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Khamosh! Adalat Jari Hai
समाज न्याय पर स्थित है और न्याय क़ानून पर। और क़ानून गधा है! (इसका मतलब यह नहीं कि समाज गधेपन पर आश्रित है। यह पूर्ण सत्य नहीं हो सकता क्योंकि गधा सिर्फ़ बुद्धिहीन होता है, क्रूर नहीं।) परम्परागत आचार-विचार और जंग लगी रूढ़ियाँ भी समाज के अलिखित क़ानून होते हैं। और इसकी चौखट जाने-अनजाने लाँघने वाला व्यक्ति समाज में सज़ा के योग्य होता है। न्याय-अन्याय के इस भयावह खेल में मशगूल समाज की अदालत में एक मुक़दमा पेश किया गया है। शरीर के 'शरीरत्व' का शाप ढोने वाली एक मनस्वी लड़की पर। मुकदमा चलाया जा रहा है। इस अभियोग का उद्देश्य न तो सनातन मूल्यों की जाँच करना है और न ही न्याय-अन्याय से किसी को कुछ लेना-देना है। तयशदा चौखट में जीते-जीते ऊब गये, थके-माँदे समाज ने मनोरंजन हेतु इस खेल का आरम्भ किया है। खे
100 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1968
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About the author
Vijay Tendulkar
98 books69 followersVijay Tendulkar (Marathi: विजय तेंडुलकर) (7 January 1928 – 19 May 2008) was a leading Indian playwright, movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist, and social commentator primarily in Marāthi. He is best known for his plays, Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe (1967), Ghāshirām Kotwāl (1972), and Sakhārām Binder (1972).Many of Tendulkar’s plays derived inspiration from real-life incidents or social upheavals, which provides clear light on harsh realities. He provided his guidance to students studying “Playwright writing” in US universities. For over five decades, Tendulkar had been a highly influential dramatist and theater personality in Mahārāshtra.
Early life
Vijay Dhondopant Tendulkar was born on 7 January 1928 in a Bhalavalikar Saraswat brahmin family in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, where his father held a clerical job and ran a small publishing business. The literary environment at home prompted young Vijay to take up writing. He wrote his first story at age six.
He grew up watching western plays, and felt inspired to write plays himself. At age eleven, he wrote, directed, and acted in his first play.
At age 14, he participated in the 1942 Indian freedom movement , leaving his studies. The latter alienated him from his family and friends. Writing then became his outlet, though most of his early writings were of a personal nature, and not intended for publication.
Early career
Tendulkar began his career writing for newspapers. He had already written a play, “Āmchyāvar Kon Prem Karnār” (Who will Love us?), and he wrote the play, “Gruhastha” (The Householder), in his early 20s. The latter did not receive much recognition from the audience, and he vowed never to write again . Breaking the vow, in 1956 he wrote “‘Shrimant”, which established him as a good writer. “Shrimant” jolted the conservative audience of the times with its radical storyline, wherein an unmarried young woman decides to keep her unborn child while her rich father tries to “buy” her a husband in an attempt to save his social prestige.
Tendulkar’s early struggle for survival and living for some time in tenements (“chāwls”) in Mumbai provided him first-hand experience about the life of urban lower middle class. He thus brought new authenticity to their depiction in Marathi theater. Tendulkar’s writings rapidly changed the storyline of modern Marathi theater in the 1950s and the 60s, with experimental presentations by theater groups like “Rangāyan”. Actors in these theater groups like Shreerām Lāgoo, Mohan Agāshe, and Sulabhā Deshpānde brought new authenticity and power to Tendulkar’s stories while introducing new sensibilities in Marathi theater.
Tendulkar wrote the play, “Gidhāde” (The Vultures) in 1961, but it was not produced until 1970. The play was set in a morally collapsed family structure and explored the theme of violence. In his following creations, Tendulkar explored violence in its various forms: domestic, sexual, communal, and political. Thus, “Gidhāde” proved to be a turning point in Tendulkar’s writings with regard to establishment of his own unique writing style.
Based on a 1956 short story, “Die Panne” (“Traps”) by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Tendulkar wrote the play, “Shāntatā! Court Chālu Aahe” (“Silence! The Court Is In Session”). It was presented on the stage for the first time in 1967, and proved as one of his finest works. Satyadev Dubey presented it in movie form in 1971 with Tendulkar’s collaboration as the screenplay writer.
1970s and ’80s
In his 1972 play, Sakhārām Binder (Sakhārām, the Binder), Tendulkar dealt with the topic of domination of the male gender over the female gender. The main character, Sakhārām, is a man devoid of ethics and morality, and professes not to believe in “outdated” social codes and conventional marriage. He accordingly uses the society for his own pleasure. He regularly gives “shelter” to abandoned wives, and uses them f
Early life
Vijay Dhondopant Tendulkar was born on 7 January 1928 in a Bhalavalikar Saraswat brahmin family in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, where his father held a clerical job and ran a small publishing business. The literary environment at home prompted young Vijay to take up writing. He wrote his first story at age six.
