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Hayavadana by Girish Karnad

              
               Hayavadana is an Indian Kannada language two - act play written by Indian writer Girish Karnad in 1971.

About author 

                Girish Karnad was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer and a Rhodes Scholar who mainly worked in south Indian cinema and Bollywood. He was a recipient of the 1998 
" Jnanpith Award ", the highest literary honour conferred in India. He was conferred "Padma Shri" and "Padma Bhushan" by the government of India and won four " Filmfare Awards ".

Plot Summary 

              The play " Hayavadana " tells the story of the two friends Devadatta and Kapila who are in love with the same woman, Padmini who accidentally swaps head of the two friends after they cut off their heads. It is a comedy that ends with a tragedy. The narrator also tells the story a man with a horse's head in the beginning of the play who seeks to become complete human.
        
               The play begins with a worship of the god, Ganesha by Bhagvatta or the worshipper. Bhagvatta introduces all the characters of the play. Two friends, Devadatta and Kapila are the major figure of the play. Devadatta is a poet and known for his sensitivity and Kapila is the son of an iron-smith who is known for his physical strength. Padmini is the main female character of the play she is desiring, sensual women who wants both Devadatta and Kapila.

                In the beginning of the play, a horrified creature runs on stage, claiming to have seen a strange creature. That creature is Hayavadana, Hayavadana has the body of a human and the head of a horse. Which proves to be true when Bhagvatta tries to pull the horse's head from the human body. Bhagvatta tells Hayavadana to go to the temple of Kali and ask to become a complete  human. 

               The story begins when Devadatta enters in the scene and tells his friend Kapila to find out the name and address of a woman he loves. He tells Kapila that he loves her so much that he would sacrifice his head and an arms to have her as a wife. Kapila finds the address of the woman named Padmini but he also falls in love with her as soon as he sees her and considers that Padmini needs a strong man like him. Still he tells Padmini about his friend Devadatta. 

            Devadatta and Padmini marry and Padmini is pregnant with a child after six month. Both decides to go on a trip to Ujjain with their friend but Devadatta is hesitant as he believes that Padmini is attracted with Kapila. Along the way, Padmini compliments Kapila and admires his muscular body. They passes through a temple of Kali and Devadatta decides to ful fill his promise that he made before that he would give up an arm and his head to have Padmini. Devadatta cuts off his head in the temple after seeing this Kapila also cuts off his head as well. 

           Padmini also tries to kill herself but godess Kali intercedes, she tells Padmini to replace the head of the two men and she will heal them so that  they will be alive again. But accidentally, Padmini mixed up the heads and placed them on the wrong bodies. On returning home, two men argue with each other that with whom Padmini will go home and at last Padmini goes with Devadatta's head and Kapila's body. Padmini is pleased with Devadatta's mascular body but with the time Devadatta looses his muscularity because he doesn't maintain it. 

           One day, Padmini goes on a trip to the forest with his son where she finds Kapila who regained his former muscular body. Padmini tells him that her son is also Kapila's son because he has her husband's body then she stages with Kapila in the forest for several days. Devadatta finds Padmini with Kapila and both fight and die.  Padmini gives her son to the Bhagvatta and decides to commit Sati, lying on her husband's funeral pyre. 

              At the end, once again Hayavadana comes on stage, now as a horse. Padmini's son is also there. Bhagvatta says, the boy doesn't speak or laugh. Hayavadana tells when he asked Kali to make him whole, she made him whole horse but still he has human's voice. This story makes the boy laugh, and he sings with Hayavadana who wishes to have a horse's voice. Hayavadana keeps laughing and at last he gets a horse's voice. 

             

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