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CHAPTER III

VIJAY TENDULKAR : LIFE AND WORKS CHAPTER ffl VIJAY TENDULKAR : LIFE AND WORKS

Vijay Tendulkar is one of the renowned playwrights of the .

He was bom on January 6,1928 in (). He had his education

in Kolhapur, and Bombay. Though he had meagre formal education, he had

really his education in real life. The real life experiences, observations and

^Jmpression^enriched his personality and vision of life. He poured these

experiences and observations into his writing. Tendulkar’s father Dhondopant

was an enthusiastic writer, director and actor of amateur plays. He used to take

young Tendulkar to the rehearsals of his plays. The younger Tendulkar was greatly

amazed to see the actor’s performance especially the woman’s role being played

by the male actor. His brother, Ragunath used to act too. Like his father, he was

interested in literature. It was from here Tendulkar’s education to become a great

playwright began.

His father used to take him to a large bookhouse owned by his publisher

friend. Young Tendulkar wandered among the shelves and picked up a good

collection of children’s books in Marathi. His father bought them all for him and

would often tell him stories from them. All these things directly and indirectly

helped Tendulkar to develop the creative art in him.

Tendulkar was brought up in a domestic atmosphere where his mother

used to tell him stories about Mahatma Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. This

instilled the spirit of nationalism in the mind of Tendulkar. He was associated

with The Quit Movement of 1942. All these things had an abiding influence

on his career as a playwright later on in his life.

27 Moreover he was also influenced by the great writers who very often visited his house. No doubt, Tendulkar grew up in a kind of literary atmosphere. Thus the literary environment at home prompted young Tendulkar to take up writing. Tendulkar wrote his first story at the tender age of six.

Tendulkar had two role models who influenced him while he was at Pune. Both were well-known names in . They were Dinkar Balkrishna Mokashi, a fine writer and Vishnu Vinayak Bokil, Tendulkar’s Marathi teacher at school and a successful writer. Thus these writers rendered dominant influence on the personality of Tendulkar.

During his school days, Tendulkar used to bunk the school and spent time watching Western plays and also at the city library where he read a lot and felt inspired to write plays himself. At the age of eleven he wrote, directed and acted in his first play Amchyavar Kon Prem Karnar (Who Will Love us?). He says in his interview, “I was veiy much influenced by the writing of D.B.Mokashi, Shivaram Vashikar and the films like Manus and Kunku produced by Prabhat Film Production Company and the Western playwrights like Arthur Miller and ”. (Deshpande,1976: 33) and also influenced by the playwrights like Shaw, Ibsen and Shakespeare etc.

Tendulkar’s first job was in a printing press. He then moved into journalism. A journalist, by profession, Vijay Tendulkar has contributed to several daily columns in newspapers. Thus journalism, it seems, has influenced his style of writing.

He started his career as a freelance writer. He worked as sub-editor on the daily Navbharat and Maratha, then as executive editor of the magazines, Vasudha and Deepavali. He spent a few years as public relation officer for the Chowgule Group of Industries before being appointed assistant editor of the daily Loksatta in

28 1968. He was the Chairman of the General Council, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi from 1978 to 1982 and of SangeetNatak Akademi from 1977 to 1981. In 1979 he was made the Vice-President, National School of . His association with the theatre was also long and profound. He rendered his services in different capacities like writer, producer and director etc. He was also associated with All India Radio and Doordarshan. His varied professional experience put him in touch with people of all classes.

He has been felicitated with many awards and honours including the Maharashtra State Government Award (1956, 1969 and 1972), Akademy Award (1971), The Filmfare Award (1980 and 1983), Padmabhushan (1984), Prize (1970), National Award for the best film (1977), (1993), The (1999), The Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar (1999), The Jansthan Award (1999). The latest recognition for lifetime literary achievement was the Katha Chaudamani Award in 2001.

Having a long and chequered career - in a printing press, in journalism, as a public relation officer in a company, today this most noted writer has to his credit 30 full length plays such as Grihasiha (1955), Shrimant (1955), Manus Navache Bet (1956), Madhalya Bhinti (1958), Chimniche Ghar Menache (1960), Mi Jinklo Mi Haralo (1963), Kavlyanchi Shala (1963), Sari Ga Sari (1964), Ek Hotti Mulagi (1967), Shantata! Court ChaluAhe (1968), Ashi Pakhare Yeti (1970), Gidhade (1971), (1972), Gharte Amuche Chhan (1973), (1973), Dwamdipacha Mukabala (1973-74), Bhalyakaka (1974), Bhau Murarrao (1975), Bebi (1975), Pahije Jatiche (1977), Kamala (1982), Mitrachi Goshta (1982), Kanyadan (1983), Vithala{ 1985), Chiranjeev Saubhagya Kanshini, Safer (1991), Niyatiehya Bailala Ho (1992) and Kutre (2003) etc.

