The hyperreality of the story of a dalit girl...

Today’s blog is on M. Mukundan again. The book is his Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kathana Katha (trans. The pathetic story of a Dalit girl). The title is a misleader.

The book tells not the pathetic story of a dalit girl , but a city bred, white skinned lady.

Or this is not a book of a girl or girls: This is more a postmodern treatise in the lines of Baudrillard.  On the media which ultimately decides on how things should be or how it should reach the masses. And the truth gets buried somewhere.

This is the story of a group of people who wanted to stage a drama which tells the story of Bhagavanthi , a dalit girl and a victim to the feudal lord. (not much details are provided in the novel of the plot). The drama ends with Bhagavanthi exposed before the villagers, her dress being snatched away by the Gudencha, the land lord.

The actress, supposed to play the role of Bhagavanthi steps out as she cannot play the nude. Vasundara steps in (her brother – Mukesh and boyfriend – Gokul are part of the troupe.

The story line or better – the climax was leaked out to the media.

Guess what – the climax of the drama turned out to be a tragedy. The lighting was supposed to be on the torso of the heroine. But the camera flashes exposed her in whole. The head lines of the papers carried the interviews of the heroine - Vasundara and her nudity, but nothing was told on Bhagavanthy.

Shattered – the author of the play , Narayan burned his script

And

Vasundara – her engagement ring of Gokul who chose to be in dark in her moment of crisis.

Tail piece

The fore word to the novel (better a novella) is written by the renowned postmodern critic of Malayalam – K.P. Appan. He has branded the book being postmodern.

Yes, certainly the theme of the book is based on the postmodern scenario – the hyperreality and the simulation created by the media. They can make or mar an event today. Every thing is being sensationalized and the focus is always on the wrong side.

Mukundan conveys this very powerfully through his simple narration. As in his other works Mukundan talks softly to his readers but those words stays with the readers, disturbing them for days…

On the technique – there is no postmodern technique employed here. But the book talks in volume on postmodern condition.