Feminist Identity

Quest for Identity in the writings of Mahesh Elkunchwar

Kirti Prakash Sangole (Research Students, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University,
Aurangabad), Dr. Vaishali Pradhan (Principal, Milind College of Arts, Aurangabad)

Abstract:

The term identity has many fields and it changes its role according to the society and the
levels. The individuals are created on the basis of the identity which the society and the
family provide. A woman is the centre of the society yet, is ignored and controlled by the
society. With regards to put forward the voice of the women the writers have presented it in
the form of novels and poems. The changing and emerging genera which changed the point
of view presenting the women goes with the plays of Mahesh Elkunchwar. He presented not
only the problems of the women but, wanted to present that the complete change in the
situations can be changed by a single ‘minor’ considered character. He presented the women
as protagonist and their major idea for the search of their own identity rather than the identity
the society provided.

Key Words: Mahesh Elkunchwar, Quest, Wada Chirebandi, Garbo.

Introduction:

The term identity has utilized many fields and is a discourse since ages. Identity being
critical issue starts and ends up when individuals are considered unfit to be within the space.
This individual represent from different identities of varied social, political, cultural
economic status. These identities are created under differing criteria’s and level of degrees.
We can sometimes look forward for the role of identity as it is created as we for ourselves.
But, rather with changing situations the idea of identity had completely changed. Here, now
the individual are created on the basis of identity what family and society provides us. And
when it comes to creating and finding identity of women, it becomes a flooding area of
discussion.

Our culture, customs and civilization has the most common centre i.e women. Though
she is the centre yet is being bypassed and controlled by all gender based norms. She seems
to be fighting against all the odds which are being put forward for her and still experience her
variety of roles finding her feminity and identity. Many writers f/male participated in writing

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about women. This writing can be considered as pure conscious form of writing as if written
about self. Many novels and poems have been put forward to show the image of women as
sufferer and in a patient search of her own self. These novels includes the work of Manju
Kapur, Shashi Deshpande, Ritu Menon, Neera Desai etc.. almost all the female novelist
seems to have written from their personal experience. Many give their experience as
autobiography while the others try to present it through some fictional characters. This
landscape of literature is also moulded by few female poets presenting their very clear ideas.
These include- Sarojini Naidu, Toru Dutt, Kamala Surayya (also popularly known as Kamala
Das and Madhavidas). The poet like Kamala Das and Amrita Pritam being considered as the
leading voices for the female through their poetry. This can be seen through one of the poem
of Kamala Das’s An Introduction when she says-

I don’t know politics

I know the names of those in power,

And can repeat them like

Days of week, or name of months,………

These lines clearly mention her search for self in the world where it starts with male.

The aim of the paper being to explore and examine the women’s quest for their self-
identity through a feministic perspective. This search is seen to be found among the women
for liberated and independent identity in opposition to the identity provided to them by the
society and in turn by the family members. The writing is presented by Mahesh Elkunchwar
one of the great contemporary writers who tried to find the voice of the women in this
patriarchal society through his writing. The writings of Elkunchwar present the women
initially to be in an age old condition which the society had decided for them. They are
presented as inferior and are always put into question by the family and in turn by the society
regarding their existence. We find that the author has written the plays through the
observation he has made since young age around him. This portrayal of familial and social
tradition gives women the only role of sacrifice and they only need to be passive individual
within the decided space. The only role a women needs to follow is the moral virtues,
devotion towards her family and sacrifices. This constant false notion brings the female
characters to such a stage where they need to understand and find their own identity. This
quest for the selfless gives the women a new voice and identity. Mahesh Elkunchwar through

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his plays like Wada Chirebandi, Garbo, Desire in the Rocks, Sonata and Party tries to bring
out the voice of women with a great force. Through the characters which Elkunchwar created
the women characters are initially presented as incapable to present their thoughts. Also, at
same they are only considered as lustful objects and are out under suppression for the own
profit of family and male oriented society. This instinct which drives the women to be passive
and supressed is an instinct which is built within them from the childhood itself. The
suppression among the female/ girl child starts with the name of family honour. This family
honour binds the characters with unwanted rules, norms and creating within them the idea of
unworthiness.

This suppression among the women is so strong since the childhood that they believe
and implement the idea of sexual hierarchy. The tendency of not asking a question lowers
their voices and idea for creating the thoughts and space for themselves. Trying to be an
‘Ideal woman’ becomes the only sole role of the girl and finally the dependency is generated
at a much greater level. This dependency from father oriented family and being under his
control slowly changes with other relations also. Now, the female characters can be seen to
be under the words of brother and slowly turning on to husband, in-laws and gradually with
age for son and other male characters. This pressuring concept does not only stay with a
particular group of age but, is later on passed by the same female characters among their own
daughters creating a new generation of supressed class. This patriarchal class creates a
journey among some female characters for their own identity search giving the correct
definition for being sovereign human being.