29 He has also to his credit 23 one-act-plays, six collections of children’s plays, five anthologies of short-stories, five volumes of Literary essays and social criticism and two novels. He has also written eleven movies in Hindi and eight movies in Marathi and T. V.series too. In 2004, he has written a single-act-play His fifth Woman - his first play in the English language - as a sequel to his earlier exploration of the plight of women in Sakharam Binder which was first performed at the ‘ Vijay Tendulkar Festival’ in New York in October 2004.

Besides these foregoing works Tendulkar has translated some western novels, two biographies and five plays by other authors into Marathi. The translated works can be inumerated as given below. Translation of novels contain Devachi Manase (1955), Gele Te Divas (1958), Mi Asa Zalo (1958), A age Badho (1958), AmhiHarnar Nahi (1963), Katha Eka Wyathechi, Prempatra, Nave Ghar, Nave Aayushya. His translation of Biographies include Dayechi Devata (1955), To Aamchyasathi Ladhala (1962). He has also translated short stoiy collections like Chityachya Magawar (1967), Karbhareen, Amerikechi Tondolakh, Paach Pahunya. He has also to his credit translation of plays like Vasanachakra (1966), Lobh Nasava Hi Vinanti (1972), Lincoln Yanche Akherche Divas (1964), Adhe Adhure(\91\), and Tughlaq (1971).

Critics and literary historians have placed Vijay Tendulkar in the tradition of realist- humanist - experimentalist dramatists. While studying Tendulkar’s plays it is observed that his plays reflect socio-cultural and political reality as they comprise real-life situations, events and incidents. For instance, his Silence! The Court is in Session is modelled on actual dialogues the dramatist has heard at a mock-trial enacted by a group of players; Kamala has its genesis in the actual happenings appeared in the newspaper; Ghashiram Kotwal is constructed on the basis of a historical incident in the Peshwa regime; and A Friend’s Story is based

30 on the story of a person whom Tendulkar comes across in Pune. Thus everything he produced and performed on the stage had its origin in real life. He strictly followed what Chekov does and states, “Life on the stage should be as it really is and the people, too, should be as they are and not stilts.” (David, 1960: 84). With the treatment of the details of actual life, his plays have become more and more realistic.

It can further be observed that his plays always focus on the problems and conditions of the middle class and also lower class. He concentrates on different aspects of human characters. All of them underscore the complexity of human characters. As he noted, “The basic urge (to write) has always been to let out my concerns vis-a-vis my reality : the human condition as I perceive it.” (Kumar in Pandey and Barua, 1994:29) Tendulkar’s plays manifest his strong dissatisfaction with the prevailing social order. They deal with miseries and suffering caused by the cruel forces and conventions of society. He seeks to present the modem man '/with his predicament, his challenges, his difficulties and complexities. The life

seen around is projected as it is. Arundhati Banerjee rightly observes, “Tendulkar presents modem man in all complexities. He portrays life as it is from different angles without trying to moralize or philosophize in any way. All the works contain a latent critique of modem Indian society, mostly middle class and lower middle class though from different angles.” (1992 : viii & xviii) Thus they are written in naturalistic vein. He depicts the scenes and situations from day-to-day. While portraying life as it is his attention is, by and large,focused not on the happy and gleeful aspects of life but on human weaknesses, follies and foibles. The conservative people are shocked by the complex problematic nature of Tendulkar’s plays. Therefore, it can be noted that most of his plays have become controversial. But they can’t be termed as problem plays like those of Ibsen, Shaw and Galsworthy since what his plays depict is the socio-cultural and political reality of human life. 31 While dealing with problems, reality is projected in all its vulgar and naked form. Through such writing he successfully tries to destroy outdated pieties and stereotyped beliefs. Though it is difficult to accept and appreciate the reality presented by him, it is as real as inevitable. So the audience leaves the theatre with the disturbed mind. It is in this sense that Tendulkar can be seen as an iconoclast, who intends to bring about a silent, gradual change in people’s attitude towards life and its problems. “Tendulkar urges upon the audience to ponder over their problems and intends to make them conscious of their vices and limitations directly or indirectly and wishes to bring about a change in people’s modes of thinking, feeling and behaving.” (Wadikar, 2008:6) So he uses drama as a means to raise questions rather than to provide solutions. “In the same vein, Asha S.Kumar, too, observes, “By leaving the ethical questions open, Tendulkar is perhaps inviting his audience to think about the solutions for themselves.” (Grene, 1984:7) In short Tendulkar intends to bring about a change not only in the subject matter, form and structure of his plays but in the mind-set of his audience also. As pointed out by Shailaja Wadikar “He prevents the emotional involvement of the audience and enables them, with more or less unconcemtedl^ to judge the play as detached observers”. (Wadikar, 2008 :34) v—

