SOCIAL ISSUES AND IDENTITY IN THE WORKS OF VIJAY TENDULKAR AND BADAL SIRCAR

Abstract

This research study aims at analyzing the social issues and their connection with identity in the plays of two famous Indian playwrights Vijay Tendulkar and Badal Sircar. Focusing on Sakharam Binder, Silence! The Court is in Session, Evam Indrajit, and Mad Horse, the study aims at analyzing how these dramatists portray the struggles that people undergo in their struggle between the society, self, and the world. In the context of the qualitative and analytical research, the characters’ development and their roles are presented as multifaceted and limited by social constructs, gender stereotyping, and cultural norms. Through thematic and socio-cultural analysis, the study shows how Tendulkar unmasks the society’s hypocrisy and gender oppression while Sircar delves into the existentialist themes of alienation of the middle class. The comparative analysis of their plays shows that they share the concern with social issues and differ in the approach to the narrative and philosophical systems. This study reveals that their contribution is plausible in addressing the socio-political significance of theatre as the reflection of society and the probe into fixed cultural roles. The study also helps to expand the understanding of the relationship between the personal and the social in the context of contemporary Indian drama