Andha Yug
Encyclopedia
Andha Yug is 1954
verse play written in Hindi
, by renowned novelist, poet, and playwright Dharamvir Bharati
(1926 - 1997). It was the first important play of 20th century India. Set in the last day of the Great Mahabharat war, the five-act tragedy
was written in the years following the 1947 partition of India
atrocities, as allegory
to its destruction not just of human lives, but also ethical values, and is metaphoric meditation on the politics of violence and aggressive selfhood, and that war dehumanized both individual and society, thus both the victor and the vanquished loose eventually.
The anti-war
play first created sensation as a radio play at Allahabad
All India Radio
, which led to its production by Mumba-based theatre director, Satyadev Dubey
(1962), and subsequent famous production by theatre doyen Ebrahim Alkazi
against the backdrop of historical monuments in Delhi, like Feroz Shah Kotla and Purana Qila, became "a national theatrical event", his 1963 production was seen by then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru
. In was subsequently staged by numerous directors and numerous Indian languages. Part of the "theatre of the roots" movement which started in Indian theatre in 1950s, which tried to look into Indian epics and myths for form, inspiration and content, Andha Yug is today recognised as the "play that heralded a new era in Indian theatre" and standard repertoire of Hindi theatre
. Dharamvir Bharati wrote just one play during his career , and was later awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
in Playwriting (Hindi) in 1988, given by Sangeet Natak Akademi
, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama.
epic, Mahabharata written by Ved Vyasa. The play begins on the eighteenth and last day of the Great Mahabharata War, which devastated the kingdom of Kaurava
s, the feuding cousins of Pandava
s, their capital the once magnificent city of Hastinapur lay burning, in ruins, the battlefield of Kurukshetra
was strewn with corpses, and skies filled with vultures and death laments. Fatalities were on both the side as cousins killed each other. The survivors were left grieving and enraged as they continued to blamed other for the destruction even divine will, yet no one was willing to view it as a consequence of their own moral choices.
Just the Ashwatthama
, son of guru Dronacharya, in one last ditch act of revenge against the Pandavas, releases the ultimate weapon of destruction, the Brahmastra
, which promises to annihilate the world, yet no one comes forward to condemn it, ethics and humanity have been the first casualties of the war. Krishna
who acted mediate between the cousins prior to war, remains the moral centre of the play. Even in his failure he presents options that are both ethical and just and reminds that higher or sacred way is always accessible to human beings even in the worst of times. The play ends with the death of Krishna.
, both physically and also by his ambition for his son Duryodhana
along with an equally blinded society fail to its own shadow side and that of their loved ones. It also elaborates on the consequences, when a society fails to step out of the cycle of revenge and instead choose a redemptive path, which is always available even in worst of scenarios, shown by Krishna presence admit the mindlessness of fellow human being, it was only when they collectively reject the voice of wisdom that denigration of war step upon them, leading to wide-scale bloodshed. Hinting at the perils that await a society that urns away from its wisdom culture and instead succumb to the logic of the moment that can be easily swayed by emotions. Bharati uses the war of Mahabharat to make an anti-war statement but also raises questions regarding moral uprightness in the wake of Partition-related atrocities, loss of faith and national identity. Some directors have even used it to bring out contemporary issues like the role of diplomacy of the present world.
, the latter was adapted into a film by Shyam Benegal
.
Originally written as a radio play, the play was first broadcasted by the All India Radio
, India's Public radio broadcaster, and immediately drew attention.
Next playwright and theatre director, Satyadev Dubey
heard of the play and met the Bharati when the latter had dropped in to see Dubey's Hindi adaptation of Albert Camus
's Cross Purposes, as Sapne. Recognizing its potential, Dubey walked around with the script for nearly 10 years trying to get it done. Dubey had been running Theatre Unit a theatre group started by Ebrahim Alkazi
who moved to Delhi in 1962 as Director of National School of Drama
, Delhi, eventually after staging it himself in 1962, Dubey sent the script across to Alkazi. Though many found the play lacking action, Alkazi believed, "action is not rushing around. It’s inward growth."