The connected themes of his plays are concerned in one way or another with love, sex and violence. However the content or the subject matter of each of the play is distinct from and independent of the other. Thematically, his plays have ranged from the alienation of the modem individual to contemporary politics, from social-individual tensions to the complexities of human character, from the exploration of man-woman relationship to reinterpretations of historical episodes. The themes of gender relation, sexual norms, institution of marriage and issues of conventional morality have featured prominently in his plays. The theme of class-conflict and violence occupy an important place in the scheme of themes 32 handled by Tendulkar. Tendulkar through his writings has exposed the theme of man’s existential loneliness./Overall, the treatment of his themes is realistic and •»—1 r"—* humanistic. /

Themewise his plays can be divided into two phases. “His plays can be divided into two groups : pre-Silence plays and post-Silence plays. In pre-Silence plays he is concerned with middle class individual set against the backdrop of a hostile society. His early plays are remarkable for his sympathy for the “little big man” in our modem society. Silence ! The Court is in Session, however, marks a striking change in his attitude to middle class man. From Silence! the psychological analysis of the character becomes dominant in his plays.” (Darshana in Prasad and Yadav, 2003: 164). Thus all his plays have a direct, one to one relationship with society.

Because of his highly individual outlook on and vision of life and of his personal style of writing, Tendulkar has made a powerful impression in the field of drama. As an experimental playwright, Tendulkar has given the post-Independance Marathi drama a new idiom./He set a new trend in Marathi

theatre and produced new themes as well as new techniques. By doing this he has put Marathi drama on the national and international map. Dr.Supriya Pendhari rightly observes, “The experimentation that Tendulkar practised in the whole of his genre of plays is incomparable in the whole of Marathi theatre.” (2002:80). He has experimented with theme, characterization, story-line, language and style. While studying his plays it can be observed that he is always aware of experimentation. In his each and every play, for instance, if we consider the plays that he wrote upto 1962 such as Kavlyanchi Shala, Shrimant, Manus Navache Bet, and Madhalya Bhinti, we experience his experimentation in them. In these plays he is “primarily interested in the working of human mind.” (Banhatti and Jogalekar, 1998:141) The

33 theme of alienation embodied in the play Manus Navache Bet is something new to the Marathi stage at the time of his writing. Similarly, the way Shrimant presents the problems of man-woman relationships was something new too. The Marathi audience has not read or seen such bold presentations.

If we have a glance towards the plays, written from 1962 to 1968, like Mi Jinklo! Mi Haralo, Ek Haiti Mulagi, Silence! The court is in session, we notice the distinct nature of these plays from other plays in Marathi. These plays have acquired importance in view of experimentation.

After these plays also Tendulkar continues this trend of experimentation. The plays like As hi Pakhare Yeti, Dwambdipcha Mukabala, Gidhade, and other plays are the first to introduce new content and subject matter in the Marathi theatre. His well-known plays explore important themes. In Silence! The Court is in Session, Tendulkar has combined social criticism with the tragedy of an individual, Leela Benare, the protagonist of the play, victimized by society. She bears men’s prejudices and victimization with forbearance. Men in the play- Kashikar, Sukhatme and others - gang up against her and torture her through a mock-trial. In this trial, she is made accused and arrested under the charge of infanticide. When they fail to prove the charge, they start an anatomy of her private affairs. The play is, thus, a satire on the conventions and hypocrisy of the middle class, male dominated society which is concerned only with a farcical moral code. Tendulkar gives Leela Benare’s defence in soliloguy. Arundhati Banerjee appreciates the emotional out pour of Benare in the following terms:

Leela Benare’s defence of herself against the onslaughts of the upholders of social norms in a long soliloquy, has become famous in the history of contemporary Marathi theatre. It is important to note here that Tendulkar leaves us in doubt as to whether or not Benare, at all, delivers the soliloquy, thus suggesting that, in all probability, what

