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BADAL SIRCAR

‘And have faith, in the road. The endless road, no shrine for us. No God for us, but the road. The endless road.’ Dramatist Badal Sircar, who died on 13 May at Kolkata, wrote these lines for his play Evam Indrajit. Sircar, a pioneer and a multifaceted cultural personality, is an influential Indian dramatist and theatre director. He is popular for his anti-establishment plays. He prolifically wrote scripts for his Aanganmanch performances. Critics compare him with Vijay Tendulkar, Mohan Rakesh and Girish Karnad. Badal Sircar was born in Calcutta, India. His real name was Sudhindra Sarkar . He was initially schooled at the Scottish Church Collegiate School. He studied civil engineering and after that he finished his Master of Arts degree in comparative literature from the  Jadavpur University  in Calcutta.While working as a town planner in India, England and Nigeria, he entered theatre as an actor. Soon he moved to direction and very soon started writ

ASIF CURRIMBHOY AND HIS VALLEY OF ASSASSINS

Drama in India has a grand old history. Its origin can be traced back to the Vedic Period. It is considered as the fifth Veda . In early post independence, Indian English drama made genuine progress. Asif Currimbhoy made significant contribution in uplifting it. He laid the foundation of Indian drama liberating it from the static tradition of Tagore and Aurobindo.           Currimbhoy’s father was an industrialist and his mother was a social worker. He was acquainted with English language from his childhood. This acquaintance helped him in attaining mastery over this language. He pursued his higher education from the Wisconsin University . His love for Shakespearean drama has influenced his body of work.           Currimbhoy is one of t he most prolific playwrights of the Post-Independence period. He is India 's first authentic voice in the theatre. He is one modern Indian playwright who has shown great interest in producing drama. His wife calls him Karma Yogi.      

MAYA OF CRY, THE PEACOCK

Introduction: Anita Desai is a very popular Indian novelist. She is known as the Mother of the Indian psychological novel genre. Her meticulous depictions of modern Indian life have secured her a place of honor in the pantheon of Indian authors. Winner of the Sahitya Academy Award, Desai has authored as many as sixteen works of fiction. Her distinct style of writing, her original characters and her realistic subject-line is what made her writings so endearing. Over the years, Desai won many awards and recognition for her work and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize thrice. Apart from writing, Anita has been actively involved in teaching as well. She continues to be an inspiration for many young aspiring writers today.   Cry, the Peacock:           Her maiden novel Cry, the Peacock has been written through the stream of consciousness method with very little conventional episodes. It  was published in 1963. The suppression and oppression of Indian women

ANITA DESAI AS A NOVELIST

Introduction:           Anita Desai is a very popular Indian novelist. She is known as the Mother of the Indian psychological novel genre. Her meticulous depictions of modern Indian life have secured her a place of honor in the pantheon of Indian authors. Winner of the Sahitya Academy Award, Desai has authored as many as sixteen works of fiction. Over the years, Desai won many awards and recognition for her work and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize thrice. Apart from writing, Anita has been actively involved in teaching as well. She continues to be an inspiration for many young aspiring writers today.    Major Themes:           Most of her plots deal with her personal experience of life. She never patronized a single theme or message. She believed in citing the truth as it is. Her sensitive portrayal of the inner feelings of her female characters is excellent. Many of Anita Desai's novels explore tensions between family members and the ali

THE CONCEPT OF RASA AND RASA NISHPATTIH

INTRODUCTION: An unbroken tradition is validated time and again in Indian art practices. From antiquities to the contemporary, Indian art has a strong link with 'saundarya shastra ' or aesthetics. Indian aesthetics is understood as the theorization of the theory of the beautiful. The rasa theory is widely known as the major contribution of Indian aesthetics to the field of aesthetics in general. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF RASA THEORY: In the 4th Century A.D. Bharata in his Natyashastra enunciated the theory of art. This theory focused on the idea of 'Rasa' for the first time. It was later elaborately developed by many learned scholars, philosophers and theoreticians. Abhinavagupta, Bhattatauta, Bhatta Lollata, Kuntaka, Dandin, Mammata, Vamana, Rudrata, Visvanatha, Bhamaha and Jagannatha contributed greatly to the development of Indian aesthetics. Abhinavagupta’s Dhvanyaloka revolutionized Sanskrit literary theory by proposing that the main goal of g

WORDSWORTH AS A ROMANTIC CRITIC

INTRODUCTION: William Wordsworth was primarily a poet but still he has given us a most comprehensive critical document in the form of the 'Preface to Lyrical Ballads'. It has an epoch-making significance. It strikes a new note in the history of English literary criticism. It is the manifesto of the Romantic Movement. It gave a new direction, consciousness and programme to English Romanticism. THEMES OF POETRY:' The Preface' marks a revolution in matter of selection of subject for the purpose of poetry. Here Wordsworth has discarded the Neo-classical approach. His approach is romantic. He advocates that the theme of poetry should be drawn from simple and rustic life. The poet should choose incidents and situations from common life. According to Wordsworth in this rustic and humble life the fundamental passions of the heart develop smoothly and grow harmoniously. They are not controlled by the fastidious rules of the so-called society. Thus the real subject ma

DR. JOHNSON AS A CRITIC [PREFACE TO SHAKESPEARE]:

INTRODUCTION: Dr. Johnson is one of the greatest critics. As a literary critic he was an exponent of classicism. He condemned everything that did not conform to classical doctrines. He is almost always penetrating and stimulating. His 'Preface to Shakespeare' is considered as one of the noblest monuments of English neo-classical criticism. His judgment of Shakespeare marks the date in the history of criticism. FIDELITY TO FACTS OF NATURE: 'The Preface to Shakespeare' deals with Johnson's judgment of Shakespeare as a dramatist. According to Johnson, the basic requirement of literary greatness is fidelity to facts of nature. This is clearly the neo-classical theory of art as imitation. Johnson praises Shakespeare for meeting this requirement fully and most satisfactorily. According to him, Shakespeare is, par excellence, the poet of nature. He holds up to his readers a faithful mirror of manners and of life. His characters have a universal appeal. They act and sp

LONGINUS: SOURCES OF SUBLIMITY

INTRODUCTION: Longinus is one of the greatest Greek critics. His position is only next to Aristotle. His 'On the Sublime' is an immortal critical document of great worth and significance. It deals wit h the principle of sublimity in the world of writing. Here Longinus discusses the meaning, the nature and the sources of sublime. He distinguishes the true sublime from the false sublime. He advises how to overcome the vices of sublime. His suggestions are of permanent and paramount value. WHAT IS SUBLIMITY: Sublimity is a certain loftiness, distinction and consummation of excellence in language, expression and composition. It is the echo of a great soul. It raises style above the ordinary. Some persons are of the view that sublimity is a gift of nature. They think that it has nothing to do with art. But one should not forget that nature needs the help of art to control its wild impulses. In fact, both nature and art contribute to sublimity in literature. According to L