Feminist writing of playwrights whose works challenged societal norms

Much before the rise of feminist theatre in the seventies, many playwrights like Henrik Ibsen, Rabindranath Tagore, Shanta Gandhi, and many others had made women central to their narratives. This Dussehra revisits stories where female protagonists are presented in all their glory and complexity

Henrik Ibsen

Norwegian playwright Henrik Johan Ibsen changed the tenor of theatre in the 19th century by imbuing it with a spirit of inquiry, realism and modernism. He challenged patriarchal moral norms that oppressed women and bravely shed light on gender inequities in classics such as 'A Doll’s House', 'Ghosts', and 'Hedda Gabler.' Zee Theatre's Hindi adaptation 'Doll's House' reveals how relevant Ibsen's work still is across centuries and diverse milieus. Set in Bengal, it depicts the journey of Keya, a docile homemaker who eventually finds her voice, agency and the courage to be more than just her husband's prized doll. Directed by Suman Mukhopadhyay, ‘Doll's House' stars Swastika Mukherjee, Subhrajyoti Barat, Ratnabali Bhattacharya, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya. It is set to air on 12th October on Tata Play Theatre.

Vijay Tendulkar

Iconic Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar broke new ground with provocative plays that took on societal hypocrisy about gender issues, caste prejudices and the toxicity of entrenched patriarchy. His plays 'Ghashiram Kotwal’, ‘Sakharam Binder' and ‘Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe' among many others deemed modern classics for their unsparing truth-telling. Zee Theatre's Hindi adaptation 'Khamosh Adalat Jaari Hai' narrates how a mock trial staged by a theatre group leads to shocking consequences. At the heart of the trial is Leela whose personal choices are brutally castigated just because her life does not fit the moulds society prepares for women. Filmed by Ritesh Menon, the teleplay stars Nandita Das, Saurabh Shukla, Swanand Kirkire, Yusuf Hussain, Pravina Bhagwat Deshpande, Rajeev Siddhartha, Ajitesh Gupta and Abhay Mahajan. It will air on 25th October on Airtel Spotlight, Dish TV Rangmanch Active and D2H Rangmanch Active.

Rabindranath Tagore

Nobel laureate and Bengal's very own Renaissance man Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore imprinted his brilliance on the realms of poetry, theatre, literature, music, art and philosophy. His acute awareness of social and gender inequalities and his modern, liberal, and reformist spirit seeped into his plays like 'Chandalika' and 'Natir Puja' and feminist novels like 'Chokher Bali'. Zee Theatre's Hindi adaptation of ’Chokher Bali', probes the wounded psyche of a young widow Binodini as she finds herself getting drawn to Mahendra, a married man who had once rejected her. Her feelings for him and her warm relationship with his wife Ashalata complicate three lives. How she extricates herself from this web of distrust, adultery, and lies, makes for a compelling watch.

Filmed by Suman Mukhopadhyay, the teleplay stars Parno Mitra, Chandon Roy Sanyal, Vijay Verma, Paromita Chatterjee and Chitrangada. Watch it on 20th October at Tata Play Theatre.