Alkazi's production made history in in modern Indian theatre, when he staged first Andha Yug in 1963, first amidst the backdrop of the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla
, Delhi and then Purana Quila's tiered steps in the 70s , it brought in a new paradigm in Indian theatre of the times.The music for this production was given by noted music composer, Vanraj Bhatia
.
In the coming years the play attracted numerous directors and was staged across the country , including Mohan Maharishi
, Ram Gopal Bajaj
, Bhanu Bharti
, M.K. Raina stage the play in Berlin and the Festival of India in the USSR in 1987, Ratan Thiyam
staged in an open-air performance of Andha Yug, at Tonga, Japan, on 5 August 1994, a day before the forty-ninth anniversary of Atomic bombing in Hiroshima
. Other noted productions have been by directors Arvind Gaur
, Girish Tiwari, and Bijon Mondal (2010), who gave it a contemporary twist, accompanied by fusion band playing alongside. A notable production in 2010 at Feroze Shah Kotla ruins, included a cast of Ashish Vidyarthi (Ashwatthama), Uttara Baokar (Gandhari), Mohan Maharishi (Dhritrashtra), Vasant Josalkar (Vidur), Ravi Jhankal (Vriddha Yachak), Om Puri (Krishna), Govind Namdev (Vyas).
1954 in literature
The year 1954 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Jack Kerouac reads Dwight Goddard's A Buddhist Bible, which will influence him greatly.*John Updike graduates from Harvard with a thesis on George Herbert....
verse play written in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, by renowned novelist, poet, and playwright Dharamvir Bharati
Dharamvir Bharati
Dr. Dharamvir Bharati was a renowned Hindi poet, author, playwright and a social thinker of India. He was the Chief-Editor of the popular Hindi weekly magazine Dharmayug....
(1926 - 1997). It was the first important play of 20th century India. Set in the last day of the Great Mahabharat war, the five-act tragedy
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
was written in the years following the 1947 partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
atrocities, as allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
to its destruction not just of human lives, but also ethical values, and is metaphoric meditation on the politics of violence and aggressive selfhood, and that war dehumanized both individual and society, thus both the victor and the vanquished loose eventually.
The anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
play first created sensation as a radio play at Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
, which led to its production by Mumba-based theatre director, Satyadev Dubey
Satyadev Dubey
Satyadev Dubey is an Indian theatre director, actor, playwright, screenwriter, and film actor and director. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1971....
(1962), and subsequent famous production by theatre doyen Ebrahim Alkazi
Ebrahim Alkazi
Ebrahim Alkazi is one of the most influential Indian theatre directors and Drama teachers in 20th century Indian theatre. He also remained the Director of National School of Drama, New Delhi He has also been a noted art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, and found Art Heritage Gallery in...
against the backdrop of historical monuments in Delhi, like Feroz Shah Kotla and Purana Qila, became "a national theatrical event", his 1963 production was seen by then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
. In was subsequently staged by numerous directors and numerous Indian languages. Part of the "theatre of the roots" movement which started in Indian theatre in 1950s, which tried to look into Indian epics and myths for form, inspiration and content, Andha Yug is today recognised as the "play that heralded a new era in Indian theatre" and standard repertoire of Hindi theatre
Hindi theatre
Hindi theatre primarily refers to theatre performed in the Hindi language, including dialects such as Khari boli and Hindustani. Hindi theatre is produced mainly in North India, and some parts of West India and Central India, which include Mumbai and Bhopal...
. Dharamvir Bharati wrote just one play during his career , and was later awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
in Playwriting (Hindi) in 1988, given by Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama.
Overview
Andha Yug is based on the ancient SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
epic, Mahabharata written by Ved Vyasa. The play begins on the eighteenth and last day of the Great Mahabharata War, which devastated the kingdom of Kaurava
Kaurava
The term Kaurava is a Sanskrit term, that means the descendants of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the Mahābhārata.The term is used in the Mahābhārata with two meanings:...
s, the feuding cousins of Pandava
Pandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
s, their capital the once magnificent city of Hastinapur lay burning, in ruins, the battlefield of Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra is a land of historical and religious importance. Historically the land belonged to Punjab now a district in Haryana state of India. It is a holy place and is also known as Dharmakshetra . According to the Puranas, Kurukshetra is named after King Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and...
was strewn with corpses, and skies filled with vultures and death laments. Fatalities were on both the side as cousins killed each other. The survivors were left grieving and enraged as they continued to blamed other for the destruction even divine will, yet no one was willing to view it as a consequence of their own moral choices.
