Kamala by Vijay Tendulkar: A Subtle Call for Feminism

Abstract

    Feminism believes in gender equality. It voices for same opportunities and rights for women as men enjoy. Women are generally confined to domestic life and men have unlimited scope. Many writers have voiced for feminism. Among modern dramatists of Indian writing in English , it is worth noting that Vijay Tendulkar has voiced for women rights. His is a subtle call for feminism. In his play Kamala, the issue of women slavery is taken up. It is ironically treated. The playwright has tried to depict that although slavery is illegal, yet it is unfortunate that it has been legalised in marital knot. In patriarchal society like that of India, women are still in an oppressive state. A parallelism is drawn between Kamala, the slave and Sarita, the suppressed wife of the journalist Jaisingh. Sarita has the realisation that she is in a state no better than that of a slave. She feels that practically she is insignificant. The self discovery leads her towards search for identity. Ultimately Sarita gains her strength, asserts her presence and turns out to be a new woman. This paper is a study of the subtle feminist approach of the playwright Vijay Tendulkar who voices for women rights.

Key words: Equality, Feminism, Oppression, Self discovery, Slavery.