MADHURAVANI-THE DANCING GIRL PART 1

(KANYASULKAM-TELUGU)

The play, Kanyasulkam,  written by Gurajada Appa Rao in Telugu during the 19th Century dwells on the twin ills of "selling girls and bar on widow remarriage". This practice was prevalent in the highly revered Brahmin families during those days in the, what presently is called, North Coastal Districts of Andhra Pradesh, India. Though himself from a very orthodox Brahmin family, like many other Brahmin reformers of the day, Sri Appa Rao took on the two evils prevalent in the orthodoxy; young widows not being allowed to remarry and young girl children being sold to old people for a price, called Kanyasulkam. (price on the head of the bride). 

Brief story revolves around a young beautiful and rich Brahmin widow being fleeced by a con (also a Brahmin), who feigns as an English educated young man and her ten year old sister sought to be forced to be married to a 70 year old Brahmin for a price of Rs. 1,800/-. How these two mishaps are prevented from happening by the dancing girl forms crux of the story. 

There are many characters in the play and as non-Telugu speaking readers might find it difficult to follow the names I will confine to two main names in the play Girisham, the con man who resembles the present day politician in India in chatter and character and Madhuravani, the dancing girl cum humanist who fights with the powerful orthodoxy and exposes them in the public view, with the help of a Good Samaritan lawyer. The character of Madhravani was immortalized by the playwright in the play. He brings out five main attributes in her character worth mentioning here. They were sought to be sanctified by the author. First she accepts her profession as a fact of life and uses her discretion in pursuing the profession and yields to no pressure. Second, her conviction that women need to come out of their cocoons to fight the powerful orthodoxy. Third, her courage to take on the orthodoxy and rescue the unfortunate girls. Fourth, her belief in the religious scripture "Gita" and the good in  a few men in an otherwise 'wicked' world. The fifth is her exquisite sense of humor and her 'never say die' attitude.

The story bases on the audacity of a very greedy, orthodox Brahmin determined to get his ten year old daughter married to a 70 year old rich man who offers Rs.1800/_ as bride money. To his wife who objects to the proposal he tells, "If the old man dies, we can inherit the property!". The uncle of the child, takes upon himself the task of rescuing the girl and seeks help of Madhravani, whom he patronized in good old days. In the meantime a wily character, Girisham, whose only asset is his oratory skills and English education settles in the house of the to-be-bride and fleeces her young and beautiful widowed sister. He too 'maintains' the dancing girl for some days. The story ends with the 'dancing girl' exposing all in front of the 'gentleman lawyer, whose help she seeks.

I will confine to a few dialogues the playwright speaks through her that make her "memorable" and "immortal" and "deifies" her character as a woman par excellence despite her profession being a 'taboo' since ages. She enters the scene soliloquizing how the 'riches' boasted by Girisham turn out a facade and she refuses access to him anymore. She takes shelter under the roof of another wily character, whose vocation is to create disputes and settle them in courts for a price. During the transition she tells the prospective patron, " Even a dancing girl maintains morality in the profession. Unless I finally tell Girisham that I am no more with him, I won't commit anything to you." Two attributes of Madhuravani were espoused by the writer. Her 'no-nonsense approach' and her subtle humor in conveying a message that unless she settles all financial issues in the old place she cant go to a new shelter and hence she needs an advance payment.

When she comes to know that her present benefactor brokered the child marriage to earn commission, the feminist and humanist in her come out. She tells him it is unbecoming of a Brahmin to make the child a sacrificial goat just for a few coins. She chides him and advises him to get the marriage cancelled. In the meantime the uncle of the child comes with his student dressed as a girl with an offer to get him/her married to the groom originally fixed for his niece at a lesser bride money. He seeks help of Madhuravani in this task. He offers Madhuravani money for the help. She retorts," Do you feel, in our profession, we do have no love or compassion? We do attract people for money as it is our profession. Trouble in your sister's family is my own trouble." While accepting her profession's inevitability of attracting people for money she shows her human angle and tells in few words that they too are like other human beings.

The story moves on. With active hep from Madhuravani the uncle of the child bride gets his male student in the guise of a girl married to the miserly old man for a price of Rs.1200/- and escapes the scene. The fake bride too throws his/her false visage, throws a boulder in the well faking suicide and runs away. Now, a case is lodged against the old man for murder of the girl for the sake of her gold (lent by Madhuravani). The case is taken up by the humanist lawyer who believes the old man is not a 'killer' and there is a missing link. Only Madhuravani knows about it. 

Now, this lawyer happens to have  taken a vow that he never sees a 'dancing girl' and never takes up their cases. The final scene moves to his house where Madhuravani presents herself in his house during night under a false visage. By that time the wily Girisham too is there taking shelter in the lawyer's house under false promise of marrying the rich young widowed sister of the child bride with whom he elopes, by promising her a new life. 

In the final scene the real character of the 'woman' in the 'dancing girl' comes out. After an animated conversation the play ends on a happy note with all the players in the sordid drama exposed! 

I will continue with this blog with a 'verbatim' reproduction of the dialogues in the last scene so that the real 'woman' in "Madhuravani" can be assessed.

                                                                   

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Note: "Madhuravani" is a character I liked most in the play that contains a humorous and vitriol attack on some of the inhuman practices prevalent in the society then. Hailing from a profession derided by many, she proves that as a woman she is far better in many 'attributes' than men  in high class, orthodox  society. I used the word 'dancing girl' instead of other synonyms  as it gives respect to the real character in "Madhuravani".