Just the Ashwatthama
Ashwatthama
A hero of the Indian epic Mahābhārata, Ashwatthama or Ashwatthaman was the son of guru Drona. He is one of the seven Chiranjeevins. Dronacharya loved him very dearly. The rumours about his death in the Kurukshetra war, led to the death of his father from the hands of Prince Dhrishtadyumna...
, son of guru Dronacharya, in one last ditch act of revenge against the Pandavas, releases the ultimate weapon of destruction, the Brahmastra
Brahmastra
In ancient Sanskrit writings, the Brahmastra was a weapon created by Brahma.-Features:It is sometimes known as the Brahma Astra . As described in a number of the Puranas, it was considered the deadliest weapon...
, which promises to annihilate the world, yet no one comes forward to condemn it, ethics and humanity have been the first casualties of the war. Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
who acted mediate between the cousins prior to war, remains the moral centre of the play. Even in his failure he presents options that are both ethical and just and reminds that higher or sacred way is always accessible to human beings even in the worst of times. The play ends with the death of Krishna.
Play structure
Bharati constructed the play utilizing not just western drama tradition but also early Indian drama, found in Sanskrit drama.- Prologue
- Act One: The Kaurava Kingdom
- Act Two: The Making of a Beast
- Act Three: The Half-truth of Ashwatthama
- Interlude: Feathers, Wheels and Bandages
- Act Four: Gandhari's Curse
- Act Five: Victory and a Series of Suicides
- Epilogue: Death of the Lord
Themes
Andha Yug highlights the perils of self-enchantment in his anti-war allegory. It explores human capacity for moral action, reconciliation, and goodness in times of atrocity and reveals what happens when individuals succumb to the cruelty and cynicism of a blind, dispirited age. When a ruler, epitomized by a blind DhritarashtraDhritarashtra
In the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
, both physically and also by his ambition for his son Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
along with an equally blinded society fail to its own shadow side and that of their loved ones. It also elaborates on the consequences, when a society fails to step out of the cycle of revenge and instead choose a redemptive path, which is always available even in worst of scenarios, shown by Krishna presence admit the mindlessness of fellow human being, it was only when they collectively reject the voice of wisdom that denigration of war step upon them, leading to wide-scale bloodshed. Hinting at the perils that await a society that urns away from its wisdom culture and instead succumb to the logic of the moment that can be easily swayed by emotions. Bharati uses the war of Mahabharat to make an anti-war statement but also raises questions regarding moral uprightness in the wake of Partition-related atrocities, loss of faith and national identity. Some directors have even used it to bring out contemporary issues like the role of diplomacy of the present world.
History
Dharamvir Bharati (1926–1997), was a renowned Hindi novelist, poet, and playwright. His novels, Gunahon Ka Devta (The God of Sins) and Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (The Seventh Horse of the Sun), are classics of Hindi literatureHindi literature
Hindi literature , is broadly divided into four prominent forms or styles, being Bhakti ; Shringar ; Veer-Gatha ; and Adhunik...
, the latter was adapted into a film by Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal is a prolific Indian director and screenwriter. With his first four feature films Ankur , Nishant Manthan and Bhumika he created a new genre, which has now come to be called the "middle cinema" in India although he himself has expressed dislike in the term preferring his work to...
.
Originally written as a radio play, the play was first broadcasted by the All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
, India's Public radio broadcaster, and immediately drew attention.
Next playwright and theatre director, Satyadev Dubey
Satyadev Dubey
Satyadev Dubey is an Indian theatre director, actor, playwright, screenwriter, and film actor and director. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1971....
heard of the play and met the Bharati when the latter had dropped in to see Dubey's Hindi adaptation of Albert Camus
Albert Camus
Albert Camus was a French author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century. In 1949, Camus founded the Group for International Liaisons within the Revolutionary Union Movement, which was opposed to some tendencies of the Surrealist movement of André Breton.Camus was awarded the 1957...
