Asif Currimbhoy as a True Social Realistic

Aasif Ahmad¹, Mrinal Srivastava²

¹Research Scholar, Department of English, A.P.S. University, Rewa, (M.P)

²Professor and Head of English Dept., A.P.S. University Rewa, (M.P)

*Corresponding Author E-mail: asifpeer343@gmail.com

ABSTRACT:

This paper depicts Asif Currimbhoy’s works, which highlights both major events and the everyday realities of modern man. All his writings are based on true events that occurred to his friends and family, as well as around him in society. This paper shows and demonstrates how, as a dramatist, he masterfully captures the current life events and situations that serve as a mirror for readers. Society: Society allows people to share their sufferings, joys, objectives, aspirations, celebrations, and many other things. The word “society” emerged in the 5th century and it is derived from the French word ‘Societe’. This French word is in turn of origin in the Latin ‘Societa’ means a friendly association with others from ‘Socus locus’ meaning locally social and implied a social contract between members of the community; implicit in the meaning of society is that its members share some mutual concern or interest; a common objective or common characteristics. Without the oppression of the rules and the support of the society man would have been living in a barbaric stage. Society is just like a web which weaves the human relation and their identity. Human connections or social relations are the countless interactions that all people experience with other people. “Society” refers to the sum of all these human ties inside a single town or country. A society is made up of people who share a common ideal, culture, way of thinking, living, and worshipping. Many people in society maintain contact and develop social, cultural, ethical, and other relationships. People in society have difficulties and different wants, and it is up to the organization to provide those needs and address the problems. Such norms and its structures manage society, ensuring that the essential necessities of housing, education, protection, food, employment, health, occupation, entertainment, clothes, transportation, and many more services are met in a sensible and responsible manner. Because it is impossible for a person to make growth in all disciplines, the construction of society plays a critical role in advancement. The laws enacted by religions such as Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity are universal and unaffected by time since they are everlasting. Understanding what Mahatma Gandhi proposed in his book “My Religion” is critical for understanding the term religion in the construction of society. “By religion, I do not mean formal religion or customary religion, but that religion which underlies all religion which brings us face to face with our make…Religion should pervade every one of our actions. Here religion does not mean sectarianism. It means a belief in ordered moral government of the universe. It is not less real because it is unseen. This religion transcends Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, etc. It does not supersede them. It harmonizes them and gives them reality.” Because religion dominates society, religion is an integral component of it. If we look at the history of Indian old society, we can see that the structure of society is different from the structure of society today.

KEYWORDS: Society, socialistic, sufferings, realistic.

INTRODUCTION:

Currimbhoy's societal concern has reached deep into every society's everyday difficulty. As a social realist, he saw the plain reality of society right in front of him. As a result, each hot topic that draws his attention has kept him restless, resulting in streaks in his playwriting. In his plays, Currimbhoy has convincingly depicted a realistic reality. Man reveals himself through his society's social and political structures. Man performs things that bear out his destiny in the world of the mind as well as the social and political worlds around him as a result of these social and political impacts on him.

Currimbhoy presents postcolonial aspects of current society through strong, imaginative imagination. He is a social critic who brings attention to the significant concerns surrounding postcolonialism. He has selected several subjects from contemporary Indian society and realistically expressed them. Parallels, contrasts, irony, flashback, cutouts, satire, song, language, chorus, juxtaposition, symbolism, imagery, soliloquy, and monologue are among the dramatic tactics he used to highlight not only themes but also his various capabilities with varying abilities.

It would not be an exaggeration to claim that Asif Currimbhoy has excelled in the realm of Indian English drama. So yet, only a few Indian dramatists have expressed an interest in writing for the theatre. In Appreciations of Asif Currimbhoy, Faubion Bowers, the distinguished theatre critic and an expert in the theatre of the Orient, rightfully hails Asif Currimbhoy as "India's first true voice in the theatre" (Bowers 7). He is currently increasingly establishing himself as a major worldwide dramatist. He is the first post-Independence playwright to express an interest in writing plays for the theatre, and his plays are primarily intended for that purpose.

