book review of agnisakshi malayalam novel
Answers
- It tells the story of a Nambudiri woman, who is drawn into the struggle for social and political emancipation but cannot easily shake off the chains of tradition that bind her. The novel was concerned with implied criticism of aspects of social structure and behaviour.
Explanation:
Agnisakshi is a Malayalam novel written by Lalithambika Antharjanam.
During,my higher secondary ,there was a chapter based on a small plot of this novel,It was really interesting and finally I ended up reading the whole novel.
In the novel, the author explores the ideas of choice, detachment, renunciation, love and devotion through three of her main characters - two women Thethikutty (Sumitarananda, Devaki Manampilli or Devi Bahen), Thankam Nair and one man Unni Nambudiri.
(IN SHORT)
Agnisaakshi tells the story of a Namboodiri (Brahmin)woman, who is drawn into the struggle for social and political emancipation but cannot easily shake off the chains of tradition that bind her. The young rebel eventually comes to terms with herself in the solitude of an ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas. Within this thin story framework the author provides a realistic picture of individuals and the society under the compelling pressure of circumstances.
(WHOLE STORY)
Agnisakshi unfolds through the reminiscences of Thangam Nair . During a pilgrimage to Hardwar, she meets Sumithrananda, a sanyasin(saint), who evokes memories of her long lost teenage friend Devaki, called Thethi in Nampoothiri parlance. The sanyasin refuses to recognize Thangam.
Thangam remembers Thethi as the wife of the gentle and spiritually inclined Unni of Manampalli Illom, a Namboodiri household. Apphan Nampoothiri , the elder brother of Unni, symbolized the authoritarian patriarchy of the era. The women in the family were confined to the dark corridors of the illam. Thethi, too, was spared. Her only solace was Thangam, Apphan's daughter in his relationship with a Nair woman.
Those were the years when several reformists within the society came forward to liberate the Namboodiri women. Thethi, unhappy with her life in the illam, left her marital home to join one of these movements. Meanwhile, Thangam married a wealthy Nair youth and set up home in north India. She would often hear of Devaki Manampalli, the reformist and freedom fighter, and knew it was her friend Thethi. The next stage in Thethi's quest was Gandhiku's ashram where she became Devi behan; she soon left the place following some bitter experience. In search of elusive tranquility, she embraced sanyaas and became Sumithrananda to set up ashram at Hardwar.
Unni, who spent the rest of his days in solitude studying scriptures, had all the while preserved Thethi's mangalsutra as a reminder of their short matrimony. This, before dying, he had handed over to Thangam asking her to give it to Thethi or if unable to trace her, immerse it in the Ganga.
The story reverts from the flash back when Sumithrananda receives Thangam in her ashram and accepts the mangallsutra. She melts the gold in fire, a sing of atonement, and gives it to Thangam's granddaughter.
'Agnisakshi', -a bold statement on the social status of Namboodiri women of a disturbing era.
Agnisakshi' is as much the story of the misdeeds of the forward classes, disintegration of the feudal order, nationalism and the rise of bourgeoisie after Independence, as it about the complexities of man-woman relationship, assertion of woman power, and the conflicts between the temporal and the spiritual.
The evolution from Thethikutty to Devaki behn to Sumitrananda has not been forced but rather effected by force of circumstance. Witnessing these changes is Thangam, her husband's cousin and her only companion in teh cruel, compassionless illom.
In 1999, a film adaptation of the novel was released, starring Rajit Kapur as Unni Nambudiri, Sobhana as Devaki & Praveena as Thankam. The film was scripted and directed by Shyamaprasad. It won a National Film Award and eight Kerala State Film Awards. The film was however criticised for glorifying Spiritualism and Hindutva.
SHOBHANA
Running the entire gamut of social, political and inter-personal issues is the transformation of the heroine (Sobhana) of the movie from a progressive girl married into an orthodox family, to a revolutionary who plunges into the freedom struggle, and finally to a penitent in a Himalayan ashram.
Hear her comments.One of the bold statement about the living of a Brahmin women of that disturbed era.from the movie.
"Ihathinukollathavar parathinum kollukayilla" (those who are worthless in this world will be the same in the other too); "Pathujanmam pattiyayi piranallum Namboodiri illathil pennavarathu" (even ten births as a dog may not be able equal to living as a woman in a Namboodiri(Brahmin) family)