He grew up watching western plays, and felt inspired to write plays himself. At age eleven, he wrote, directed, and acted in his first play.
At age 14, he participated in the 1942 Indian freedom movement , leaving his studies. The latter alienated him from his family and friends. Writing then became his outlet, though most of his early writings were of a personal nature, and not intended for publication.
Early career
Tendulkar began his career writing for newspapers. He had already written a play, “Āmchyāvar Kon Prem Karnār” (Who will Love us?), and he wrote the play, “Gruhastha” (The Householder), in his early 20s. The latter did not receive much recognition from the audience, and he vowed never to write again . Breaking the vow, in 1956 he wrote “‘Shrimant”, which established him as a good writer. “Shrimant” jolted the conservative audience of the times with its radical storyline, wherein an unmarried young woman decides to keep her unborn child while her rich father tries to “buy” her a husband in an attempt to save his social prestige.
Tendulkar’s early struggle for survival and living for some time in tenements (“chāwls”) in Mumbai provided him first-hand experience about the life of urban lower middle class. He thus brought new authenticity to their depiction in Marathi theater. Tendulkar’s writings rapidly changed the storyline of modern Marathi theater in the 1950s and the 60s, with experimental presentations by theater groups like “Rangāyan”. Actors in these theater groups like Shreerām Lāgoo, Mohan Agāshe, and Sulabhā Deshpānde brought new authenticity and power to Tendulkar’s stories while introducing new sensibilities in Marathi theater.
Tendulkar wrote the play, “Gidhāde” (The Vultures) in 1961, but it was not produced until 1970. The play was set in a morally collapsed family structure and explored the theme of violence. In his following creations, Tendulkar explored violence in its various forms: domestic, sexual, communal, and political. Thus, “Gidhāde” proved to be a turning point in Tendulkar’s writings with regard to establishment of his own unique writing style.
Based on a 1956 short story, “Die Panne” (“Traps”) by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Tendulkar wrote the play, “Shāntatā! Court Chālu Aahe” (“Silence! The Court Is In Session”). It was presented on the stage for the first time in 1967, and proved as one of his finest works. Satyadev Dubey presented it in movie form in 1971 with Tendulkar’s collaboration as the screenplay writer.
1970s and ’80s
In his 1972 play, Sakhārām Binder (Sakhārām, the Binder), Tendulkar dealt with the topic of domination of the male gender over the female gender. The main character, Sakhārām, is a man devoid of ethics and morality, and professes not to believe in “outdated” social codes and conventional marriage. He accordingly uses the society for his own pleasure. He regularly gives “shelter” to abandoned wives, and uses them f
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
August 19, 2013
Quite a powerful play on a number of levels: Tendulkar does a wonderful job forcing his audience to reflect on the dangers of a mob mentality, on the type of violence perpetrated by the middle class, and the plight of women. The play moves from quite humorous to serious and dangerous. It's an entertaining read and there is also a terrific version on film in Marathi with English subtitles for those who want to see an excellent performance.
October 13, 2025
absolutely thrilling to read, a masterpiece in the field of Indian plays💛
July 22, 2021
*Read at your own risk? It may contain spoilers though I haven't mentioned any plot points. Didn't want to hide it entirely*
खोट्या कहाणीतले खोटे (अभिरुप) न्यायालय, पण वाचतानाची माझ्या मनातली तळमळ खरी.
(Translation: A pretend court in a pretend story, but my mental agitation while reading it, real)
I am in awe of the empathy and humanity shown by Vijay Tendulkar in his writing and for an issue that wasn't only unimaginably explosive in the 1960s when this play was written and performed, but also riles up the society asymmetrically against women to this day: a woman's moral character.
Why must we always bear the brunt and be largely responsible for upholding the so called morally superior culture for matters pertaining to our private lives?
Oh, how I wish Leela Benare's monologue wasn't only in her head. But I am trying to find comfort in the directors interpretation of how it wasn't her defense, but instead her silence was her defiance. Later found out that it was in fact the director, Aravind Despande's idea and he was instrumental in making Vijay Tendulkar write her a monologue.
Then again, Vijay Tendulkar's 'ahead of the time' writing doesn't come as a complete surprise to me, who has seen seen his short story on screen : मित्राची गोष्ट Mitrachi Goshta: A Friend's Story: A Play in Three Acts.
खोट्या कहाणीतले खोटे (अभिरुप) न्यायालय, पण वाचतानाची माझ्या मनातली तळमळ खरी.
(Translation: A pretend court in a pretend story, but my mental agitation while reading it, real)
I am in awe of the empathy and humanity shown by Vijay Tendulkar in his writing and for an issue that wasn't only unimaginably explosive in the 1960s when this play was written and performed, but also riles up the society asymmetrically against women to this day: a woman's moral character.