Asif Currimbhoy strongly believes that he should participate creatively in society and seek a full reveal of what he discovers in the world around him and within himself in his plays. He opted to write for the theatre because he believed it was the best medium for expressing the complexities of the society he lived in. Currimbhoy accomplishes this by presenting the issues to the audience on stage, which is quite similar to real life. In the plays As You Like It and All the World's a Stage, the author parallels William Shakespeare's comparison of the stage to real life.

Asif Currimbhoy is a master artisan and craftsman. His plays reveal his keen observations on human life and behaviour, offering a window into current society. He is well-versed in contemporary social events. His plays address societal issues, and he does so in a straightforward and accurate manner. He doesn't always want to share anecdotes and stories with his global audience. He aspires to express a cause, a point of view, a sense of modern annuity, and a social message through his plays at times. Currimbhoy's sympathy for humanity is a recurring theme as he describes man's plight in agony and delight. His goal is to teach his audience/readers to value life in its whole. In the process, he exposes social injustices and disarray, allowing his audience/readers to come up with their own solutions. Simultaneously, one gets the idea that the playwright is intimately involved in the productions and that the theatre is being used to convey societal issues with the goal of social transformation.

Asif Currimbhoy demonstrates his ability to reflect the current socio economic situation realistically. His plays mostly deal with social problems such as religion, politics, human existence, and relationships. His plays are a true mirror of what is going on in the world. Currimbhoy was a sensitive writer who was inspired by events in his environment, forcing him to write and think. His plays are a strong portrayal of people who are physically and mentally suffering as a result of numerous socio-political factors.

Asif Currimbhoy was always inspired by the day-to-day life around him. It was during his stay in Agra that he faced some problems in his job and his inner tension found an expression in The Clock. The drama “The Clock” (1993) depicts a genuine depiction of our society, in which money rules moral principles and men rule women, implying that materialism has entirely perverted man. It deals with a wide range of societal topics. It's a reflection of modern life, complete with its frustrations, helplessness, materialism, desire, loneliness, and moral degradation. The drama addresses all of our culture's ills caused by riches and success. The Clock portrays the travails of Henry, a salesman or a tired salesman to be exact. It is also apparent on a bigger scale that this play is a social commentary. It touches all the problems brought on by wealth and success in our culture. Henry is the product of modern materialistic society. He lives in a competitive world where his only worry is “deadlines, quotas and bigger and better sales” (The Clock 19). The Clock describes the disturbed human mind and the consequent frustrations of a salesman who has resigned his job. People have become completely money minded in modern society. Joe and Henry were once good friends and neighbours but now time and distance have increased differences in their status. They meet after years and when they meet, they start talking about money matters. The title of the play The Clock has a symbolic significance which shows the condition of modern man. He is bombarded from all sides to become successful which means to be rich and powerful. Therefore, the play presents a true picture of modern society where money dominates moral values.

The Hungry Ones (1965) is a play that depicts poverty, malnutrition, and famine. Currimbhoy highlights the lives and tensions of the poor and middle classes, as well as the ills of lust and trade in the poor's body, as well as brutality in modern society. The play is one of Currimbhoy's social dramas, and it attempts to portray the true picture of Calcutta in the 1960s. These are the people who for the survival for a day are found to do various activities which help them to survive. This play is based on the visit of two American, who are on the tour to study the true nature of India. They by observing India and Indian culture develop a new philosophy about the country. The monkey act performed by the two Indians in the play The Hungry Ones is essentially a depiction of the pitiful condition of the poor people who can barely manage two times their daily sustenance. The depiction of the monkey act evokes feelings of sadness and sympathy for the underprivileged. (The Hungry Ones 26) The two English men also try to understand the voice of women which tell them or invite them by saying-

“So you want to become one of us, stranger a hungry one…?

then learn: stranger, learn….” (The Hungry Ones 30)

Through this play we see that Currimbhoy has tried to present the unsolved and unidentified misery of the people.

