logo
Revisiting Girish Karnad's Wedding album

Revisiting Girish Karnad's Wedding album

The Hindu6 days ago
At the age of 35, playwright, filmmaker and actor, Girish Karnad, found significant success in the world of arts, with his films winning awards and accolades. His journey and life have been documented by the late actor-director himself in his memoir, This Life at Play (originally written by him in Kannada, and later translated into English by him and Srinath Perur).
It is in this memoir that Girish shares the story of his birth. His mother had exclaimed to his father during lunch one day: 'And we had thought of not having him.' When Girish demanded to know more, he was told how she had felt that the three children they had would suffice, so they had booked an appointment with a doctor in Pune, but returned home when the doctor didn't show up and the couple never went back either. Reeling from this unexpected story, Girish dedicates his memoir to Dr. Madhumalathi Gune, whom he held responsible for his (and the memoir's) existence.
The core of the play
In his play, Wedding Album, written many decades later, Girish Karnad touches upon topics such as family secrets, nursing grievances, withholding or suddenly revealing life-altering information. The idiosyncrasies and hidden lives of families; their funny dances, sidestepping their histories; upholding of societal dividers such as caste and religion; their overlooking of serious issues like abuse; their perpetuation of dysfunctional patterns and lack of self-reflection — all forming the core of the play, which was recently performed by the Courtyard Koota community theatre group at Bangalore International Centre (BIC).
The story revolves around Vidula, the youngest daughter of the family, who is to get married. The plan is to get her and the groom to meet and spend all of a week 'getting to know each other.' This is to run in parallel with wedding arrangements like purchase of jewellery and saris, planning of guest lists and gifts. A hefty advance has already been made towards the wedding venue. The possible marriage of Vidula and Ashwin, a classic NRI catch, becomes, not just a lens to view other marriages but also a platform to plot and pitch other marriages. Girish's Wedding Album exposes the national obsession of families with the institution of marriage.
A mother's untold story
In his autobiography, Girish writes empathetically of his mother's struggles to gain an education despite an early marriage, motherhood and widowhood. Raising a child at her parents' place, she doggedly pursued any avenue towards studying and earning a livelihood, much against the social norms of her time. She didn't just succeed in that pursuit, but dared to design her own second marriage, giving herself another chance at family life. Her new life brought her joy, wealth, more children, more accomplishments (theirs) to celebrate. Yet, Girish writes, she never 'stopped ruing that as herself, rather than as my father's wife or as our mother, she had nothing she could claim as her own achievement.'
This is another thread he draws into the central narrative of Wedding Album in which Vidula, Hema and Rohit's mother, wife of Dr. Nadkarni, though not unhappy, lives with an undercurrent of sadness, even cautioning her younger daughter not to throw away her talents in bearing children. Girish writes in his memoir that Wedding Album draws from memories of the 'year of anguish and frustration' that he, his elder sister and mother went through, as they prepared for his younger sister's marriage.
Natasha Iype, founder of Courtyard Koota, says this play was chosen by the community theatre group 'for its relatable theme and excellent script.' Though 'marriage felt a bit dated,' group readings showed how 'the issues raised in the play are still relevant.' They liked how 'the seemingly light-hearted approach concealed many nuances, almost in every scene and sentence.' She observes that the play 'sparked conversations and audience hung out even after the show,remarking how sad but true' the world of the play was. Though written and published in 2009, originally in Kannada as Maduveya Album, the Wedding Album continues to find resonance among theatre-makers and audience even today.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Lionel Messi and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, steal the show at Coldplay concert with adorable kiss cam moment
Lionel Messi and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, steal the show at Coldplay concert with adorable kiss cam moment

Time of India

time39 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Lionel Messi and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, steal the show at Coldplay concert with adorable kiss cam moment

Coldplay and its kiss cam are yet again in the news. Luckily, this time, it's not messy, but Messi, for whom the British band is making headlines! Lionel Messi and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo , at a Coldplay concert Days after the kiss-cam incident involving Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR leader Kristin Cabot went viral, a new video from a Coldplay concert is making waves online. This video features the Football star Lionel Messi with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, enjoying the Coldplay concert at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. As the camera panned to the star couple, Chris Martin , without wasting a second, greeted Messi and his wife and even dedicated a few lines to them. 'Well, Leo, my beautiful brother. You and your wife are looking so fine," sang the Coldplay frontman. "Thanks for coming today to see our band play. The No. 1 sports person of all time," he added. Watch the video here: Though Messi doesn't speak English, it looked like the Football star understood the beautiful feelings of the tribute. He smiled, waved, and clapped, giving his fans a FIFA World Cup moment at the Coldplay concert. Also, not to forget, the casual yet chic style of the couple won hearts in an instant. Another sweetest part of this entire moment was that it wasn't just Messi and his wife enjoying the British band. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 7 All-Inclusive Destinations That Accept Credit Card Rewards Liseer Learn More Undo They were joined by their three sons Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro. It goes without saying that this recent video has gone viral instantly, leaving fans in awe of this sports meet music moment. Colplay and the Astronomer CEO-HR scandal In the last week, the Coldplay kiss cam video, which featured former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot, went viral. It was said the video exposed their alleged affair, as both Byron and Cabot are married to different partners, igniting intense discussions online and prompting concerns about professional boundaries.