Women finding their identities in Mahesh Elkunchwar’s Plays:

Mahesh Elkunchwar through the play Wada Chirebandi (Wada Trilogy) has presented
the same counter participated of women. This female characters played varied roles
according to their age, culture which they followed and the region in which they lived and are
brought up. Regardless of all the development which took place in the society Elkunchwar
through the play has presented the characters of varied ideas. The characters like ‘Aai’ and
‘Dadi’ are much binded within the norms of the society and follow the very traditional
method of wada culture. They are also shown to create the similar younger generation like
them but, can be seen to be partially successful. ‘Prabha’ one of the female characters
brought up under the rituals and norms of ‘Tatyaji’ is found to be much suppressed. She is a
woman shown to be completely under the control of male oriented characters and is finally

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deprived of education which she deserves as her basic need. We can find Prabha justifying
her point through the conversation with Aai when Prabha points out that the fate of every girl
especially Indian girl is decided by her elders, parents, brothers and in short by the society.
Be it the capability of a girl to be more powerful than her brother she is just ruined because
she is a girl and can’t live her life independently as the others. ‘Ranju’ the next generation
female character and the granddaughter of Tatyaji on another hand is much against all the
binding of the family and the society. But, her way of looking and finding her identity
misleads her and rather she elopes on the charges of being and enjoying her freedom. We can
find the real identity search of female character within ‘Anjali’. Anjali presents the typical
character of a working woman what we see now. A woman who is trying to live, balance and
survive within two different areas and cultures. She is a typical working woman balancing
her life within work and family. She is at times shown to have a great concern regarding the
family members but, is also a great critic when it comes to her own self and someone
controlling her identity, life and her duties. ‘Sudhir’ her husband even though is much
educated and stays in Bombay is yet shown to be typical male oriented person who controls
the life of Anjali in all possible manners.

Here one need to clarify that feminism only does not mean to show the problems of
the women and to present the women as passive and down trodden. But, the concept should
be raised more and the idea of feminism should be much enhanced. The women problem is
just not the past of interest to be presented but, actually raising of voices and finding
solutions for self becomes much important. The young lady ‘Anjali’ is presented well
educated and accommodated with the idea and information about her work and her future but,
at the same time she is shown to be carving a balance between the work and the parental
authority. Through the education she has passed her skyline and can be seen to past the bonds
of home and family throughout the play. Anjali is the only forceful character seen to be aware
of the rights she has. Also, she is the only female character who is aware of the unequal
standards provided to other female family members. Through Wada Chirebandi we find that
at least a single character ‘Anjali’ finds her own true self.

A female is not only controlled on the basis of tradition, culture and morality but, also
she has to be committed member of the society for the unfair means and ideas which are
placed before her by the society. A female/ woman is always look forward for being cultured
individual and at the same time a materialistic element capable to be presented to the society.
The unfair means of the men is to be fulfilled by woman and it becomes her only sole

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responsibility. They are look forward in some cultures just as a machine to please the desires
of men without her own opinion. We find the same point to be presented by Mahesh
Elkunchwar through his much bold plays like- Garbo.

The protagonist of the play Garbo is initially represented as a typical woman in need
of men for the support which she received in the form of mental, physical and economic
stability. Throughout the play we find that the individuals usually engage themselves in
various activities to show dominance over the other individual. During the period of writing
of Garbo we also find the play of Badal Sircar’s Evan Indrajet. But, Elkunchwar presented a
different feministic face through the play which explains that even though Garbo was
completely depend on the other male characters of the play for her survival and basic needs
yet, she was the only character which changed the complete play, he gradually represented
that the male characters are completely depend on a single female character ‘Garbo’ for their
identity and existence in the society. In the play it is Garbo who plays a major role in the
destruction of the individuals for finding her own self. The destruction was also the resultant,
what the society and the male characters expected from her throughout the play. At the very
start we find that Garbo was only meant for satisfying the needs of the three male characters
(Shrimant, Pansy, Intuc) while later turning on to find her own self and gradually the need of
individual changes. ‘Shrimant’ looks forward for her as he can give Garbo’s child his name
and make him much designated characters as he was unable of parenting, while ‘Intuc’ wants
to take the sole responsibility of the child even though he himself was much childlike
character. ‘Pansy’ wants to be against all these odds and maintain his name and popularity as
a poet. This self-assumption and need creates much identity crisis among the female
protagonist and finally ending up all the ideas and illusion of male dominated society. The
play even though seems to be very much bold but is an expressive of the feeling of women to
hers needs and duties which comes in infront of her with changing time and role.

The female characters in Mahesh Elkunchwar’s plays are shown to be living and
struggling against the society. They are always found to be a new woman. They seem to be
the protagonist (female) character but, are not actually. Rather they are the puppet and they
continuously try to find their own identity in the entire male generated world. The female
characters in Mahesh Elkunchwar’s writings present that they are much modern and who
always want their individual identity to be realised by the society and the family. The
subsequent challenge life and the choices they make is a stage of development for finding the

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self from others. It should become the much known fact that the society can never progress
without the participation of female along with their male.

References:

1. Elkunchwar, Mahesh. “Collected Plays of Mahesh Elkunchwar”. Oxford India