This recontextualisation of hijras in Macbeth permits a new interpretation not only to British South Asians but also to British audiences by breaking the previous pigeonholes created by either South Asian playwrights or other media. While reviewing Verma’s Macbeth in an online blog, Farrah Chaudhry, the 1623 Associate artist, feels ‘guilty’ of creating British South Asian pigeonhole characters on the stage (Chaudhry, 2015). Surpassing Chaudhry’s list of stereotypes, Verma engages the spectator’s imagination through a dialogue between Shakespeare’s text and an Asian cultural setting, thereby formulating a new piece of theatre from Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
This article examines Jatinder Verma’s use of hijras as witches through which he ‘produces …show more content…
The OED defines ‘hijra’ as ‘transvestite’, ‘eunuch’, or person, especially a man, who enjoys dressing as a member of the opposite sex, or a man who has been castrated (OED, 2015). Found in South Asian countries, hijras are placed at the lowest end of society. They depend economically on badhai [alms or gifts given on auspicious occasions such as birth, marriage or inauguration], performances (dancing and singing) and, begging or even as sexworkers (Nanda, 1996). Siddharth Narrain associates badhai with ‘special powers’ granted to them by Rama in the Ramayana (Narrain, 2003). Having this revered status from the Hindu mythology and at the same time labelled as a ‘criminal caste’ during the colonial rule in India (1757-1947) (Reddy, 2005: 28), South Asian societies welcome, abuse, assault physically and marginalise hijras or third gender in every sphere of life. The section 377 of the Indian Penal Code framed by the British Government in 1860 was existent until 2014 when this community was granted a legal status in 2014 (Pukaar, 2012). Though transgender communities are legal, the long 150 years of criminalisation has meant there is an enduring negative legacy in societal perception of these communities and a continued marginalisation of individuals (Venkatesan, …show more content…
With these mythical and religious views, I understand this concept as a synthesis of both genders, symbolizing incompleteness of each gender without the other. Next, it signifies interdependence of both genders. Neither of the genders could survive without each other but complement each other. Therefore, this concept of ardhanarishwara represents union of male and female genders into one. This idea that my spouse (or me as her spouse) is a companion who complements me in every way fascinates me. This all-encompassing notion of union of genders might guide to reinterpret Tara Arts’
This article examines Jatinder Verma’s use of hijras as witches through which he ‘produces …show more content…
The OED defines ‘hijra’ as ‘transvestite’, ‘eunuch’, or person, especially a man, who enjoys dressing as a member of the opposite sex, or a man who has been castrated (OED, 2015). Found in South Asian countries, hijras are placed at the lowest end of society. They depend economically on badhai [alms or gifts given on auspicious occasions such as birth, marriage or inauguration], performances (dancing and singing) and, begging or even as sexworkers (Nanda, 1996). Siddharth Narrain associates badhai with ‘special powers’ granted to them by Rama in the Ramayana (Narrain, 2003). Having this revered status from the Hindu mythology and at the same time labelled as a ‘criminal caste’ during the colonial rule in India (1757-1947) (Reddy, 2005: 28), South Asian societies welcome, abuse, assault physically and marginalise hijras or third gender in every sphere of life. The section 377 of the Indian Penal Code framed by the British Government in 1860 was existent until 2014 when this community was granted a legal status in 2014 (Pukaar, 2012). Though transgender communities are legal, the long 150 years of criminalisation has meant there is an enduring negative legacy in societal perception of these communities and a continued marginalisation of individuals (Venkatesan, …show more content…
With these mythical and religious views, I understand this concept as a synthesis of both genders, symbolizing incompleteness of each gender without the other. Next, it signifies interdependence of both genders. Neither of the genders could survive without each other but complement each other. Therefore, this concept of ardhanarishwara represents union of male and female genders into one. This idea that my spouse (or me as her spouse) is a companion who complements me in every way fascinates me. This all-encompassing notion of union of genders might guide to reinterpret Tara Arts’