Nilanjana Biswas
In an attempt to rediscover Rabindranath Tagore in a post pandemic world, I ended up watching theatre in ‘Natyamukh’ brilliantly directed by Avi Chakraborty and dramatised by Tirthankar Chanda.
The play, titled ‘Kanya Tor’ beautifully performed spills out the agony over, across the screen. It essentially deals with a number of issues that remain persistent throughout ages : ‘stand of women in a patriarchal society’.
‘Freedom’ is a small word, yet it encircles a broader meaning. The questioning of women’s freedom in a patriarchal society had begun long back, but the process of upliftment has been slow and gradual.
The particular play, ‘kanya Tor’ deals with the life of a rich housewife Gouri, who eventually loses her own identity and recreations by being subservient and lenient to her significant other.
She is the wife of a rich self made lawyer Paresh , living in a huge mansion with multiple servants waiting at her orders. She practically has everything a woman ever dreams of, except the luxury of freedom.
In “Can the Subaltern Speak?” Spivak proposes a terminology for the historically marginalised gender, the women. Who have been systematically oppressed in a phallocentric world.
The role of Paresh’s wife brings out constant monotony and dissatisfaction in Gouri’s life. Firstly, the role is considered extremely feminine. Secondly, it is associated with woman being economically dependent upon her husband within the marital relationship. Thirdly, the role of housewife takes precedence over the other roles in a woman’s life. Her state of housewife is gradually reduced to a prisoner and curtails any progression towards equality of sexes.It brings upon her isolation and circle of learned depression.
Though it is very much a female centric play, that revolves around the main character Gouri, it is important to understand the dilemma of her husband Paresh. Paresh’s stand in the incident is mostly ignored. His masculinity is subordinated , complicit and marginalised; and in order to curtain all of this , he portrays himself as hegemonic. He is tremendously insecure about his betterhalf and shows a controlling influence to keep her safe. It suffocates her, and pushes her towards another man.
Gouri , subconsciously gets inclined toward Paramananda in an attempt of freedom and bliss. She places her hope on the new relationship and demands liberation.
A mind , when reaches its limits , must make a judgement and choose its conclusions. By the end of the play, Gouri opts for death, as it becomes easier for her to deduce from the act the consequences it implies. Killing her own self amounts to confessing. It is confessing that life is too much for her and that it is not worth living.
The play repeatedly hammers the question of freedom, happiness, liberation and the silence of society towards all these questions is a problem or a premonition?
খুব ভালো অ্যানালাইসিস।