TUGHLAQ AS A PLAY
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| Hareshwar |
Girish Karnad is one of the greatest
Indo Anglican dramatists. He has basically written in Kannada. Some of his plays
have been translated into English by himself. Karnad has a long and eventful
career. He has only three notable plays to his credit. They gave him a
prestigious place. 'Tughlaq' is considered as his most famous work.
'Tughlaq is the second play of Karnad.
It is indeed a historical play written in the backdrop of modern times, the
period of J. L. Nehru. Here the dramatist describes certain events of the reign
a medieval sultan named Tughlaq. It deals with his decision to move his capital
from Delhi to Daulatabad and from Daulatabad to Delhi
Tughlaq dramatises the opposites- the
ideal and the real, he divine aspiration and the political intrigue. Tughlaq is
the protagonist of this New Drama. He has been presented as an idealist aiming
at Hindu Muslim unity, at secularism and also at building a new future for India
Tughlaq was indeed an idealist and
visionary king. In this play Tughlaq is respected by his people. But it was
rumoured that he came to the throne by killing his father and brother. Due to his
secularism Muslims criticised him. But he did not mind people's criticism. Due
to his declaration of the shifting of the capital from Delhi
Tughlaq was a learned fellow and a lover
of judgement. But at the same time he was a cunning fellow who committed many
murders. Tughlaq's stepmother, Saikh, Azim etc. all are killed by him. Barani
warned him but due to his suspicious nature he did things which all went
against him. In the end of the play
Sultan is found all disappointed and dejected. In fact, his whimsical nature
brought shameful situation to him.
Thus Tughlaq is a fine play. Here the
dramatist deals with the problem of search of identity and the problem of
isolation and frustration. Though it is a historical play but when artistic
necessity requires Karnad does not hesitate to deviate from history.
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