The Theme of Woman Subjugation and Gender Inequality in Manjula Padmanabhan’s Play Lights Out

Abstract

The plays of Manjula Padmanabhan not only have a prominent place in the Indian English Drama, but also are equally important in the canon of Feminist theatre. Padmanabhan‘s ‗Lights Out‘ is a realistic play that generates a lot of discussion. The main theme of the play is associated with a sensitive issue a ‗gang rape‘, probing various questions pertaining to exploitation of women in the society and home. The role of women in the world is designated by a man ever since history has been written. Padmanabhan throws light on man-women relationships and the patriarchal power that rule the society. A woman is always seen playing a subservient role to a man. The status of the woman and the plight of her suffering between two influential beings firstly a man, who with his age old dominant power has a control on woman and secondly a woman who turns into an instrument under his authority. ‗Light‘s Out‘ is a play based on the real incident that has taken place in Santa Cruz , Mumbai in 1982. Padmanabhan exhibits a world in which woman has identity crisis, her every utterance is made silent ; she implores unto man about her troubles and finds no help. The play is set in sixth floor apartment, in Mumbai which belongs to upper middle class married couple Leela and Bhaskar. They have been hearing to sounds of sexual crimes and cries from their neighbouring building. The dramatist explicitly displays the reactions of women and men regarding the sexual assault and an urgent need to look at the growing demand of feminine point of view. The present paper is an attempt to analyze the theme of exploitation of woman, suppression of her rights through the view point of gender inequality.