Vijay Tendulkar's Ghashiram Kotwal As an Epitome of Critique On
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Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education Vol. XV, Issue No. 4, June-2018, ISSN 2230-7540 Vijay Tendulkar’s Ghashiram Kotwal as an Epitome of Critique on Protagonist Ghashiram and Antagonist Nana Dr. Rajesh Vishnu Yeole* Head, Department of English, C. K. Thakur A. C.S. College, New Panvel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Aristotle believed that man is not only a social but performing many of his plays on account of also political animal. Therefore, the political ideas reflection of unconventionalapproach towards and intuitions are resulting from the political nature of solving the problems of people and predicament of man. The greed for power, persecution and women in the society.Vijay Tendulkar is considered submission has been a continuous process from as a postmodern playwright who became the antiquity of life and it has increased by leaps and crusader of Maharashtra, without restricting himself bounds in civilized and modernized society. This in scrutinizing the restrains of social realism. power structured relationship has been working effectively at different levels such as domestic, social He immediately jumped into the cauldron of and political. It is a bitter truth that in the cut throat political radicalism and highlights on the hegemony competition for power, reputation, wealth and of people in power and the hypocrisy existing in position people terribly exploit others and use them Indian mindset through his prominent plays. His as mere puppets for their selfish achievements. plays are powerfulembodiment of human foibles with an a apt purpose of enlightenment and Vijay Tendulkar is regarded as a one of the greatest refinement. This paper aims to examine Vijay literarypersonalities amongst the modern Indian Tendulkar‘s play Ghashiram Kotwal as a powerful literature who has successfully reined Indian Drama critique onunscrupulous politicians, policemen and for five decades. He has significantly contributed prostitutes who all join to create a social though his masterpieces and earned him critical disharmony, lawlessness, injustice, adultery, acclaim and popularity amongst readers, audience corruption, confusion and chaos especially in and critics. As an influential dramatist of modern Indian society.The powerful and controversial play time, his works have become classics in the realm of Ghashiram Kotwalis consisting of lot of dance and Indian drama. Tendulkar‘s plays crossed the limits of music. The setting of the drama Ghashiram Kotwal Marathi theatre and are completely responsible for takes us to the eighteenth century Peshwa regime placing Indian drama in the international arena. His in Maharashtra. It is apparent that, through the works are exclusively dealing with themes of public characters of Ghashiram Kotwalas a protagonist importance such as greed for power, exploitation of and Nana Padhnavis as an antagonist the women and hypocrisy and they bear ample evidence dramatist has created resemblance of historical to this fact that he has a very powerful message to personages very successfully.This prominent play be communicated in order reform and transform the analyticallycriticizes on the debauchery and people in the society.Initially, he appeared to be very snobbishness of the ruling class specifically the controversial playwright but his works depicted him Brahmins of Pune, who always regard themselves as an honest artist. He is not only a rebellious but as the guardian of public morality.The play also a courageous personality who is well known as alsocreates a strong protest against the caste a dramatist, screen and television writer, literary system prevalent Indian society. essayist, political journalist and socialreformer as a well as a commentator. He was keenly associated Tendulkar‘s play Ghashiram Kotwal is a multi- with the civil liberties movements especially in layered and it is exclusively based on historical Maharashtra. It also shows his concern for his events. In spite of this, theprimary emphasis is not people and society. As a realist, he rejects to be on history but on contemporary political fooled by romantic concepts of movements. He situations.Therefore, Tendulkar has succinctly on scathingly attacks on the flaws and failures of the blurb of the book Ghashiram Kotwal: A unrealistic movements in his world famous plays. As Reader‟s Companion pointed out:―This is a non- a result, it is found that there is a controversy after historical opera-like legend based on history. www.ignited.in Dr. Rajesh Vishnu Yeole* 189 Vijay Tendulkar’s Ghashiram Kotwal as an Epitome of Critique on Protagonist Ghashiram and Antagonist Nana Ghashiram is an