Chintamani Padya Natakam
Part of: Prelims and GS-I Culture
Context: Earlier this year, the Andhra Pradesh government banned a 100-year-old play named ‘Chintamani Padya Natakam’.
What is Chintamani Natakam?
- ‘Chintamani Padya Natakam’ was written in 1920 by playwright Kallakuri Narayana Rao, who was also a social reformer.
- The play is about Chintamani, a courtesan and a devotee of Lord Krishna, who finds salvation by singing bhajans.
- She is courted by Subbi Shetty, a businessman from the Arya Vysya community, who loses his wealth and family due to his attraction to Chintamani.
Objection
- The original play had a social message, but over the years, it has been modified purely for entertainment.
- Much of the play sees central character Subbi Shetty made fun of, especially for losing all his wealth to his vices.
- The Arya Vysya community has been petitioning governments for several years to ban the play.
News source: IE