34 she has to say for herself is swallowed up by the silence imposed upon her by the authorities. In fact, during the court proceedings, on several occasions, her objections and protestations are drowned by the judge’s cry of “Silencel and banging of the gravel.” (Baneijee in Dharan, 1999:40)

Sakharam Binder is an expose of the hypocrisy, jealousy, masochism and the lust of the middle class male. It also explores with great objectivity the complications of human nature and two necessary components of which are sex and violence. The theme of this play revolves around Sakharam, a lower middle class book binder who has an insatiable appetite for female sex. He doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage. “It is about man-woman relationship outside marriage.” (Mirajkar in Srinath, 2008: 43). For him man-woman relationship is absolutely commercial. In order to satisfy his sexual hunger, he gives shelter to helpless women on his own terms. The play is also based on victimization of women. For example, Laxmi is a victim of Sakharam’s strange code of sexual conduct His Ghashiram Kotwal deals with power politics. It is a dramatic exposure of the latent savagery of human being e.g., treachery, violence, sexuality etc. It is the story of the power politics between Nana Phadnavis and Ghashiram Kotwal. Ghashiram Kotwal is a poor Brahmin from Kanauj. He comes to the city of Poona with his daughter, Lalita Gauri. He wants to achieve the highest position in the city but falls prey to the dirty politics and immoral administration of Nana Phadnavis. By the time Ghashiram progresses from a common man to more than a beast in order to gain the power of state. Through the character of both Nana Phadnavis and Ghashiram, Tendulkar has shown the moral degradation, social degeneration and spiritual regression.

Tendulkar in Kamala explores the exploitation of women in a different facet. Jaisingh Jadhav, a journalist, is a selfish man who purchases women from the flesh

35 market and treated them as an object. Kamala, an Adivasi woman, is bought by Jaisingh Jadhav at flesh market. He is unkind to all women including his wife(s|rita

; also/Thus Tendulkar represents the male domination over women. Through this play Tendulkar ridicules the urban middle class society and the social institutions like ‘Marriage’, ‘Politics’ and ‘Journalism’.

Gidhade depicts the economic and moral degeneration of a family. It portrays a very realistic description of sex and violence, avarice and selfishness. The central theme of the play is money and this money makes some of the characters vultures. They also become lusty. Ramakant and Umakant, the two brothers, are very cruel by nature. Arundhati Banerjee rightly introduces the play in these words:

The decadence and degeneration of human individuals belonging to a middle class milieu is exposed through the interactions among the members of a family. Ramakant and Umakant’s greed and viciousness, their father’s degenerate nature, their sister Manik’s gross sensuality - all add up to naturalistic depiction of those baser aspects of human that one would like to shut one’s eyes to. The beating up of the father by his own children, the two brothers forcible abortion of their sister’s child, the mutual hatred among the members of the family, underline the fundamental evil inherent in human character.” (Banerjee in Khatri, 2005: 6)

Thus the play is a ruthless dissection of human nature revealing its inherent tendencies to avarice, sex, violence and selfishness.They exhibit the cruelty hidden in man. This cruelty is of horrible nature. This cruelty, couched in well-cultured highly placed or modest personalities in the society, springs up at an unimaginative moment and that makes victim of the person found in its grip. So far no playwright before Tendulkar appears to have taken notice of such a psychological reality. Tendulkar displays divergent desires hidden in the inner mind

36 of a person, extremity in emotionalism and unexpected untoward incidents happening due to them. Tendulkar has further showed such acts which shock the whole of life without bothering about the moderate taste of contemporary audience. Tendulkar has been criticized for showing hideous, horrific and repulsive melodramatic actions on the stage as does Tennessee Williams. Sakharam Binder and Ghashiram Kotwal are the others plays from the point of view of experimentation. Due to these two plays the Marathi theatre is stormed. They give rise to different controversies. But in these two plays the use of content and subject matter and technique in the play made respectively appears important from the point of view of experimentation.

His Kanyadaan explores the texture of modernity and social change in India through a marriage between two people of different castes and backgrounds. Jyoti, a young brahmin daughter of Nath Devlalikar, an ML A decides to marry Aran Athavale, a Dalit youth from a village. They get married and what follows is a sequence of violence, misery and disillusionment. He treats her inhumanly and this gives rise to dramatic tension in her relationship. Through Nath and Seva as her parents who can not spare sufficient time for the upbringing of their children, the playwright also throws light on the lack of familial responsibility on the part of educated parents while fulfilling their social obligations.

