Comments on: Denigrating Indian Culture: Caricaturing Yayati http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:45:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Smitha http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-178556 Smitha Sat, 21 Apr 2007 08:05:39 +0000 http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-178556 You are harping on "distortion of the true meaning" of the myth. Please tell me who is to decide the "true meaning" of a myth or a story or of relaity in general? What is wrong if Karnad or anybody else chooses to look at a myth from a different perspective? Even our great epics are not shallow and do not yeild themselves to only a superficial reading, they have endless nuances of meaning,significane and view points. And by what authority does one call Sartre a "negative philosopher?" Why this uncalled for bitterness and insistence on only one truth and one interpretation? A striaghtforward story does not mean it has to be understood only on a superficial level, what is wrong in delving deeper? One must not forget, that a myth is not static and evolves over time, there are many versions of the same myth and that is the beauty of it! You are harping on “distortion of the true meaning” of the myth. Please tell me who is to decide the “true meaning” of a myth or a story or of relaity in general? What is wrong if Karnad or anybody else chooses to look at a myth from a different perspective? Even our great epics are not shallow and do not yeild themselves to only a superficial reading, they have endless nuances of meaning,significane and view points. And by what authority does one call Sartre a “negative philosopher?” Why this uncalled for bitterness and insistence on only one truth and one interpretation? A striaghtforward story does not mean it has to be understood only on a superficial level, what is wrong in delving deeper? One must not forget, that a myth is not static and evolves over time, there are many versions of the same myth and that is the beauty of it!

]]> By: INI Signal - » Appreciating a Karnad Play http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-176067 INI Signal - » Appreciating a Karnad Play Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:39:10 +0000 http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-176067 [...] Related Posts: My Series on Girish Karnad’s Plays. The plot interestingly sounds similar to a small episode that occurs in Ta Ra Su’s Kannada masterpiece, Hamsageethe. The episode deals with a priest of a Devi (generally, Goddess Parvati) temple whose devotion to the Goddess is unparalleled. The climax of this episode is when the Goddess herself saves the priest from shame and ignominy. The priest ends his life after learning this. This is touchingly told in the novel. Given Ta Ra Su’s mastery over the pen, it moves you to tears.Not that Karnad has been inspired by, or copied from this. It turns out, he actually has borrowed from a folktale set in Chitradurga, the same setting for Ta Ra Su’s Hamsageethe. I introduced the comparison by way of a parallel.In Girish Karnad’s world, this similarity is reduced to pornographic levels. From Uma’s post: One day a courtesan, Chandravati, comes to offer prayers at the temple. The priest is attracted to her. One day, when she does not appear in the temple, he goes to her house to find out the reason for her absence. She tells him that she is having her menstrual period. When he visits her house again, after two days, she has had her cleansing bath. She invites him to decorate her naked body with ropes of flowers, the way he has always been decorating the Lingam. [...] [...] Related Posts: My Series on Girish Karnad’s Plays. The plot interestingly sounds similar to a small episode that occurs in Ta Ra Su’s Kannada masterpiece, Hamsageethe. The episode deals with a priest of a Devi (generally, Goddess Parvati) temple whose devotion to the Goddess is unparalleled. The climax of this episode is when the Goddess herself saves the priest from shame and ignominy. The priest ends his life after learning this. This is touchingly told in the novel. Given Ta Ra Su’s mastery over the pen, it moves you to tears.Not that Karnad has been inspired by, or copied from this. It turns out, he actually has borrowed from a folktale set in Chitradurga, the same setting for Ta Ra Su’s Hamsageethe. I introduced the comparison by way of a parallel.In Girish Karnad’s world, this similarity is reduced to pornographic levels. From Uma’s post: One day a courtesan, Chandravati, comes to offer prayers at the temple. The priest is attracted to her. One day, when she does not appear in the temple, he goes to her house to find out the reason for her absence. She tells him that she is having her menstrual period. When he visits her house again, after two days, she has had her cleansing bath. She invites him to decorate her naked body with ropes of flowers, the way he has always been decorating the Lingam. [...]

