Subverting Stereotypes: Empowerment AND Agency OF Women IN Manjula Padmanabhan's Works

Abstract

This paper explores the position and portrayal of women in the plays and writings of Indian playwright and author Manjula Padmanabhan, placing a strong emphasis on the themes of agency and empowerment. In South Asian literature, traditional gender stereotypes are frequently subverted by Padmanabhan's stories, which place women in the role as aggressive rather than subservient agents of their own fate. The study applies a feminist perspective to analyze several of her major works, including as "Escape," "Hidden Fires," and "Harvest," shedding light on how female characters move from the periphery to the center of the story. It also explores how Padmanabhan's artistic brilliance employs satire, science fiction, and theatrical absurdity to create strong female characters that defy conventions and hierarchies in society. The study makes the case that Padmanabhan's writing in the Indian literary canon serves as a catalyst for feminist debate, challenging patriarchal conventions and encouraging readers to reconsider the position of women in society. An incisive grasp of the dynamics of gender equality and women's empowerment in contemporary Indian literature may be gained from Padmanabhan's work, which is a compelling examination of the junction of gender, postudyr, and resistance.