Baby explo^ed):he exploitation of the girls aspiring for a filmy career in

Bollywood. It centres round a simple-minded film extra who is expolited by her seniors working with her. Pahije Jatiche is a semi-farcical play based on the theme of casteism.

Encounter in Umbugland is a political satire. It recounts the power game played out in terms of caste ascendancy in politics. Vijaya, the daughter of the king, Vichitravirya, is an indomitable character of iron will. She is very ambitious. The

37 play begins with the ruling of king Vichitravirya and ends with the princess Vijaya’s complete control over her cabinet as a successful ruler.

Then his ‘A Friend’s Story ’ is a stark commentary on the nature of both heterosexual and homosexual love. Rest of his plays also deal with social themes. Tendulkar’s recent plays such as Safar, and Niyatichya Bailala are absurd plays. There is no action, no characterization, no plot. Nothing happens on the stage. They exhibit the state uncertainty, anguish and depression that characterize our contemporary life.

Tendulkar makes a tremendous impact with his technical innovations. Such unique devices created an indelible mark on the minds of his audience. “Tendulkar, the avant-garde playwright like Girish Kamard, has startled and enthralled his audience with novel devices.” (Anbarasi in Srinath, 2007:38). Tendulkar, in his Ghashiram Kotwal, makes tremendous use of innovative techniques. For example, The play adopts folk structure.Tendulkar follows the tradition. The folk formats, with their appropriate and effective use of facial expressions, mime song, dance, symbolic use of stage techniques and supernatural elements earn him immortal place in Indian Drama. The Chorus is the most significant innovative device which lure the viewers making them marvel at the use of it. The assignment of multifarious roles to the Sutradar is yet another remarkable trait of the play. He is the most vibrant character involves himself actively playing different roles when the story develops into action.

V.Anbarasi also observes, “Tendulkar’s Ghashiram and Girish Karnard’s Hayavadana - are supposed to be packed with many moments of horror, terror, mystery, superstition and the supernatural.” She also continues, “These devices have undoubtedly created the same impact on the audience as Shakespeare’s mechanicals in A Midsummer Night’s Dream have done. Tendulkar and Kamad have employed

38 non-naturalistic forms in order to achieve the ‘Universalization’ of the theme. They have chosen improbable and inconceivable ideas and to present which they have experimented with non-naturalistic forms.” (Ibid: 42)

Tendulkar tries another interesting technical experiment in Ashi Pakhare Yeti (1970). In this play, based on Rain Maker of Romance, the protagonist carries on a continous dialogue (direct address) with the audience commenting on action and character. It is something new to the Marathi stage. Similarly, he uses Shakes^e^s^chnique of ‘play-within-play’ or mock trial in Silence! The Court is in Session. His dramatic device of‘mask’, as reflected in the ‘two masked men’ in the play Encounter in Umbugland, is also noteworthy.

In addition to this, later on, in his plays like Sari ga Sari he combined two distinct components, ‘Tamasha’ and ‘Natak’ into one. Because of this new attempt the play proved to be experimental with new technique. In this play the idea of the drama of the middle class life presented through the form of Tamasha that used to expose the social and political evils, appeared to be very valuable from the point of view of experimentation. Thus his contribution to the contemporary Indian theatre is unique and hence remains without a parallel.

Tendulkar is a great master in the art of characterization. Characters are crucial and his plays are character oriented. Many critics divide plays into plays of action, plays of character and plays of ideas. Tendulkar’s plays are the plays of character because they are character centred. “Tendulkar’s play explores the personality of a character and it is character centred.” (Dhongde, 2007:13). Tendulkar opines in this context, “I was never able to begin writing my play only with an idea or a theme in mind. I had to have my characters first with me ... living persons leading me into the thick of their lives where they would give me the theme.” (Gokhale, 2007: 32)

39 Tendulkar’s characters are drawn from our day-to-day life. He has taken Characters from different fields, professions, classes, age-groups and

socio- cultural background. They are from all strata of society i.e. from upper, middle to lower class society. As characters, Tendulkar’s women are among the most convincing in Indian theatre. They are not romanticized or idealized. They are first and foremost human beings of flesh and blood, who draw their features from the widest range of observed examples. “Tendulkar has succeeded in portraying women differently and raised the status of Indian woman from a weak person to a powerful one.” (Das in Pandey and Barua, 1994:14).

