Vijay Tendulkar’s ‘Kamala’: A Denunciation of the Success-Oriented Male Dominated Society

Abstract

No doubt, there are variations in Tendulkar’s theme as well as form; from purely naturalistic plays and dark tragedies to farces, from musical set in traditional folk modes to absurd drama and from full length plays to one act plays. In the thematic point of view, his plays are ranged from social individual tensions to the complexities of human characters. From the exploration of man-woman relationship to the reinterpretations of historical episodes, the greatest quality of Tendulkar as a creative writer and dramatist rests in the fact that he can simultaneously involve and distance himself from his creation. This affords his works with infinite subtlety. Two other hallmarks of his creative self are his sense of humour and his intense compassion, which are sometimes difficult of notice because of their invisible quality. Tendulkar is a great name in Marathi theatre and he has refurnished it with vigour and vitality to awaken the dormant conscience of society through the medium of art. In Kamala, the human relationship between man-woman is depicted as husband-wife and exploited-exploiter relationship. He exposes the inhuman violence in its verbal form of the patriarchal society against women. The themes of the play are based on the present socio-economic situation, family and marital relations, violence and male domination.