Why must we always bear the brunt and be largely responsible for upholding the so called morally superior culture for matters pertaining to our private lives?
Oh, how I wish Leela Benare's monologue wasn't only in her head. But I am trying to find comfort in the directors interpretation of how it wasn't her defense, but instead her silence was her defiance. Later found out that it was in fact the director, Aravind Despande's idea and he was instrumental in making Vijay Tendulkar write her a monologue.
Then again, Vijay Tendulkar's 'ahead of the time' writing doesn't come as a complete surprise to me, who has seen seen his short story on screen : मित्राची गोष्ट Mitrachi Goshta: A Friend's Story: A Play in Three Acts.
January 26, 2016
Tendulkar has hit upon many themes in a simple play. There is a drama within a drama, the theme of woman's independence and the likewise stigma of being improper, the working of a court, and the manipulative statements and judgements. Leela Benare, the actor within the play comes to be the victim and heroine of the real play. A woman's sentiments is seldom understood by the others, while she is only blamed to have an illegal affair. The other characters too are affected in some way or the other, and Tendulkar has cleverly paved way for each of the characters to reveal their problems.
September 22, 2022
Ahead of time! Excellent play!
June 21, 2025
Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe (Silence! The Court is in Session) by Vijay Tendulkar
“The line between performance and reality is thin—and sometimes, we don't even know when we've crossed it.”Originally in Marathi (शांतता! कोर्ट चालू आहे) First Performed: 1967 Themes: Gender oppression, hypocrisy, social justice, existential isolation
Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is a seminal work in modern Indian drama, written by the acclaimed playwright Vijay Tendulkar. With surgical precision, the play dissects Indian middle-class morality, gender roles, and the terrifying ease with which society turns real people into scapegoats.
Structured around a mock trial conducted by a group of amateur theater artists, the play gradually transforms into a brutal psychological unmasking of its main character, Miss Benare. The trial may be staged, but the consequences are chillingly real.
Major Characters & Their Arcs:
Miss Leela Benare Role in Play: Schoolteacher; accused in the mock trial of infanticide and moral corruption. Character Arc: Benare starts as a lively, self-assured woman who initially takes the mock trial lightly. But as the court proceedings spiral into cruel personal attacks, she becomes a tragic figure—a woman condemned not by law, but by societal judgment. The arc is one of disillusionment and emotional breakdown. Her strength erodes into silent devastation, revealing the emotional toll of being a woman with agency in a patriarchal setup. Sukhatme Role in Play: Lawyer in the mock trial; represents the prosecuting side with pseudo-legal jargon. Character Arc: A caricature of India’s failed intellectual class, Sukhatme begins as a pompous, verbose man who uses legalese to mask his ignorance. As the trial progresses, his character grows more vicious, symbolizing the weaponization of pseudo-morality. His arc is less about growth and more about exposure—he is unmasked as a self-important fool complicit in cruelty. Kashikar Role in Play: The mock judge and patriarchal authority figure. Character Arc: He exemplifies the conventional, self-righteous male figure. Kashikar’s disdain for Benare’s independent spirit reflects a deep-seated misogyny. His arc is static but symbolic—he doesn’t change, but his role emphasizes the oppressive authority that shapes and maintains societal norms. Mrs. Kashikar Role in Play: The judge’s wife, a submissive woman constantly seeking purpose. Character Arc: Trapped in her husband's shadow, she reflects the fate of many women in traditional marriages—oppressed, voiceless, and unaware of their own identity. Her occasional outbursts and awkward involvement reveal a deeply buried frustration, but she ultimately remains complicit in the system that punishes Benare. Samant Role in Play: A simpleton who is unaware of the layered cruelty unfolding in front of him. Character Arc: Samant is an outsider to the group, and his arc is minimal but crucial—he serves as the audience’s lens. His simplicity and lack of malice highlight the grotesqueness of the rest of the group’s behavior. Professor Damle (Absent but Central) Role in Play: A respected intellectual, and allegedly the man who impregnated Benare and abandoned her. Character Arc: Though he never appears on stage, his ghost looms large. He represents the hypocrisy of revered public figures who privately exploit the vulnerable. He is a symbol of moral duplicity—the man whose crimes go unpunished while the woman is shamed and destroyed.Central Themes and Symbolism:
Mock Trial as Social Metaphor: What starts as an innocent play rehearsal becomes a frightening metaphor for public persecution. Tendulkar shows how institutions—court, marriage, education—can become arenas of control rather than justice. Gender and Hypocrisy: Benare’s supposed “crimes” are not legal but moral, judged by hypocrites who have committed worse. The play examines how women’s sexual agency is policed more harshly than men’s irresponsibility. Theater within Theater: The Brechtian meta-theatrical technique strips away illusion and makes the audience complicit. The characters perform a play, but we slowly realize the play is more real than their actual lives.Verdict: Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is a masterclass in social commentary and psychological realism. It forces readers to question how easily we judge, how comfortably we hide behind roles, and how society maintains its order through scapegoating the powerless.
