Salient features of Hayavadan by Girish Karnad

Abstract

Originally, Girish Karnad is a Kannada playwright. He has translated his plays into English to reach a larger audience. He along with other playwrights like Vijay Tendulkar and Mohan Rakesh revived the trend of theatre. They are trying to uphold the rich cultural heritage of India by using myths, legends, histories, and traditional stories in their plays. Girish Karnad has made an effort to fight the legacy of colonism by upholding traditional values and cultural ethos. The themes of his plays have contemporary significance but the focus is on the presentation of complex cultural fabric of Indian society. Karnad loves to discover less known and obscure myths and tries to understand their significance and relate them to the chosen story. Thus he succeeds in providing romantic charm to his plays and that is also without killing the authenticity of the original tales. Karnad, known for his visionary outlook, has sensed new life and effectiveness in his plays by incorporating native and western dramatic techniques enthusiastically and technically. He has great insight into human nature. His knowledge of human nature has made him an expert observer of the society. He is well aware of the paradoxes in human nature and has thorough comprehension of life’s little ironies. He has been a humanistic writer. His humanistic attitude is reflected in his plays nd ways of presentation. Girish Karnad has consummate command over English and he has successfully and artistically nativized it for expressing Indian ethos and sensibility. His diction is apt. His words are suggestive and reveal characters, situations, economy, precision, clarity, and lucidity through his style.