Being a prolific playwright of the Post Independent era, Currimbhoy did justice to his role. In his plays women try to create their own space for themselves. They do not want to bind themselves in the patriarchal set up of the society. His play “Darjeeling Tea?” represents British women characters who oppose their husbands and consider themselves superior to them. They call their husbands idiotic and illogical. For them their husbands are old fashioned and useless fellows.

Through the character of Jennie in Drajeeling Tea? Currimbhoy presents the women of western culture, who have experienced queen like life in the initial years of the British occupation of India. She thinks that she is different from other women who always talk about their house and its problems. She is a planter’s wife and she feels superior to the others and thinks that she is not destined to live or work like other women.

Mac: You chose the way of life when you married me.

Jennie: I chose a man Mac, not a way of life.

Jennie: True. So, like you to say it. Self- contained and self-righteous. (Darjelling Tea 49)

In some of his plays he reveals the existence of a strong bond between husband and wife. He shows the woman’s sacrifice for the sake of family. They support their family in every possible way and try to find solution to the problems encountered by men. In “The Clock,” Henry’s wife tries to console him and instils confidence in his mind thus:

MARY (V). If you don’t make the target, does it mean you get fired from your job!

Henry: No, but it affects my increment, and my future.

MARY (V). Is that enough reason to resign? You could make it up next year. (The Clock 16)

Mary clearly expresses her protest against her husband’s carelessness towards his professional life and his laxity in family affairs. She is concerned about her family and its financial conditions. She always questions her husband about the financial support that he should have given to his family. Through the actions of Mary, the only woman character of the play Currimbhoy reveals the silent protest of the woman for her family and reveals her concern for the future of family.

CONCLUSION:

India is a place of diversity and unity. Religions, castes, culture, customs, and languages, for example, all reflect these differences. As we travel from one state to the next, from one region to the next, the scene changes. Asif Currimbhoy, a keen observer of life, shows these colourful variations in a broad panorama. He is knowledgeable in Indian history, culture, people, legends, customs, rites, and rituals, among other things. He is the son of Indian soil in the most literal meaning of the word. That is why, with commendable ease and confidence, he applies his immense store of knowledge and information in treating his characters.

Currimbhoy’s play shows his deep knowledge of man and his relation to the society. He is a social realist. He has a deep and sound influence on the English Theatre in India. Currimbhoy explores the human predicament which is quite universal and deal with the real-life situations. This real-life situation which he tried to write was based on the fact what he saw around him during and after the independence period. Currimbhoy’s compassion for humanity is the central motif as he details out the predicament of man in agony and ecstasy. His purpose is to make his audience/readers appreciate life in its totality. In the process he presents social evils and chaos letting his audience/readers to find the right answers themselves. At the same time one gets the impression that the playwright is personally involved in the plays and uses the stage to present societal issues with the intention of social transformation.

REFERENCE:

1. Bowers, Faubion. “The Dramatic World of Asif Currimbhoy.” Appreciations of Asif Currimbhoy. Ed. K.R.S Iyengar et. al. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, n.d. Print.

2. Agrawal, K.A. The Best Plays of Asif Currimbhoy. Jaipur: Book Enclave, 2007. Print.

3. Currimbhoy, The Hungry Ones. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 3rd ed., 1992. P. 26. Print.

4. Currimbhoy, The Hungry Ones. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 3^rd ed., 1992. P. 30. Print.

5. Currimbhoy, Asif. The Clock. Calcutta: Writer’s Workshop, 1993. P. 19. Print.

6. Currimbhoy, Asif. The Clock. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 1993. P. 16. Print.

7. Currimbhoy, Asif. Darjeeling Tea?. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 1971. P. 49. Print.

8. Reddy, P. Bayapa: The Plays of Asif Currimbhoy, Calcutta, Writers Workshop, Graybird Book, 1985. Iyengar,

Received on 24.02.2023 Modified on 10.03.2023

Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2023;14(1)46-48.

DOI: 10.52711/2321-5828.2023.00009