporary socio-political issues, particularly those affecting the urban middle class. Tendulkar’s Silence! The Court is in Session serves as a case study, highlighting themes such as patriarchy, gender roles, and social hypocrisy. Through the mock-trial concept, the play critiques societal injustice and the subjugation of women, symbolizing the broader struggles of modern Indian society. Tendulkar’s humanitarian approach challenges established norms, advocating for authenticity, sincerity, and a new moral order. His focus on psychological, existential, and feminist issues underscores the fragmentation of modern life. By analyzing Tendulkar’s unique lens, this paper demonstrates how Indian drama evolved into a platform for social critique and cultural hybridity.

Keywords: Vijay Tendulkar, Silence! The Court is in Session, cultural hybridity, traditional drama, modernism, patriarchy, gender roles, social critique, humanitarian values, mock-trial, urban middle class, post-colonial, existentialism, feminism.

Introduction

Indian drama, as a revelatory genre, has long served as a mirror to society, vocalizing human emotions and exploring the hidden realities of individual lives, group dynamics, politics, and societal structures. Its origins can be traced back to the Vedic Aryans, who performed drama in simple yet profound ways. Ancient Indian epics like the Bhargava Gita, Mahabharata, and Ramayana were not merely religious or philosophical texts but also dramatic narratives that depicted the eternal struggle between good and evil, morality and immorality. These traditional forms of drama adhered to the principles of Sanskrit theatre, which emphasized moral dichotomies and societal norms. However, as time progressed, Indian drama evolved beyond its ancient roots, incorporating diverse cultural elements and adapting to the changing socio-political landscape. This transformation gave rise to a hybrid identity, particularly evident in contemporary Indian English drama, which blends Indigenous traditions with Western modernist influences (Bandyopadhyoy XIIV).

The evolution of Indian drama is deeply intertwined with the cultural and historical trajectory of the nation. From its classical Sanskrit origins to its post-colonial manifestations, Indian drama has continually reinvented itself to address the pressing issues of its time. The post-colonial era, in particular, marked a significant shift as Indian English drama began to reflect the complexities of urban, middle-class life, grappling with themes such as industrialization, capitalism, and technological advancements. This period saw the emergence of playwrights who used drama as a tool for social critique, challenging established norms and advocating for change. Among these dramatists, Vijay Tendulkar stands out as a pivotal figure who bridged the gap between traditional and modern drama. His works exemplify the cultural hybridity of contemporary Indian theatre, addressing psychological, existential, and feminist issues while critiquing societal vices such as patriarchy, hypocrisy, and corruption.

Tendulkar’s contribution to Indian theatre lies in his ability to transform regional narratives into national conversations. He brought the struggles of the urban middle class to the forefront, exploring themes like love, betrayal, motherhood, and the subjugation of women. His play Silence! The Court is in Session serves as a quintessential example of this transformation, blending satire with a profound critique of patriarchal society and legal injustice. Through the mock-trial concept, Tendulkar exposes the harsh realities faced by women in a male-dominated world, making his work both a reflection of societal issues and a call for humanitarian values (Banerjee ix).

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

S. Feroz Khan
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Jamal Mohamed College (Autonomous)
Tiruchirappalli – 20
ferojmc@gmail.com

Dr. M.H. Mohamed Rafiq
Associate Professor
Department of English
Jamal Mohamed College (Autonomous)
Tiruchirappalli-20
Custom Search
  • Click Here to Go to Creative Writing Section

  • Send your articles
    as an attachment
    to your e-mail to
    languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.
  • Please ensure that your name, academic degrees, institutional affiliation and institutional address, and your e-mail address are all given in the first page of your article. Also include a declaration that your article or work submitted for publication in LANGUAGE IN INDIA is an original work by you and that you have duly acknowledged the work or works of others you used in writing your articles, etc. Remember that by maintaining academic integrity we not only do the right thing but also help the growth, development and recognition of Indian/South Asian scholarship.