Mohan Rakesh was the pioneer of the Nai Kahani Movement, he has written a number of plays, novels and short stories. This presentation explores the theme of identity in his drama Aadhey Adhure.

1. Exploration of Identity in Aadhey
Adhure

2. Mohan Rakesh
• He was the pioneer of the Nai Kahani literary
movement of Hindi Literature in 1950s.
• He was born on 8th January 1925 in Amritsar.
He did his masters in Hindi and English from
Punjab University.
• He has made considerable contribution to
novel, travelogue, criticism, memoirs, short
story and drama.

3. • He mostly wrote about the urban middle class
people, about their hopes and aspirations. He
brought forth the realities of the Indian
middle class live through his characters.
• After the trauma of partition, Indians were
trying to overcome the challenges of a
changing society, and Rakesh portrayed their
dilemmas in his short stories and plays.

4. Some recurring themes in his Works
• Disillusionment of urban middle class – An
unending quest for something new, dilemma
in characters
• Themes of internal struggle, the prevalent
horror of his times and love.
• Women in his plays – strong in dealing with
the pressures of convention or circumstance

5. Aadhey Adhure : Themes
• Dysfunctional family
• Marriage
• Transition of values
• Exploration of Gender roles
• Breaking away from established norms
• Blind race for material gains, women
becoming ambitious
• Incompleteness

6. Exploration of Identity
• The work explores the meaning and identity in
the turmoil of changing social and familial
structures.
• The characters of the play are seen to engage
in a constant search of meaning and identity
in life.
• The main characters are involved in a search
of alternative sanctuary in the absence of
home which is a source of solace.

7. Savitri
• Seeks fulfillment in marital bliss - “Why does
one get married? In order to fulfil a need….an
inner….void, if you like; to be self
sufficient….complete.”
• The play tries to portray this search as an
illusion, an Absurdist attempt by denying
Savitri the happiness she is looking for and
making her realise that all men are the same.

8. Mahindranath
• Losing the identity of being the bread-earner of
the family had altered his position resulting in
loss of control and influence in the house and
affected his mind and heart adversely - “….silent
acceptance, perpetual snubs, constant insults, is
all that I deserve after so many years.”
• Search for a new identity and reason behind his
existence through his relationship with Juneja.

9. Binni
• Elopes with Manoj not in an impulse of love
and romantic urge but in search of an abode
away from home where she presumed she
would find peace and protection.
• She returns to her maternal home in search
for a mysterious “something” in their house
that is the “ cause of all her trouble” and that
which refuses to desert her.

10. Ashok
• Searches for his identity in a world detached
from reality and need, in the realm of
idleness, impulsivity and romance.
• The everyday animosity between his parents
distorts his sense of ‘home’ and so he looks
for meaning and identity in an alternate world
free of the pressure of shouldering family
responsibility and of the tensions within the
family.

11. Kinni
• Define herself in terms of her rebelliousness,
growing sexual knowledge, stubbornness, ill-
mannerisms and arrogance.

12. Home
• In a distorted state representing the
fragmented identities of its occupants
• Absence of the members of family, incomplete
home

13. Thank you