Thus in his plays, women play an important role. “He treats his women ^diameters with understanding and compassion. Therefore most of his plays are

gyno-centric” (Dharan, 1999: 28) On the other hand, he portrays his male characters as embodiments of hypocrisy, selfishness, unkind etc. Among them are people like Kashikar, Sakharam, Sukhatme, Ponkshe, Kamik, Jaisingh Jadhav, Umakant and Ramakant, Nana Phadnavis etc. whose words and deed expose their inherent malice and hypocrisy.

It is noted that Tendulkar tended to minimize his personal influence on his characters and their personality development. They are in the play ‘with their own minds, ways and destiny.” (http://www. hotreview, org/articles/vijaytendulkar.htm.)

Tendulkar employs different methods of characterization.Characterization in his plays add to the realism and humanism. For instance, his method of contrast to portray his characters e.g. Leela Benare and Mrs.Kashikar in Silence! The Court is in Session. Tendulkar depicts Benare as a modem woman who is capable of protecting herself while Mrs.Kashikar is portrayed as tradition-bound, orthodox married woman. Like most of the women she supports patriarchal values though they harm women. Laxmi and Champa, in Sakharam Binder, are two contrasting

40 women characters. Laxmi is traditional, sensitive and religious. Champa, on the other hand, is stem, ruthless and rebellious.

Then in some of him most significant plays, Tendulkar presents women in pairs. For example, Leela Benare and Mrs.Kashikar in Silencel Manik and Rama in Gidhade, Laxmi and Champa in Sakharam Binder, Kamala and Sarita in Kamala etc.

The story and plot are artistic in Tendulkar’s craft of playwriting. His story lines are radical and he handles them with great courage. He is therefore far ahead of his time. His stories are based on real-life incidents and situations or social upheavals. V.B.Deshpande comments on the story element in Marathi plays in general and Tendulkar’s plays in particular. Generally one finds that Marathi drama suffers from verbosity and cheap sentimentalism. In other words the dramatists are interested in telling a good story only. “But Tendulkar has right from the start kept himself aloof not tell a good story but that he is also interested in effective presentation. It is this interest in form and technique that has enabled Tendulkar to remain ‘experimental’ continually.” (Deshpande in Madage, 2007:28)

The success of any great play depends mostly on its language, technique and style. Vijay Tendulkar synthesizes with the elements of dramatic art. His use of language is marked by an intelligent use of the punctuation marks. Blank spaces, '-'Tull stops and exclamation marks are effectively used by him. His language is simple and natural. The vocabulary of his plays is significant. His story line unfurls through extremely simple and appropriate wordplay. Though the language is easy to hear. It depicts extremely complex feelings. His words create the expected impact. His selection of words is so perfect that not a single word can be added or deleted. Though there is a metre to his language, it isn’t poetic and definitely prose and realistic. He makes use of living speech and dialectal varieties

41 15881 which add to the real feel of the theme of his works.

His dialogue appears natural. comments on the use of dialogue in his plays as follows.

“.... Tendulkar writes only half sentences. But these half sentences has the / power to create something quite tremendous. That is why the acting idiom founds its perfect match in Tendulkar’s writing.” (Gokhale in Madage, 2007:56). Tendulkar has maintained that, in his case, form always follows character, situation and theme.

Tendulkar is known for his effective style in his plays. He makes use of ^ irony, satire and humour in his plays. Tendulkar’s plays in general are regarded serious in atmosphere. He leaves little scope for the critics to think of humour in the dialogues of his plays. Tendulkar employs wit and humour thereby his plays become more interesting. Tendulkar exposes the realities through the device of humour. He also makes use of irony to expose the sham and hypocrisies in life. “Tendulkar x-rays the banalities of life and of the age-old system. So he employs irony as a literary device to bulldoze the patriarchal set-up of the orthodox society. But it seldom evokes laughter.” (Khatri, 2005 :48)

As Prasad observes, “Ghashiram Kotwal presents a scathing and sardonic satire on the hypocrisy, ostentation and moral and spiritual lexity of the corrupted Brahmins of the contemporary age. It is also a satire on the faulty administration and total anarchy of the state of that time. Here the satire of Tendulkar is not dry and

bald, but it is highly poetic, symbolic and suggestive. It is also very humorous and musical. The blending of satire with music and humour shows the adroitness and craftsmanship of the writer.” (2008 : 62-63) Tendulkar, thus, satirises ^/Contemporary society which is not free from hypocrisy, social ills and social

maladies, bad practices, customs and traditions.

42