's Cross Purposes, as Sapne. Recognizing its potential, Dubey walked around with the script for nearly 10 years trying to get it done. Dubey had been running Theatre Unit a theatre group started by Ebrahim Alkazi
Ebrahim Alkazi
Ebrahim Alkazi is one of the most influential Indian theatre directors and Drama teachers in 20th century Indian theatre. He also remained the Director of National School of Drama, New Delhi He has also been a noted art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, and found Art Heritage Gallery in...
who moved to Delhi in 1962 as Director of National School of Drama
National School of Drama
National School of Drama is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India, established . It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and became an independent school in 1975...
, Delhi, eventually after staging it himself in 1962, Dubey sent the script across to Alkazi. Though many found the play lacking action, Alkazi believed, "action is not rushing around. It’s inward growth."
Alkazi's production made history in in modern Indian theatre, when he staged first Andha Yug in 1963, first amidst the backdrop of the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla
Feroz Shah Kotla
The Feroz Shah Kotla or Kotla was originally a fortress built by Sultan Ferozshah Tughlaq to house his version of Delhi city called Ferozabad. A pristine polished sandstone pillar from the 3rd century B.C...
, Delhi and then Purana Quila's tiered steps in the 70s , it brought in a new paradigm in Indian theatre of the times.The music for this production was given by noted music composer, Vanraj Bhatia
Vanraj Bhatia
Vanraj Bhatia is an Indian music composer, who is best known for providing music for most of Shyam Benegal's films, and for his private albums with Music Today....
.
In the coming years the play attracted numerous directors and was staged across the country , including Mohan Maharishi
Mohan Maharishi
Mohan Maharishi is an Indian theatre director, actor and a playwright. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 'Direction' in 1992.-Early life:...
, Ram Gopal Bajaj
Ram Gopal Bajaj
Ram Gopal Bajaj is a noted Indian theatre director, academician, and a Hindi film actor. He has also been a faculty member and a former director of National School of Drama, New Delhi ....
, Bhanu Bharti
Bhanu Bharti
Bhanu Bharti is an eminent Indian theatre director and playwright, and the founder-director of Aaj Rangmandal theatre group. Most known for his theatre productions and choreographies with tribal and folk artists, including Pashu Gayatri by K.N...
, M.K. Raina stage the play in Berlin and the Festival of India in the USSR in 1987, Ratan Thiyam
Ratan Thiyam
Ratan Thiyam is an Indian playwright and theatre director, and the winner of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987, one of leading figures of the "theatre of roots" movement in Indian theatre, which started in 1970s...
staged in an open-air performance of Andha Yug, at Tonga, Japan, on 5 August 1994, a day before the forty-ninth anniversary of Atomic bombing in Hiroshima
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
. Other noted productions have been by directors Arvind Gaur
Arvind Gaur
Arvind Gaur , Indian theatre director, is known for his work in innovative, socially and politically relevant theatre. Gaur's plays are contemporary and thought-provoking, connecting intimate personal spheres of existence to larger social political issues...
, Girish Tiwari, and Bijon Mondal (2010), who gave it a contemporary twist, accompanied by fusion band playing alongside. A notable production in 2010 at Feroze Shah Kotla ruins, included a cast of Ashish Vidyarthi (Ashwatthama), Uttara Baokar (Gandhari), Mohan Maharishi (Dhritrashtra), Vasant Josalkar (Vidur), Ravi Jhankal (Vriddha Yachak), Om Puri (Krishna), Govind Namdev (Vyas).
Translations
- Andha Yug (English), by Dharamvir Bharati, Tr. Alok Bhalla. Oxford University Press, USA, 2010. ISBN 0198065221.
- Andha Yug (Oriya), by Dharamvir Bharati, Tr. Saudamini Nanda . Sahitya Akademi, 2001. ISBN 8126012331.
- Andha Yug (English), by Dharamvir Bharati, Tr. Tripurari Sharma. National School of Drama. 2001
Further reading
External links
- Andha Yug (Excerpt I), 2 and 3