]]> By: Seriously Sandeep » Blog Archive » Appreciating a Karnad Play http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-175825 Seriously Sandeep » Blog Archive » Appreciating a Karnad Play Fri, 30 Mar 2007 11:47:06 +0000 http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-175825 [...] Related Posts: My Series on Girish Karnad’s Plays. The plot interestingly sounds similar to a small episode that occurs in Ta Ra Su’s Kannada masterpiece, Hamsageethe. The episode deals with a priest of a Devi (generally, Goddess Parvati) temple whose devotion to the Goddess is unparalleled. The climax of this episode is when the Goddess herself saves the priest from shame and ignominy. The priest ends his life after learning this. This is touchingly told in the novel. Given Ta Ra Su’s mastery over the pen, it moves you to tears. [...] [...] Related Posts: My Series on Girish Karnad’s Plays. The plot interestingly sounds similar to a small episode that occurs in Ta Ra Su’s Kannada masterpiece, Hamsageethe. The episode deals with a priest of a Devi (generally, Goddess Parvati) temple whose devotion to the Goddess is unparalleled. The climax of this episode is when the Goddess herself saves the priest from shame and ignominy. The priest ends his life after learning this. This is touchingly told in the novel. Given Ta Ra Su’s mastery over the pen, it moves you to tears. [...]

]]> By: Gndas http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-166463 Gndas Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:57:05 +0000 http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-166463 I read the comments and writings here. However, I would like to disagree with what sandeep says about Girish Karnad. 1. I think hermeneutically no one, no matter how much precaution one takes can dettach himself or herself from the subjectivity in ones own writing. 2. I think also that one can't be so sure to project motives that arise in ones own mind on someone else. Can one be really so cocksure to do that. Then I think we are sitting on the judgement seat against someone. 3. One also needs to study well the meaing of myth. It is not fully factual or false. It is both and yet neither if one chooses to say. Hence, Krnad or anyone when uses myths and interpretes them for the genreal public, does he really distort 'facts'? Early Indian history, till the Western historians wrote Indian history, was mixed masala of mythology and facts (Romila Thapar). 4.Every mythological story is not a historical fact. However, every myth has some fact in it. 5. A lot of facts have been distroted. eg. the place called Ramjanamabhumi in Ayodhya is being wrestled out of the hands of a community not so much because of the real devotion and love for Rama but mainly ( may not be solely) for the sake of those who have lost their jobs as temple priests and are probably threatened to lose their hold on the larger community. 6. Now I am interpreting and reading too much into it. This is what happens when we implicate motives to others who may not even tink of them. 7. Apart from the motives with which Girish Karnad ( whatever they may be) I have enjoyed the dramas (forgetting for awhile who wrote them)and have derived a lot of themes for the college students relevant to todays reality, philosophy and their and my life in general. 8. I specially liked and enjoyed sheerly the Nagamandala and Tuglaq in more way than one. Sandeep, thanks for this space. All the best. I read the comments and writings here. However, I would like to disagree with what sandeep says about Girish Karnad.
1. I think hermeneutically no one, no matter how much precaution one takes can dettach himself or herself from the subjectivity in ones own writing.
2. I think also that one can’t be so sure to project motives that arise in ones own mind on someone else. Can one be really so cocksure to do that. Then I think we are sitting on the judgement seat against someone.
3. One also needs to study well the meaing of myth. It is not fully factual or false. It is both and yet neither if one chooses to say. Hence, Krnad or anyone when uses myths and interpretes them for the genreal public, does he really distort ‘facts’? Early Indian history, till the Western historians wrote Indian history, was mixed masala of mythology and facts (Romila Thapar). 4.Every mythological story is not a historical fact. However, every myth has some fact in it.
5. A lot of facts have been distroted. eg. the place called Ramjanamabhumi in Ayodhya is being wrestled out of the hands of a community not so much because of the real devotion and love for Rama but mainly ( may not be solely) for the sake of those who have lost their jobs as temple priests and are probably threatened to lose their hold on the larger community.
6. Now I am interpreting and reading too much into it. This is what happens when we implicate motives to others who may not even tink of them.
7. Apart from the motives with which Girish Karnad ( whatever they may be) I have enjoyed the dramas (forgetting for awhile who wrote them)and have derived a lot of themes for the college students relevant to todays reality, philosophy and their and my life in general.
8. I specially liked and enjoyed sheerly the Nagamandala and Tuglaq in more way than one.
Sandeep, thanks for this space. All the best.

