Hayavadana
Hayavadana[1] (meaning: Horse face) is a 1971 Indian Kannada language two-act play written by Girish Karnad.
[2][3] The plot is based on Br̥hatkathā and Thomas Mann's retelling of Transposed Heads.
[5] Hayavadana presents the story of two friends Devdutta and Kapila; and their love interest Padmini.
He seeks blessings from Lord Ganesha for the successful performance of the play.
He has a great physical strength and he is a son of Lohar (Black Smith).
According to the playwright, the head of Devdutta (knowledge) and the body of Kapila (physical strength) accomplish a complete man.
A character, Actor-1 appears on the stage shouting and running towards Bhagwata.
He tells Bhagwata that he has just seen a strange creature that looks like a horse (by face) but speaks like a man.
Without paying any heed to his talks, Bhagwata asks him to prepare for the play.
Bhagwata asks him to go to goddess Kali temple in Chitrkut.
With utmost desire to marry Padmini, he pledges to sacrifice his arms to Goddess Kali and his head to Rudra.
By the time, Devdutta realizes that Padmini is attracted towards Kapila and vice versa.
Padmini repeatedly praises Kapila's physical strength before Devdutta.
Kapila and Padmini go to Rudra Temple but Devdutta denies to accompany them.
Devdutta knows that Kapila has such a physical strength and beauty that he can attract any woman.
Finally he reaches in the same Temple and feels shocked to see his friend dead.
So now Devdutta's head is joined with Kapila's body and vice versa.
The man with Kapila's head makes a plea that Padmini has remained with Devdutta's body.
All the characters become statues for a moment and the narrator addresses the audience.
He also talks about the story of ′Vikramaditya and Betaal′ [8] where the king Vikrama replies to Betaal that the mind (head) is the master of the body.
The words of the hermit are heard on the stage that Devdutta's head is the Swami (husband) of Padmini.
Bhagwata again appears on the stage and tells that Kapila has regained his physical strength.
To put an Ultimate end to this problem, Devdutta takes out the sword and challenges Kapila for a duel.
She asks him to hand it over to Devdutta's Brahmin father Vidyasagar after five years.
Actor-1 comes and claims that he has heard Hayavadana chanting National Anthem and patriotic songs.
Bhagwata says that the boy hasn't expressed any emotions of happiness, anger, sorrow in past 5 years.
The boy starts singing a tragic song which was chanted by his mother, Padmini.
Bhagwata asks the Actor to go to brahmin Vidyasagar and inform him that his grandson is coming to him, riding on a great horse.
Bhagwata thanks Lord Ganesha for the successful performance of the play.