Netflix Better Late Than Single: Is Season 2 confirmed? Here's Season 1 final episodes release date, time, episode count and schedule
Netflix Better Late Than Single: Is Season 2 confirmed? Here's Season 1 final episodes release date, time, episode count and schedule

Time of India

time4 hours ago

  • Time of India

Netflix Better Late Than Single: Is Season 2 confirmed? Here's Season 1 final episodes release date, time, episode count and schedule

Netflix is set to release the final two episodes of its new dating reality show Better Late Than Single on July 29. The series began streaming in early July 2025 and follows a batch release format. As viewers await closure on relationships, speculation grows about a potential Season 2. Better Late Than Single Final Episodes Release Date, Time Better Late Than Single will release Episodes 9 and 10 on Monday, July 29. These are the last two episodes of the first season. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Cybersecurity Public Policy Data Science Data Analytics Leadership Artificial Intelligence Finance Data Science Design Thinking Project Management Technology MCA Product Management Others CXO Digital Marketing healthcare MBA Healthcare PGDM Operations Management Management Degree others Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months MIT xPRO CERT-MIT xPRO PGC in Cybersecurity Starts on undefined Get Details The episodes will be released globally on July 29 at 12am PT / 3am ET in the United States, 4am in Brazil, 8am in the UK, 9am Central European Summer Time, 12:30pm in India, 4pm in South Korea, 5pm in Australia, and 7pm in New Zealand. The final two episodes are expected to have a runtime of approximately 60 to 75 minutes each, consistent with previous episodes. Also Read: Has Andy Byron sued Coldplay yet? Here's how social media reacts to former Astronomer CEO legal plans Live Events Better Late Than Single Season 1 Episode Count and Schedule Season 1 of Better Late Than Single has 10 episodes. Netflix followed a staggered release schedule: Episodes 1–3: Released on July 8 Episodes 4–6: Released on July 15 Episodes 7–8: Released on July 22 Episodes 9–10: Releasing on July 29 This format mirrors other dating reality shows on Netflix that prefer a weekly or semi-weekly drop to build engagement. Also Read: EasyJet Mid-Flight Bomb Threat: Why did Abhay Nayak yell 'Allahu Akbar'? Passenger shouts 'Death to America'. This is what happened next Better Late Than Single Season 2 As of July 2025, Netflix has not confirmed Better Late Than Single Season 2. The streaming platform has not shared official viewership numbers or renewal plans. However, regional performance suggests that the show is gaining popularity. Though it has not entered the US Top 10, the show is ranked: #3 in South Korea #5 in Taiwan #7 in Singapore It also appeared in Netflix's Top 10 non-English shows last week. A similar dating show, Single's Inferno, was renewed for Season 5 just one day after Season 4 ended. This opens the possibility that Netflix may announce a second season for Better Late Than Single soon. Better Late Than Single Season 1 Global Performance Netflix's decision to renew a show often depends on regional performance, social media traction and completion rate. Better Late Than Single is performing well in some Asian countries. If this continues, it could improve the chances of renewal. The release of the final two episodes may also boost viewership in other regions. Viewer feedback and streaming metrics in the coming days will likely influence Netflix's final decision. FAQs How many episodes are there in Better Late Than Single Season 1? There are 10 episodes in total, released in batches between July 8 and July 29, 2025. Has Netflix confirmed Season 2 of Better Late Than Single? Netflix has not confirmed Season 2 yet, but the show's growing popularity may influence renewal soon.

Patar's poetry finds new script, techie decodes him for other Pb
Patar's poetry finds new script, techie decodes him for other Pb

Time of India

time4 hours ago

  • Time of India

Patar's poetry finds new script, techie decodes him for other Pb

Chandigarh: Motivated by a love for language and growing demand from readers in Pakistan, Melbourne-based Tejinder Singh has taken it upon himself to translate the works of iconic Punjabi poet Surjit Patar into Shahmukhi, the script used in West Punjab. The 48-year-old computing professional who moved to Australia two decades ago began the project by translating Khudkushi (suicide), one of Patar's acclaimed poems, into Shahmukhi and sharing it on X (formerly Twitter). "I'm surprised to find that Patar remains untranslated into Shahmukhi or English," he wrote. "I start a humble effort to bridge these languages, translating his works one poem at a time." His effort drew praise from British MP Preet Kaur Gill, who posted the original Gurmukhi version in appreciation. Born at Bhagowal village in Punjab's Gurdaspur district, Tejinder Singh said the idea had struck him after repeated requests from readers in Pakistani Punjab. "They want to read Patar, and it's disheartening that his poetry remains inaccessible there largely due to script barriers," he said. Even though trained in computing — with a bachelor's degree from India and a master's from Australia — Tejinder Singh taught himself Shahmukhi using open resources. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Updates: Insurance Coverage GIP & GLP-1 Agonists GoodRx Learn More Undo "Shahmukhi is similar to Urdu, but with an extra layer of diacritics for Punjabi sounds," he explained. While he uses artificial intelligence tools during the process, he says he reviews and refines each translation manually to preserve the original poem's emotional and literary essence. The translator believes literature is key to rebuilding lost cultural ties between East and West Punjab. "There are about 3 crore Punjabis in Indian Punjab, but 13 crore in Pakistani Punjab. Our shared literature deserves to be read and loved across the border," he said. Calling his initiative a personal passion project, Tejinder Singh plans to continue translating Patar's poetry to ensure the late poet's work transcends scripts, borders, and generations. One poem at a time, he'll send, a bridge of ink the border can't end. MSID:: 122955215 413 |

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store