Midnight Freedom

KOMAL SWAMINATHAN (1935 – 1995) was a playwright in Tamil, a film director and the editor of the Tamil literary magazine 'Subhamangala’.

MIDNIGHT FREEDOM is the English version of the Tamil play ‘Naliravil Petrom’ (நள்ளிரவில் பெற்றோம்) written and staged by Komal Swaminathan in early 80s. Midnight Freedom is a political satire that elucidates how two different stories, one about a political crisis for a ruling party and the story of a poor Indian farmer, who fights to retain his cultivable land, are interlinked. It illustrates the ugly faces of Indian politicians who dare to do anything to retain their powers.

Komal had written this play in an experimental mode, adopting the style of German theatre exponent Bertolt Brecht, to dramatize a deep-rooted social issue. A play being emotional and holding the audience, making them lose themselves in it, is one approach. Brecht differs from this. Audience should not lose themselves in the play, distance themselves from the characters and feel it is only a drama. Brecht describes this as an alienation technique. He feels one can trigger audience’ thought process through this method. This differs from the generally accepted realism style.

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E-raamat: 9. juuli 2025