Yesterday marked the 97th birth anniversary of Vijay Tendulkar, one of the most influential playwrights in Indian theatre. His iconic plays have been staged worldwide and continue to be performed today by several local groups in the city. Tendulkar also wrote screenplays for films such as the late Shyam Benegal’s Manthan (1976) and Govind Nihalani’s Aakrosh (1980), among others. As a Marathi playwright, he paved the way for modern drama in the country, working with language, giving voice to outliers, who challenged societal norms, and introducing themes that were new to the Indian stages in the 1960s and 70s. For those looking to get started on their journey into discovering the playwright’s work, we’ve curated a list of recommendations:

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Five Plays by Vijay Tendulkar

This is a collection of five classics by the playwright, translated from Marathi into English. It includes three of his most widely read commentaries on the position of women in India: Sakharam Binder, Silence! The Court is in Session, and Kamala. In addition to these, it contains The Vultures, a play where members of a family transform into metaphorical vultures for a share in the family wealth, and Encounter in Umbugland, a political satire about power and manipulation.
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