Acknowledgements

I express my sincere gratitude to all those who have inspired, encouraged and helped

me in this pleasant endeavour. Most of all I owe the completion of this thesis to my

supervisor Dr. Jai Shankar Jha, Professor, Department of English, B.H.U. who has

gone to all extents, dedicated his time and sincere efforts, keeping aside his own

assignments in order to help me in the completion of this dissertation. He has been the

torch bearer and path paver throughout my research work. I have learnt and benefitted

immensely from his scholarly interests and erudite guidance.

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Prof. Vanashree, Head,

Department of English, B.H.U.; Prof. R.N. Rai, Former Head, Department of English,

B.H.U.; Prof. M.S. Pandey, Department of English, B.H.U.; Prof. A. Khanna,

Department of English, B.H.U. and all my respected teachers in the Department for

their valuable suggestions and guidance.

I am thankful to librarians and staff of the Central Library, B.H.U.; Hyderabad

Central University Library, Hyderabad; the E.F.L. University Library, Hyderabad; the

Delhi University Library, New Delhi; the J.N.U. Library, New Delhi; Ratan Tata

Library, Delhi University, New Delhi and Sahitya Akademi Library, New Delhi for

their ready help with books and the critical literature available in their libraries.

I am also grateful to all the writers and critics whose scholastic views have

developed my understanding of Tendulkar and human relationship.

 It will default on my part if I fail to express my thanks to my family members

whose constant help and inspiration has helped me in writing this dissertation. I wish

to make a special mention of my wife Roli Singh without whose active support in

every possible way, the completion of this work would have been practically

impossible.

Finally, I should not fail to remember and recognise the encouragement,

co-operation and assistance that I have received from my friends and co-research

scholars- Ramesh, Satya Prakash, Koel, Dipankar, Ashutosh, Hariom, Naveen,

Nirban, Pinak, Manjeet and all my well wishers.

Gyaneshwar Pratap Singh

 Contents

Page No.

Preface i-ii

Chapter-I Introduction 1-51

Chapter-II Conjugal Relationship 52-104

Chapter-III Parent-Children and Sibling 105-158

Relationship

Chapter-IV Male Interpersonal and Female 159-198

Interpersonal Relationship

Chapter-V Male- Female Relationship 199-257

Conclusion 258-274

Select Bibliography 275-287

Publications

Curriculum Vitae
 Preface

Vijay Tendulkar (1928-2008), the avant-garde playwright of Marathi theatre, has

secured a place of prominence and permanence in the field of Indian English drama.

His plays are an exposé of the lives of middle class modern people. A bitter critic of

the social injustice and an able delineator of the conflict between the individual free

will and societal ideologies, his plays intend to shock the audience out of their stupor.

The present study of his plays aims to understand the complexities of Indian

society by dividing the various relations under the subcategories of familial and non-

familial relationships but this categorization is only suggestive, not restrictive and

meant to facilitate the study.

The study discusses only those eleven plays of Tendulkar which have either

been translated into English or written originally in English. These include: Silence!

The Court is in Session, The Vultures, Sakharam Binder, Ghashiram Kotwal,

Encounter in Umbugland, Baby, A Friend’s Story, Kamala, Kanyadaan, The Cyclist

and His Fifth Woman.

The first chapter ‘Introduction’ traces the development of drama in India while

placing Tendulkar in the Marathi as well as pan-Indian context. While giving an

estimate of Tendulkar as a playwright, it also discusses the life, works and

achievements of Tendulkar. It also takes into account various works done on

Tendulkar from different perspectives in a nut- shell and points to the scope and

significance of the present study.

 Keeping in view, the panorama of Tendulkar’s plays the relations are observed

to be belonging to two basic categories: Familial and Extra- familial Relationship.

The relations which come under the purview of familial relationships are divided into

two chapters: the first, ‘Conjugal Relationship’ and the second, ‘Parent-Children and

Sibling Relationship’

The second chapter ‘Conjugal Relationship’ discusses the often lopsided

husband-wife relations as depicted in Tendulkar’s plays. The third chapter ‘Parent-

Children and Sibling Relationship’ explores the loss of long-held values, morals and

cohesive forces in these relations with special reference to these plays.

The relations beyond family are categorised as: ‘Male Interpersonal and

Female Interpersonal Relationship’ and ‘Male-Female Relationship’.

The fourth chapter ‘Male interpersonal and Female Interpersonal Relationship’

discusses the various angles and angularities of these relations as disclosed in these

plays beyond the circle of close familial relations including husband-wife, parent-

children and sibling. The fifth chapter ‘Male-Female Relationship’ presents a

comprehensive estimate of male-female relations beyond the orbit of the close

familial relations.

The plays have been taken up for the treatment in a chronological manner.

However, the relations in His Fifth Woman which was written as a prequel to

Sakharam Binder have been discussed before Sakharam Binder for the felicity of

exploration and study.

 The last chapter titled ‘Conclusion’ rounds up the principal arguments

developed during the course of this dissertation.