offspring of a specific social prison. Later, he uses his patriarchal power over his situation. This social situation of Ghashiram goes daughter and submits her to Nana Phadnavis in beyond time and place. Although the author exchange of political power. Right from the first entry undertakes all the responsibility of the historical base of Ghashiram into the city of Pune,he has a longing of the episode, he does not intend to express his to combine himself with the corrupt power structures opinion on the Peshwa regime, Nana Padhnavis and of Pune. This is clear in the scene when Nana Ghashiram Kotwal in their so-called authentic life dances erotically with the courtesans, his ankles stories in the relevant history‖. (20) sprain and Ghashiram waiting for a chance to find legitimate position clutches the opportunity to Hence, the playwright minutely examines various achieve favour to Nana‘s predicaments and offers his illnesses such as a corruption, vanity, greed for back as a support for Nana. power present in modern society with its utter villainy carried out by men without any repentance and In the play, the protagonist GhashiramKotwal buys goodness.As far as the present drama is concerned, power through sex. He scarifies the virtue of his it is effectively woven around the paradigms of dearest daughter in the altar of worship of power. political situation where power is defined horizontally. Like a typical tragic hero he suffers from imprudence It has been rightly pointed out by and fails to have an integrated view of the truth of SamikBandhyopadhya as:―In terms of individuals life. Therefore, it remarked about predicament of from humiliation to revenge in assertion to eventual tragedy of Ghashiram as: ―No one should pity victimization played out against the background of GhashiramKotwal because his unmarried daughter moral and political decadence and degeneracy, with died when he was pregnant‖ (GK 407). sexuality impinging on strategies of power‖.(Samik 587). Having purchased power through sex, Ghashiram wanders thoughtlessly. ―The way a wounded tiger It is observed that intrigues and counter intrigues becomes addicted to blood, so the Kotwal has along with evil strategies are playing crucial role in come to love the smell‖ (GK 407). Ghashiram‘s the political game where people are well as final surrender to angry Brahmans and his characters become not only pawns but also puppets. reconciliation with his lot puts forth his belated Tendulkar has beautifully carved out a period of realization of his sin and repentance. Ghashiram Peshwa regime as its background and in order to like a typical tragic hero suffers from personal depict evils of greed for power.He has successfully hamartia which ultimately leads to his terrible ruin employed two prominent historical characters such and destruction in the play. as Nana as a Satan and Ghashiram only to condemn the brutality, innocuous practices in order to It is clear that elements of modern politicians are amalgamate power which ultimately leads to their beautifullywoven into the texture of the play and is utter ruin and destruction. The salient features of reproduced in the characters of Ghashiram and politics as a profession are hatred, immorality, Nana respectively. The bitter truth is that power hypocrisy, jealousy, corruption and greed for power makes a man blind and overwhelmed he thinks in and chair. vain that he could never be brought down. Finally, misused power boomerangs in the form of common Tendulkar‘s vivid description of politics and man‘s wrath and destroys him. Nana as an politicians are not features of Peshwa regime alone embodiment of Iagois an artful politician who has but a general prodigy. Criminalization of politics is mastered the power game. Thus, he operates his one of the burning topics of argument and analysis in unlimited power in such way that he acquires what modern times. It is believed that the network he wants and always reminds a winner. At the between politicians and criminals is an ancient beginning, he uses his power for lecherous deeds malady. Therefore, the play Ghashiram Kotwal without any morality. Then, he authorizes throws light on this deadly relationship between Ghashiram and uses him as a pawnin his evil politicians, criminals, policemen and prostitutes who strategies. He also uses power to victimize his are actively engaged in bombarding a terrible war preys and to hush up everything clearly. against peace, morality, honesty and justice. As a Therefore, Neela Bhallain her prominent work result, S. G. Bhanegaonkar in his work ―Depiction of about the power game played by Nana as a politics, power and prostitution in Ghashiram Kotwal‖ monster and GhashiramKotwal succinctly remarks: about the evils of power politics suitably points out:―This