Legitimising Violence: A Reflection on Satish Alekar's The Terrorist(Atirekee, 1990)
The Terrorist originally Atirekee written in 1990 is a pathbreaking, sensitive, and thoughtful play that revolves around the family of Bapurao, Bhavna and Babu. The play reflects on the idea of power and forces us to reflect on the conspicuous idea of what power actually is, how power can be created and how power controls. As in the earlier plays, like The Dread Departure and Deluge , The Terrorist also asks questions and leaves it for the audience/reader to answer. These are the intentional gaps left by the playwright which provokes reaction and change. Whether the anticipated change is definite is impossible to be determined for Alekar’s expected change is not in the collective front but at the individual level. The attempt and the dramaturgy are commendable and highly respectable. The Terrorist is definitely a seminal text. The play finds Bhavna crying one foggy morning as her husband Bapurao and Babu are supposed to have left the house. She is met by Manda and her h...