Masks of Power: Karnad’s Theatre and the Politics of Identity

Abstract

Girish Karnad’s theatre play is little different from other plays he showcases his individuality by masking his play through history, myth and folklore. He always tries to mask up his broken characters through metaphor. In Hayavadana the character Hayavadana is a hybrid human who is not confident, he is totally masked up and fragile. In the play Nagamandala Karnad use folklore as a mediator to mask the female desire, still he explains the quietness of the victim. Karnad has his way of showing how power works in this society by shifting specification. He has a prism of authority, fidelity of refraction. His play always encourages female perspective from their mind rather than a man’s point of view of thinking from a woman’s mind.