Recommended for: Readers of modern Indian drama, gender studies scholars, theater lovers, and anyone interested in psychological realism and social critique. Not recommended for: Those looking for light entertainment or plot-driven drama—this is introspective, layered, and purposefully uncomfortable.Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) — For its bold narrative, psychological nuance, and scathing social insight.
March 3, 2024
"Truth is stranger than fiction."
May 28, 2020
Shantata! Court Chalu Ahe or the English translation Silence! The Court Is In Session by Vijay Tendulkar is a play that discusses a woman's freedom, her choices in life and how people judge and blame her depending on how she talks and behaves with other people especially men.
A group of people have come together to perform a play. However it seems that
one of their characters will not be able to make it in time for the play. So they decide to involve the local person who's helping them with the area. The play is about a courtroom and so in order to make him understand what his role would be and also to kill time till the actual act starts, they decide to do a pretend act of the court room with a fake blame on a fake culprit by fake witnesses. All of this is being done in the name of a game.
However, something that was started as a mere entertainment takes a nasty turn when each witness try to judge and express their opinion about the fake culprit, Miss Benare. The person who is being blamed for having relationship before marriage and for foeticide. As the fake play progresses, each one has something to say about the victim, some with so called genuine proof, but mostly only based on their judgement on how she is friendly with men and still not married even at the age of 34.
The play starts on a humourous note but turns serious and dangerous. It is something that makes you think not just while reading but even after you've kept the book. Written beautifully, it takes you in with it and you are no more just a reader but you become a part of it seeing and feeling everything that is happening. A hard hitting play with a theme that holds true even today, this play was something that was engrossing and mind boggling.
A group of people have come together to perform a play. However it seems that
one of their characters will not be able to make it in time for the play. So they decide to involve the local person who's helping them with the area. The play is about a courtroom and so in order to make him understand what his role would be and also to kill time till the actual act starts, they decide to do a pretend act of the court room with a fake blame on a fake culprit by fake witnesses. All of this is being done in the name of a game.
However, something that was started as a mere entertainment takes a nasty turn when each witness try to judge and express their opinion about the fake culprit, Miss Benare. The person who is being blamed for having relationship before marriage and for foeticide. As the fake play progresses, each one has something to say about the victim, some with so called genuine proof, but mostly only based on their judgement on how she is friendly with men and still not married even at the age of 34.
The play starts on a humourous note but turns serious and dangerous. It is something that makes you think not just while reading but even after you've kept the book. Written beautifully, it takes you in with it and you are no more just a reader but you become a part of it seeing and feeling everything that is happening. A hard hitting play with a theme that holds true even today, this play was something that was engrossing and mind boggling.
September 15, 2016
I want to give it perhaps a 2.8 or 2.9 stars. There is just something I don't like about plays, and that is dialogue. I'm more of a narration person than a dialogue person, and I didn't know this bias existed in me until today because I've read quite a few plays and liked many of them.
The story was good, the characters okay-ish, but the language was very crude and put me off very often and very easily. The character of Miss Leela Benare disappointed me a little too much. She was free-spirited and independent the whole time except when the charges were put against her. And the dream sequence in which she revolted too didn't seemed satisfactory to me, it digressed into something irritatingly stupid about nature and everything which seemed way too off point to me. After trying too hard to sculpt Benare as a new age woman, I feel, Tendulkar finally fell prey to the gender role of women being submissive, even with the character of Mrs Kashikar but more so with Benare. The men preying on Benare though were perfect characterisations and true to their nature. I was however cringed out by the views of the self proclaimed social worker Mr Kashikar that were so retrogressive but I appreciate the construction of the character.
As I mentioned above, the writing isn't the best, but the twists and turns the story takes were quite engaging and I liked it. there isn't much else to be discussed about the drama other than these and I recommend it for a light reading but I still don't understand the blind appreciation of the text for I feel Kamala was a better written play by Tendulkar, but I'm surely gonna read more of his works.
The story was good, the characters okay-ish, but the language was very crude and put me off very often and very easily. The character of Miss Leela Benare disappointed me a little too much. She was free-spirited and independent the whole time except when the charges were put against her. And the dream sequence in which she revolted too didn't seemed satisfactory to me, it digressed into something irritatingly stupid about nature and everything which seemed way too off point to me. After trying too hard to sculpt Benare as a new age woman, I feel, Tendulkar finally fell prey to the gender role of women being submissive, even with the character of Mrs Kashikar but more so with Benare. The men preying on Benare though were perfect characterisations and true to their nature. I was however cringed out by the views of the self proclaimed social worker Mr Kashikar that were so retrogressive but I appreciate the construction of the character.
