Use of female chorus in "Hayavadana".

"Hayavadana", one of the most successful stage plays by Girish Karnad is strikingly popular for its traditional structure and modern theme. Girish Karnad as an important Kannda playwright very tactically mingles these two things. Here he uses various traditional features like worshipping of God, use of mask, half curtain, the character of Sutradhar (Bhagavata), music, chorus etc. in order to convey its modern theme "of imperfection, of incompleteness", "man's eternal quest for completeness".

          Though Karnad takes the theme from an ancient folk story from "Vetalpanchavinsati", he makes it enigmatic and cimplex through his dealing of psychological dilemma of the three main characters of the play, Padmini; Devadatta, and Kapila. However, Karnad uses the female chorus in the play to represent the mental dilemma and psychological conflict of Padmini. Their song expresses Padmini's love for both Kapila and Devadatta.:

  

       "Why should love stick to the sap of a single body? When the stem is drunk with the thick yearning of many petalled, many flowered lantana, why should it be tied down to the relation of a single flower?"


             And when the heads of Devadatta and Kapila are transposed, the comment is, "A head for each breast. A pupil for each eye. A side for each arm. I have neither regret nor shame."


            Thus the female chorus seems to express the mental agony of Padmini as well as her feeling and voice ---- the suppressed feeling of a traditional Indian woman.