Talluri Mathew Bhaskar
Lecturer in English
A.P.R.J.College
Tendulkar successfully brings out the ugly cultural deformity of our society through his plays. He depicts gender deformity in Kamala, political deformity in Ghashiram Kotwal , physical deformity in Sakharam Binder, mental deformity in Encounter in Umbugland and Kanyadan and spiritual deformity in The Vultures --Manchi Sarath Babu
Abstract: Exploitation and oppression are the characteristic features of Indian society for centuries. Tendulkar’s plays illustrate, more or less, how women are exploited in various ways. The inhuman treatment that they receive from the male-dominated society indicates …show more content…
However, it is exposed more deeply and more elaborately in the play Kamala. Using a real life incident, Tendulkar highlights the position of women in the male-dominated Indian society. The playwright is inspired in writing this play by a real life incident reported in The Indian Express by Ashwin Sarin, a journalist, who really bought a woman in a rural flesh market and presented her at the press-conference to expose the inhuman flesh trade. He modified it to suit his play. Tendulkar attacks the field of journalism and the institution of the marriage. By depicting a real life incident that is, presentation of Kamala, a girl purchased from a rural flesh market, at the press-conference by Jaisingh, a young journalist, Tendulkar exposes self-centeredness and narrow-mindedness of the modern careerist young generation. Representing the real incident, Tendulkar throws light on the ghastly flesh market, the position of women in society, the cut throat competition that goes on in …show more content…
Tendulkar was actively associated with civil liberties movements in Maharastra. All this shows his great concern for his country and society. He exposes the flaws and the inevitable failure of unrealistic reforms and movements in his plays. He started writing plays while he worked as a journalist. Tendulkar wrote Kamala which is characteristically topical and intensely sentimental. It is based on a newspaper story and Tendulkar has used the world of journalism to drive his point home. It is about the girl Kamala, who is bought by a journalist Jaidev Singh to show the world that this kind of bondage still persists in India. But Kamala opens the real life of Sarita, Jaidev Singh’s wife, who considers herself to be in the same situation. Sarita’s uncle Kakasaheb plays an important role in the play, as he represents the older generation and stands as a controller of many odd situations that take place in their home. The play, Kamala, as a film, succeeded in creating an impact on the Indian social scene. Sudhir Sonalker opines that:
Almost all the characters in Kamala are hastily drawn. It is almost as though Tendulkar saw a dramatic potential in a newspaper story and wanted to pounce on it before anyone else did. But there is almost an inexplicable element in the play. The journalist wife detests the whole incident and says that the Kamala incident has taught her that she too is a