As I mentioned above, the writing isn't the best, but the twists and turns the story takes were quite engaging and I liked it. there isn't much else to be discussed about the drama other than these and I recommend it for a light reading but I still don't understand the blind appreciation of the text for I feel Kamala was a better written play by Tendulkar, but I'm surely gonna read more of his works.
May 21, 2023
It's either this book was way ahead of time or we have turned stagnant as a society. In any case, one should read this play. I was shocked to my core, my emotions were exploited to their max extent and I felt an urge to yell or better scream. Society hasn't evolved much even today, the shame and shackles are still very much present and thriving. Everyday someone stands at the convict's stand and faces these judgments.
February 23, 2014
miss benare' sololiquy remains the most real and touching part of the play.
vijay tendulkar is success in describing a play with play with actually reminding people about the inbuilt play's enactment.
vijay tendulkar is success in describing a play with play with actually reminding people about the inbuilt play's enactment.
November 9, 2021
This book is a masterpiece. I would possibly rate with millions of stars. I am dumbfounded. I strongly recommend this book to every one of you.
Read it at least once in your lifetime. It's a book of substance and great impact.
Read it at least once in your lifetime. It's a book of substance and great impact.
February 27, 2013
A play set in a play. The cruel reality is shown with such subtlety that the heart of every reader or viewer would yearn to get up and stand for the right. Evocative!
February 13, 2024
This play is an embryonic critique of modern Indian society, mostly middle dass and lower middle class from different angles. The plot combines social criticism with the tragedy of an individual persecuted by the society. This individual is placed against the milieu of society and the rigidities between the two are explored. And the best aspect is that Tendulkar depicts life as it is from diverse angles without trying to theorize or sermonize in any way.
Voice is natural but it is muzzled by factors like society, patriarchy, and by the ideological and oppressive apparatuses. Voice is a medium of communication, to transmit one's thoughts and ideas, and also a tool of representing one's self. It's a way by which one can be recognized.
Voice is exclusive to the person to whom it belongs. It can divulge history and can fashion an appearance. It's an instrument through which one corroborates one's identity but it is silenced. When the voice is quieted it divulges clampdown and repression of the self. Since, a close surveillance of the diachronic history of humanity and culture may replicate the fact that there has been an unyielding war between thesis, antithesis and synthesis, and they have struggled for their supremacy.
Benare, a modern, cultured and economically autonomous woman is accomplished in carrying out her responsibility but her co- actors fail to appreciate her. She is chastised harshly for the crime that she has not committed. Her soliloquy which occurs in the end of the play not only reveals her mind but also the belief of the duplicitous and sheepish quality of an Indian society.
She becomes an archetypal figure of women in an Indian society whose voice has been neutered, muffled and subdued. In the soliloquy, Benare wants to uncover and express her inmost thought about herself and about the world around her.
But she fails to understand that everyone around her does not want to listen to her or to take care of her mind and longing but wants to satisfy their sexual urges by having sex with her. So, in the play, Benare's mind and thoughts are not vocalized but her body is vulgarised and corrupted.
She becomes a speechless woman -- flabbergasted and voiceless.
The playwright’s compassion for Leela Benare is underlying through out the play. He has made Benare to struggle against the orthodox society. Benare possesses a passion for life and she does not care about social customs and norms.
Finally, this is not a propaganda play. It contends with several problems of Indian society --- the squalor of the judiciary system, ostentatious institutional social service organizations, and forceful male supremacy in Indian society, in a masterful way. However, the fact is that we look at the world and our friends, relatives, et al., and value their roles only from their usefulness towards our ends.
Conventional morality is only an imaginary issue.
A classic. Most recommended.
Voice is natural but it is muzzled by factors like society, patriarchy, and by the ideological and oppressive apparatuses. Voice is a medium of communication, to transmit one's thoughts and ideas, and also a tool of representing one's self. It's a way by which one can be recognized.
Voice is exclusive to the person to whom it belongs. It can divulge history and can fashion an appearance. It's an instrument through which one corroborates one's identity but it is silenced. When the voice is quieted it divulges clampdown and repression of the self. Since, a close surveillance of the diachronic history of humanity and culture may replicate the fact that there has been an unyielding war between thesis, antithesis and synthesis, and they have struggled for their supremacy.
Benare, a modern, cultured and economically autonomous woman is accomplished in carrying out her responsibility but her co- actors fail to appreciate her. She is chastised harshly for the crime that she has not committed. Her soliloquy which occurs in the end of the play not only reveals her mind but also the belief of the duplicitous and sheepish quality of an Indian society.
She becomes an archetypal figure of women in an Indian society whose voice has been neutered, muffled and subdued. In the soliloquy, Benare wants to uncover and express her inmost thought about herself and about the world around her.
