Digital Object Identifier
This paper explores the brilliant way Girish Karnad weaves traditional Indian folk theatre into modern drama within his play Hayavadana. Karnad uses the rich traditions of Yakshagana to explore very modern human struggles, including the pain of feeling incomplete, the search for identity, and the impossible chase for perfection. The study examines how classic folk elements, including the Bhagavata (narrator), traditional masks, talking dolls, and stylised mime, work together to help the audience effortlessly accept the play's unusual premise of swapped heads. Ultimately, by comparing the play to its foundational sources stretching from the ancient Kathasaritsagar to Thomas Mann’s The Transposed Heads this analysis highlights Karnad’s success in bringing an authentic Indian identity to the contemporary stage.
Dr. Aratee Chaubey. “Girish Karnad and the Folk Tradition: A Study of Ritual, Device, and Narrative in Hayavadana.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 3, June 2026, pp. 573-589. DOI, https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n3.35.
Open Access · CC BY 4.0 · Crossref DOI ·
the-criterion.com