Identity Crisis In Karnad

Karnad not even for once deviates from the theme of the play. From its title till the end of the play there is no distraction from the theme. Conflicting identities and the search for completeness is common theme in the postcolonial texts. Writers of the colonized communities do face identity crisis as they try to mould themselves according to the cultures of colonizers. Similarly, in the play we see two characters Devadatta and Kapila who represent the modern man and also show how changed identities effects the self of person. Devadatta, Padmini and Kapila- they all fail to achieve completeness. Similarly, Hayavadna, the man with the horse head, searches for completeness. He longs to be a complete man, but becomes a complete horse instead

Moreover, the whole plot of Hayavadna is borrowed from several folk stories and combined them. Karnad mentions that he has developed this story from the ancient collection of the Sanskrit tales from Kathasaritsagar.

Masks come from traditional and tribal art forms like Yakshagan, Kathakali etc. and thus become an historical and an integral part of Indian theatres. In the play masks are shown to show transposed heads. Masks have been used for Kapila and Devadatta because it is inconvenient to put on each other’s head, but with masks it becomes convincing. Similarly, the character who played Hayavadna, wears a mask of horse to enhance the effect of the character in the play. Another folk element used in the play is Dolls, which have been taken from the puppet theatre. Dolls become real life characters at some point. They provide the readers with some comic relief. These dolls also reflect the change in time because other than that there is no use of wall clock or calendar to show that the time has moved on. Apart from this, they also comment upon the dreams of Padmini. Otherwise the readers do not have any other way to know what she had been dreaming. Had he employed a soliloquy then the dolls would not have been required. A soliloquy is a conscious attempt where as dreams are unconscious. That is why

While most of the playwrights concentrated to only one theatrical production, Karnad experimented with several Indian folk and traditional forms by borrowing from them and creating his own play. Hayavadna is one such play by Karnad. It is an important play because it deals with the postcolonial dilemma, culture in postcolonial India, and by implanting folk elements in the play he tries to decolonize culture in order to completely give up colonial hangover. There was an urging need to save parts of theatre in India or one can say ‘national theatre’. The term ‘nation’, in postcolonial era, becomes very important and debatable as well and so nation becomes equally important in postcolonial