Research Paper
THE CYCLIST: AN ONTOLOGICAL QUEST OF AN URBAN INDIVIDUAL.
Author: Kumar Parth Sarathi, ,
research scholar,english,b.h.u.varanasi,up,india
Letter No.V-34564,Reg.533/2007-2008 INDIAN JOURNAL OF RESEARCH(2012)6
ANVIKSHIKI ISSN 0973-9777 Advance Access publication 30 March. 2012
© The Author 2012,Published by Mpasvo Press (MPASVO).All rights reserved.For permissions e-Mail : maneeshashukla76@rediffmail.com. Read this paper on www.onlineijra.com. And www.anvikshikijournal.com
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Abstract
The Cyclist,
is a translation of Tendulkar’s play Safar (The Journey) into English, not from the Marathi original, but from Mrs. Vimal Deo’s hindi production Cyclewallah. It is quite obvious that though the Marathi title speaks of the journey, the Hindi and English titles of the play stress on the person riding. The predicament of human fate trapped within the psychological conflicts of human mind and nature has been a major concern of Tendulkar’s dramatic art. By placing his characters chained in the social web, Tendulkar expresses social reality. The play The Cyclist has become a portrayal of an individual’s fanciful journey, regarding life itself as a journey, as a product of present condition of urban populace. The utterance of the main character throws light upon the playwright’s desired shape of the play: “…A geographical journey-across an island, a sub-continent, a continent, across the ocean. Or a journey of the mind, or just a bicycle trip. But the Xs must be three, not two. Meaning this is the trip…” (TP:6) Moreover, in his introduction to this Two Plays, the translator – Balwant Bhaneja tries to interpret the various levels of this journey in the play. "Apart from being a journey in geographical terms, it is a psychological exploration of the protagonist’s mind and offers insights into the historical significance of the bicycle. A young man is about to start a ‘world trip’ on his bicycle. Despite the mention of India as a starting point, there is no specific geographical location in which the play is set. It is a place from which the protagonist is trying to get away. He dreams of distant lands, oceans and mountains, seeking exotic places, and meeting interesting people.”( TP:viii)
