ترقی پسند اُردو ڈراما میں تانیثی شعور

Feminist Consciousness in Progressive Urdu Drama

Abstract

The Progressive Writers' Movement transformed Urdu drama from mere entertainment into a medium of social awakening. A major aspect of this shift was the emergence of feminist consciousness, where playwrights portrayed women not merely as helpless victims of oppression but also as individuals who resist, raise their voice, and assert their identity and rights. This article examines feminist consciousness in the one-act plays of five Progressive playwrights Krishan Chander, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Ali Sardar Jafri, Ismat Chughtai, and Saadat Hasan Manto. Krishan Chander highlighted the economic and physical exploitation of poor women, Rajinder Singh Bedi portrayed the deep-rooted psychological and domestic struggles of women within traditional family structures, Ali Sardar Jafri depicted female autonomy and its tragic consequences, Ismat Chughtai exposed middle class hypocrisy and the psychological enslavement of educated women while also showing their quiet rebellion, and Manto explored female sexuality and emotional exploitation۔

      References in Roman Script      

1. Krishan Chander, Darwaza, Lahore: Urdu Academy, 1942, p. 138.
2. Krishan Chander, Nazare, Lahore: Kutub Khana Adabi Dunya, 1940, p. 274.
3. Rajinder Singh Bedi, Saat Khel, New Delhi: Maktaba Jamia, 2012, p. 102.
4. Ali Sardar Jafri, Sardar Jafri Ke Drame, New Delhi: Adabistan Publications, 2013, p. 79.
5. Ismat Chughtai, Kaliyan, Delhi: Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu, 1943, p. 160.
6. Ismat Chughtai, Fasadi, Delhi: Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu, 1992, p. 50.
7. Ibid., p. 118.
8. Ibid., p. 105.
9. Ismat Chughtai, Shaitan, Delhi: Naya Idara, 1941, p. 174.
10. Ibid., p. 135.
11. Ibid., p. 135.
12. Saadat Hasan Manto, Manto Ke Drame, Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2018, p. 14.
13. Saadat Hasan Manto, Manto Ke Drame, p. 258.
14. Ibid., p. 119.
15. Ibid., p. 456.
16. Ibid., p. 379.