Revisiting Patriarchy: Women Empowerment in Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana

Abstract

This paper examines feminist concerns and the status of women in society through Girish Karnad’s play Hayavadana. Originally written in Kannada and later translated into multiple languages, the play offers a fresh perspective on female identity and agency. The focus is on the protagonist Padmini, portrayed not as the conventional submissive or self-sacrificing woman, but as bold, assertive, and unapologetically desirous of fulfilling her dreams. Karnad presents her quest for the “complete man”—a fusion of physical strength and intellectual depth—as both empowering and transgressive. In doing so, the play highlights Padmini’s courage to defy traditional gender roles and underscores the complexities of women’s agency in a patriarchal framework.