But she fails to understand that everyone around her does not want to listen to her or to take care of her mind and longing but wants to satisfy their sexual urges by having sex with her. So, in the play, Benare's mind and thoughts are not vocalized but her body is vulgarised and corrupted.
She becomes a speechless woman -- flabbergasted and voiceless.
The playwright’s compassion for Leela Benare is underlying through out the play. He has made Benare to struggle against the orthodox society. Benare possesses a passion for life and she does not care about social customs and norms.
Finally, this is not a propaganda play. It contends with several problems of Indian society --- the squalor of the judiciary system, ostentatious institutional social service organizations, and forceful male supremacy in Indian society, in a masterful way. However, the fact is that we look at the world and our friends, relatives, et al., and value their roles only from their usefulness towards our ends.
Conventional morality is only an imaginary issue.
A classic. Most recommended.
August 5, 2025
Vijay Tendulkar’s Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is a layered and unsettling play that resonates on multiple levels—individual, societal, and feminist. Written in 1967, years before the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTPA) legalized abortion in India in 1971, the play remains disturbingly relevant even today.
At its core, the play questions why the burden of shame and morality is disproportionately thrust upon women. Ms. Benare, the protagonist, becomes the target of mock trial proceedings that quickly morph into a cruel spectacle. The irony is striking: while society fixates on her personal choices, the man equally involved—Prof. Damle—remains largely unscathed and unexamined. Even Mrs. Kashikar, another woman, joins in the accusatory chorus, a telling reflection of how patriarchy conditions women to police each other.
The mob seizes upon Benare’s private life for its own amusement, disguising its moral judgment under the pretense of a game. As Tendulkar himself notes, the participants appear oblivious to the emotional violence they inflict. What begins as courtroom drama becomes a metaphor for societal cruelty, where individuals are publicly shamed for failing to conform.
The play also prompts reflection on a broader social phenomenon—mob lynching. While often understood in the context of communal hatred, Tendulkar compels us to consider another dimension: the sinister delight people derive from collective punishment. Whether in fictional games or real-life tragedies, we repeatedly witness the transformation of justice into spectacle, of inquiry into entertainment.
Ultimately, Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is not just a feminist text or a social critique—it is an indictment of our complicity in cruelty. It forces us to ask: when do we stop being spectators, and when do we become part of the mob?
At its core, the play questions why the burden of shame and morality is disproportionately thrust upon women. Ms. Benare, the protagonist, becomes the target of mock trial proceedings that quickly morph into a cruel spectacle. The irony is striking: while society fixates on her personal choices, the man equally involved—Prof. Damle—remains largely unscathed and unexamined. Even Mrs. Kashikar, another woman, joins in the accusatory chorus, a telling reflection of how patriarchy conditions women to police each other.
The mob seizes upon Benare’s private life for its own amusement, disguising its moral judgment under the pretense of a game. As Tendulkar himself notes, the participants appear oblivious to the emotional violence they inflict. What begins as courtroom drama becomes a metaphor for societal cruelty, where individuals are publicly shamed for failing to conform.
The play also prompts reflection on a broader social phenomenon—mob lynching. While often understood in the context of communal hatred, Tendulkar compels us to consider another dimension: the sinister delight people derive from collective punishment. Whether in fictional games or real-life tragedies, we repeatedly witness the transformation of justice into spectacle, of inquiry into entertainment.
Ultimately, Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is not just a feminist text or a social critique—it is an indictment of our complicity in cruelty. It forces us to ask: when do we stop being spectators, and when do we become part of the mob?
January 27, 2021
I remember seeing this play as a part of my syllabus for Elective English when I was in high school. Unfortunately, it was not in our prescribed reading list and I didn’t have the time to read it at that time. Nonetheless, I am glad I did scout a copy of it online and read it as soon as it arrived. Tendulkar’s play is set in twentieth century India that is moving on its path toward modernisation. The story of the play explores that very element of change within the Indian social fabric beset with traditional dogmas. A theatre company comes together to rehearse a play before their final show to educate a rural man about what a play is like. It is in this little game we see the characters hunting down a woman of their company and her private matters. The court room setting makes the examination of the woman’s life real and effective to the tension that the playwright builds until the end. Through loud dialogues and characters from regular walks of life, the play succeeds in its essence of appearing natural and unforced. In three acts, we find characters unfurling their lives, their inner demons, their uncanny imagination and one can’t stop but laugh and be surprised at the same time. I suggest reading the dialogues aloud and with the tone and expressions as the characters would have. I bet you it would be fun and thrilling! The play was beautifully translated from Marathi by Priya Adarkar.
