Kanta () is an 1882 Gujarati play by Manilal Dwivedi, based on a historical event; the killing of King Jayshikhari of Patan by King Bhuvad of Panchasar. Dwivedi added the characters of Tarala, Haradas and Ratnadas from his own imagination and gave dramatic twists to the original story in order to make the story more suitable for a dramatic retelling. It has been called the most outstanding play of the 19th century in Gujarati literature. Reportedly, the play has elements of Sanskrit drama and Shakespearean tragedy reflected in its construction, due to Dwivedi's recent translation of Sanskrit play Malatimadhavam and studies of Shakespeare's plays. Kanta had moderate success on the stage. The Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali inaugurated its theatrical activities by staging this play on 29 June 1889.
Overview
Dwivedi was a scholar, poet, novelist, philosopher and editor of Priyamvada and Sudarshan. He had translated the Sanskrit play Malatimadhavam by Bhavabhuti into Gujarati just before he started writing Kanta. During 1881–1882, when Kanta was being written, he was translating a second play by Bhavabhuti, Uttararamacarita, at the same time. Also, he studied Shakespeare's plays, which were fresh in his mind. Hence, certain elements of Sanskrit drama and Shakespearean tragedy are reflected in the construction of this play. The play is a mixture of history, imagination, and the author's preference for the traditional values and way of life, and it portrayed, for the first time, a tragic hero in Gujarati drama.
Its basis is a historical event, the killing of King Jayshikhari of Patan by King Bhuvad of Panchasar. Dwivedi added the characters of Tarala, Haradas and Ratnadas from his own imagination and gave dramatic twists to the original story.
Characters
The principal characters are: Jaychandra – King of Patan Yauvanashri – queen and wife of Jaychandra Sursen – friend and brother-in-law of Jaychandra and army chief Kanta – wife of Sursen Tarala – maid of Yauvanashri Bhuvanaditya – King of Kalyan Karan – son of Bhuvanaditya Haradas – friend of Sursen Ratnadas – wicked friend of Karan Bhils, citizens, soldiers, servants, etc.
Plot
Jaychandra, the king of Patan, is informed of a surprise attack from his lifelong enemy Bhuvanaditya, who was defeated by him in the past. He asks his trusted friend and brother-in-law Sursen, who is also the chief of the army, to go to a nearby forest and leave the pregnant queen Yauvanashri under the protection of kind Bhils, so that in case of an unfavorable outcome of the battle, the child to be born may survive to take revenge. Sursen, who preferred to face the enemy, unwillingly proceeds to the forest to leave the queen under the care of Bhils. He also leaves his wife Kanta and faithful maid Tarala to look after the queen in the forest. When Sursen leaves, he gives his pearl necklace to Kanta, saying that the necklace, which is a symbol of his devotion to her, would be snapped asunder only when he dies.
By the time Sursen returns from the forest, the battle is over. Jaychandra is killed and Bhuvanaditya's son Karan has taken possession of the state. With the help of his wicked associates Haradas and Ratnadas, Karan captures Kanta and Tarala from the forest and tries to seduce them. Tarala yields to the temptation of becoming Karan's favorite queen, but Kanta does not give in. One night Tarala stealthily snaps Kanta's necklace in order to suggest that Sursen is dead. The next morning, Kanta leaves the palace for the cremation ground to commit sati.
Meanwhile, Sursen, acting on the advice of his friend Haradas, strategically allows himself to be arrested, but leaves the prison when he senses Haradas's conspiracy against him, and goes to the forest where he laments the loss of his wife. When Haradas brings him back to the cremation ground, Kanta has already jumped in the funeral pyre. Seeing this, he also throws himself on the pyre. Tarala, after killing Karan, also ends her life in self-condemnation of her misdeed.