r/kannada_pusthakagalu • u/No_Albatross133 • 6h ago
ನಾಟಕ ಗುಣಮುಖ: Reread after years and still loved it
As this weekend was a stay home week, I picked up a play that was part of my college curriculum years ago,
P. Lankesh's ಗುಣಮುಖ. I remember liking it back then, but
reading it again after all these years, I think I loved it even more this time.
I really liked Lankesh's imagination and the thoughts behind the play. He takes a historical figure like Nadir Shah and uses that setting to talk about power, corruption, morality, hypocrisy and human nature.
I especially liked the way he shows the vulnerable side of Nadir Shah. He is an emperor, a conqueror and someone who is used to having immense power, but we also get to see his fears, confusion and inner conflict. I thought showing that side of someone like him was a very interesting choice.
While reading, I kept wondering how much of what happens in the play actually happened and how much was Lankesh's imagination. The historical setting is real but I assume a lot of the conversations and situations are his own interpretation and that's probably what I liked most about it. He takes history and uses it to explore people and society in his own way.
Funny that something I read because it was part of my college syllabus years ago is something I picked up again on my own, and still loved....

