Published Paper Details:

Abstract: Banaphul is a renowned figure in the landscape of 20th-century Bengali literature. Although he is primarily recognized for his contributions to fiction, he was equally a successful artist in the realm of dramatic literature. 'Dashabhan' (1944) is a collection comprising ten of his one-act plays. From this anthology, we have selected three plays--'ShikKabab', 'Lehya', and 'Jal'--for the purpose of this analysis. In the play 'ShikKabab', the playwright vividly portrays the inner anguish of women within the patriarchal social structure of that era. Through the character of Soudamini, the dramatist depicts the attitude of certain hedonistic men toward the women of that time. Employing the metaphor of the dish Shik Kabab, he successfully encapsulates--within the concise scope of a one-act play--the moral degradation of men who lust after the female body like predatory beasts. The characters--the Zamindar, his sycophant Pannalal, and Jibandhan--serve as representatives of that very society. In the second play, 'Lehya', he presents a tableau of a social reality where young people are not required to demonstrate their competence to secure employment; rather, mere sycophancy toward leaders occupying high positions is sufficient to achieve success. Job seekers manage to obtain appointments--specifically for the post of Private Secretary--by merely "licking the boots" of those in power, without offering any proof of their actual qualifications. Here, Banaphul highlights the plight of educated Bengali youths--both male and female--residing outside Bengal, specifically in the region of Bihar. In the third play, 'Jol', he depicts the communal conflicts prevalent in colonial India in a novel and unique style. Through a scientific lens, he portrays this dialectical backdrop using the metaphor of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. This conflict, in essence, serves as a microcosm of the discord between the Hindu and Muslim communities. At the conclusion of the play, the dramatist envisions a union between the two communities--a reconciliation akin to the scientific process wherein hydrogen and oxygen atoms combine to form the new compound: water. This research paper will explore how the multifaceted nature of contemporary social reality is reflected in these plays.