February 16, 2023
#खामोश_अदालत_जारी_है विजय तेंदुलकर द्वारा मूल रूप से मराठी में (कोर्ट चालू आहे) लिखा एक बहु प्रचलित नाटक का हिन्दी अनुवाद है। 1967 में लिखे इस नाटक का तमाम भाषाओं में असंख्य मंचन हो चुका है। काफ़ी सारे यूट्यूब पर भी उपलब्ध हैं, साल 2017 में इस नाटक पर फ़िल्म भी बनी।
इस नाटक के अंदर एक गाँव में कोर्ट रूम के नाटक के मंचन की तैयारी की जा रही होती है। नाटक के पात्र तैयारी के लिए समय से पूर्व एकत्रित होते हैं लेकिन एक पात्र अनुपस्थित होता है। उस अनुपस्थित पात्र की जगह वँहा मौजूद गाँव के एक व्यक्ति को दी जाने की बात होती है लेकिन उस व्यक्ति को कोर्ट की प्रक्रिया की जानकारी नहीं होती। उस व्यक्ति को कोर्ट की प्रक्रिया समझाने के लिए एक मॉक ट्रायल किया जाता है, जिसमें कोई भी मुद्दा उठा के एक आभासी केश चलाना होता है।
काल्पनिक केश मिस बेनारे पर भ्रूण हत्या के आरोप से शुरू होता है लेकिन जैसे जैसे आगे बढ़ता है कई परतें खुलने लगती है जो मिस बेनारे के चरित्र, चाल-चलन से लेकर, प्रोफेसर दामले से नाजायज सम्बन्ध तक खिंच लाती है। प्रोफेसर दामले ही वह पात्र है जो अनुपस्थित होता है।
इस मॉक ट्रायल की सहायता से लेखक नें कई सारी समाजिक मुद्दों को उठाने का प्रयत्न किया है जिसे पाठक/दर्शक उन मुद्दों की गंभीरता समझ पाएँ। 45 साल बाद भी अधिकांश मुद्दे आज भी समाज में अनुभव किए जा सकते हैं, और यही कारण है की आज भी ये नाटक उतना ही प्रचलित है और ढेरों मंचन होते हैं।
इस नाटक के अंदर एक गाँव में कोर्ट रूम के नाटक के मंचन की तैयारी की जा रही होती है। नाटक के पात्र तैयारी के लिए समय से पूर्व एकत्रित होते हैं लेकिन एक पात्र अनुपस्थित होता है। उस अनुपस्थित पात्र की जगह वँहा मौजूद गाँव के एक व्यक्ति को दी जाने की बात होती है लेकिन उस व्यक्ति को कोर्ट की प्रक्रिया की जानकारी नहीं होती। उस व्यक्ति को कोर्ट की प्रक्रिया समझाने के लिए एक मॉक ट्रायल किया जाता है, जिसमें कोई भी मुद्दा उठा के एक आभासी केश चलाना होता है।
काल्पनिक केश मिस बेनारे पर भ्रूण हत्या के आरोप से शुरू होता है लेकिन जैसे जैसे आगे बढ़ता है कई परतें खुलने लगती है जो मिस बेनारे के चरित्र, चाल-चलन से लेकर, प्रोफेसर दामले से नाजायज सम्बन्ध तक खिंच लाती है। प्रोफेसर दामले ही वह पात्र है जो अनुपस्थित होता है।
इस मॉक ट्रायल की सहायता से लेखक नें कई सारी समाजिक मुद्दों को उठाने का प्रयत्न किया है जिसे पाठक/दर्शक उन मुद्दों की गंभीरता समझ पाएँ। 45 साल बाद भी अधिकांश मुद्दे आज भी समाज में अनुभव किए जा सकते हैं, और यही कारण है की आज भी ये नाटक उतना ही प्रचलित है और ढेरों मंचन होते हैं।
December 12, 2024
Summary: In a mock trial, Leena Benare, a 34-year-old independent school teacher, was asked to play the role of an accused of infanticide. The naive, flamboyant Benare little knew it was a plan of her co-actors to insult her and discuss her private life in public, making a judgment about her character. What started as a lighthearted fun, now turned out as a torturous slut-shaming at the end.
I just wanted to hug Benare and shout at those judgmental, sadistic people to shut the hell up and let her breathe for a moment. This outstanding drama provoked such outraged from me. Society has not changed a bit, even in 2024. Vijay Tendulkar reveals the face of patriarchy through this play. Even today, independent women like Benare feel compelled to respond to societal expectations simply because they are women, and women aren’t allowed to live freely without enduring other people's nonsense.
I look forward to reading more of the author's plays in the future.
I just wanted to hug Benare and shout at those judgmental, sadistic people to shut the hell up and let her breathe for a moment. This outstanding drama provoked such outraged from me. Society has not changed a bit, even in 2024. Vijay Tendulkar reveals the face of patriarchy through this play. Even today, independent women like Benare feel compelled to respond to societal expectations simply because they are women, and women aren’t allowed to live freely without enduring other people's nonsense.