]]> By: N KRISHNASWAMI BHAT http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-163523 N KRISHNASWAMI BHAT Wed, 22 Nov 2006 17:26:55 +0000 http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-163523 I think the issue needs to be seen under more moderate light. While I can appreciate the strong feelings with which Sandeep has written this article, I fully agree with Arundhati that creative writing is something more than just story telling. If you read Yayati written by V S Khandekar and also the forward he has written explaining the emotional background under which he had written the novel, you will agree that Yayati has been dipicted more or less in the same light in both the novel as well as the play. The extent of deviation done by Girish Karnad can be considered to be within the permissible limits of creativity. Dear Sandeep, you have a point, but have a heart yaar. I think the issue needs to be seen under more moderate light. While I can appreciate the strong feelings with which Sandeep has written this article, I fully agree with Arundhati that creative writing is something more than just story telling. If you read Yayati written by V S Khandekar and also the forward he has written explaining the emotional background under which he had written the novel, you will agree that Yayati has been dipicted more or less in the same light in both the novel as well as the play. The extent of deviation done by Girish Karnad can be considered to be within the permissible limits of creativity. Dear Sandeep, you have a point, but have a heart yaar.

]]> By: Arundhati Raja http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-138648 Arundhati Raja Thu, 06 Jul 2006 16:01:24 +0000 http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-138648 This is the problem with the "intellectualisation" of theatre. A play script should be looked at from the dramatic point of view - its superobjective and whether this is achieved through the characterisation, the dialogue and the action. Why does the the story as written in the original have to be adhered to? Read the original or listen to a discourse on it or even, watch a teleserial on the topic. Theatre is not about carbon copies. There would be no theatre if it were and we actors, directors and everyone else who lives and breathes theatre would be - well - dead! This is the problem with the “intellectualisation” of theatre. A play script should be looked at from the dramatic point of view - its superobjective and whether this is achieved through the characterisation, the dialogue and the action. Why does the the story as written in the original have to be adhered to? Read the original or listen to a discourse on it or even, watch a teleserial on the topic. Theatre is not about carbon copies. There would be no theatre if it were and we actors, directors and everyone else who lives and breathes theatre would be - well - dead!

]]> By: Sandeep http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-98594 Sandeep Thu, 15 Dec 2005 12:53:03 +0000 http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-98594 Shivani, Here's the relevant entry on Utsav: http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/13/denigrating-indian-culture-eroticising-mricchakatika/ Shivani,

Here’s the relevant entry on Utsav: http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/13/denigrating-indian-culture-eroticising-mricchakatika/

]]> By: Shivani Nene Shakir http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-98502 Shivani Nene Shakir Thu, 15 Dec 2005 08:46:50 +0000 http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-98502 Hi Sandeep, Excellent criticism. Although I have not read Karnad's play I could fully understand your point. Looking forward to Utsav. Hi Sandeep,

Excellent criticism. Although I have not read Karnad’s play I could fully understand your point. Looking forward to Utsav.

]]> By: Ramaa http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-10539 Ramaa Thu, 12 May 2005 04:03:00 +0000 http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-10539 Hi Sandeep, Excellent review. Girish Karnad and many playwrights who belong to his ilk, are all the same. They love to distort the actual and true meaning of what the epics actually portray. This is not artistic in anyway. I agree completely with your description "artistic fraud". Sadly, for all the "fame" that he has, he just gets away with any kind of distortion. Sad. I am following this series like many others. So just keep them coming. Hi Sandeep,

Excellent review. Girish Karnad and many playwrights who belong to his ilk, are all the
same. They love to distort the actual and true meaning of what the epics actually portray.
This is not artistic in anyway. I agree completely with your description “artistic fraud”.
Sadly, for all the “fame” that he has, he just gets away with any kind of distortion. Sad.

I am following this series like many others. So just keep them coming.

]]> By: praveen http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-10509 praveen Wed, 11 May 2005 20:12:32 +0000 http://www.sandeepweb.com/2005/05/11/denigrating-indian-culture-caricaturing-yayati/#comment-10509 Excellent analysis Sandeep! Excellent analysis Sandeep!

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