I look forward to reading more of the author's plays in the future.
September 21, 2021
Insanely gripping. Premarital affairs, extramarital affairs, unmarried motherhood and the perception of independent women in society - it has it all.
The actors are cruel, apathetic but not caricatural in their representation; in fact, it makes them even more so real. Not so subtle in shutting up its women - accurately so - at certain points, it becomes too painful to read.
MAJOR SPOILER:
Funnily enough, the sentence of punishment for our accused Ms बेणारे is exactly what she's accused of doing, exactly what she never did and the one thing that would destroy her so completely. Heaven knows I joined her in her anguish and wept as I read.
So beautifully written that the actors and the reader, both forget it's a game. And yet everyone knows it never was one.
The actors are cruel, apathetic but not caricatural in their representation; in fact, it makes them even more so real. Not so subtle in shutting up its women - accurately so - at certain points, it becomes too painful to read.
MAJOR SPOILER:
Funnily enough, the sentence of punishment for our accused Ms बेणारे is exactly what she's accused of doing, exactly what she never did and the one thing that would destroy her so completely. Heaven knows I joined her in her anguish and wept as I read.
So beautifully written that the actors and the reader, both forget it's a game. And yet everyone knows it never was one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2017
The book is undoubtedly an arrow that hits the heart, mind and the soul all the same time. It broadens our perception of societal conventions and its rigidity as well as fluidity and the extent of both. The play definitely can be called a precursor or a precedent for FEMINISM or if not Feminism, "Gynocentrism" and if neither of these, certainly for an age where gender equality plays a significant role in shaping the society and the world. Tendulkar surely is a farsighted man. He looked across the horizon and at the point/place he stood simultaneously while crafting this play.
June 10, 2021
Women often the victim in society because of the pre-determined gender roles ascribed to them. Vijay Tendulkar has portrayed Indian society with commendable realistic aspects. How women become so vulnerable in Indian society has been presented within a single premise. The hypocrisy of the people constituting the society and how the biased societal normative works and often goes against women is the main theme of the play. It's definitely a must-read for all the readers who want a deeper insight into the biased and rapidly shifting attitude towards women in society.
November 12, 2025
‘शांतता! कोर्ट चालू आहे’ हे विजय तेंडुलकर यांचे एक उल्लेखनीय नाटक आहे, जे समाजातील स्त्री-पुरुषांमधील असमानता आणि ढोंगी नैतिकतेवर तीक्ष्ण प्रहार करते. नाटकात एक बनावट कोर्टाचा खेळ दाखवून लेखकाने वास्तव जीवनातील अन्याय आणि सामाजिक दुहेरी मापदंड प्रभावीपणे मांडले आहेत.
मुख्य पात्र लीला बेनरे हिच्या माध्यमातून स्त्रीच्या अस्तित्वाचा संघर्ष, तिच्या भावनांची उपेक्षा आणि समाजाकडून मिळणारी शिक्षा ही सजीवपणे उलगडली आहे. संवाद धारदार आहेत आणि प्रेक्षकांना विचार करायला लावतात.
एकूणच, हे नाटक समाजाचे आरसे दाखवणारे, मनाला भिडणारे आणि आजही तितकेच प्रासंगिक वाटणारे आहे.
मुख्य पात्र लीला बेनरे हिच्या माध्यमातून स्त्रीच्या अस्तित्वाचा संघर्ष, तिच्या भावनांची उपेक्षा आणि समाजाकडून मिळणारी शिक्षा ही सजीवपणे उलगडली आहे. संवाद धारदार आहेत आणि प्रेक्षकांना विचार करायला लावतात.
एकूणच, हे नाटक समाजाचे आरसे दाखवणारे, मनाला भिडणारे आणि आजही तितकेच प्रासंगिक वाटणारे आहे.
June 15, 2024
I read this a while back for school but I will add anything and everything to my Goodreads out of the desperation to meet my reading goal. Silence! was a very interesting read, the characters were sharp and boldly written and the rapid retraction of the events of the play at the end was a great twist. I liked how it showed the harshness of the common man. 3.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2019
I read this for my dramatics paper but was genuinely intrigued by the Mouse-trap concept. For most part of the play though, the emotion i felt could only be described as RAGE. I was furious at the way the powerful men and those complicit to them cornered the woman and passed an unwarranted judgement on her character. The play touches upon various aspects such as hierarchy, privileges, if Independence truly was for everyone, the age old mindset and how those who are complicit are also as guilty as the perpetrators. The sad part though is that many aspects of the play are still very relevant to our current society.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2023
The book is fun and amazing the writing style will surely hook the readers till the end. It contains a deep message in the form of comedy. The satire is on point do read if you like books with good writing style and deep message❤❤
July 22, 2017
Not much interesting.
June 5, 2019
Dark, truth and...... (read it yourself).
Want to read
August 12, 2020I
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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