Girls for Sale: A Play from Colonial IndiaFirst staged in 1892, the South Indian play Girls for Sale (Kanyasulkam) is considered the greatest modern work of Telugu literature and the first major drama written in an Indian language that critiqued British colonialism's effects on Indian society. Filled with humor, biting social commentary, parody, and masquerade, the plot revolves around a clever courtesan, a young widow, and a very old man who wants to buy as his wife a very young girl. Velcheru Narayana Rao has prepared the first idiomatic English translation, with notes and a critical essay. Itself a masterpiece of Indian literature in translation, this edition makes Apparao's work available to new audiences. |
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Common terms and phrases
Agni AGNI-HOTRA AVADHANLU Andhra anti-nautch Apparao Asiri Avad Avadhanlu's house BAIRAGI bastard BHUKTA Brahmin bride Brother BUCC'AMMA cards caste chant colonial court courtesan culture daughter Day-Meal-Woman DISCIPLE door English education Enter father GIRISAM Girisam-garu girl give gold Gunturu Gurajada Gurajada Apparao guru hanlu Havaldar HEAD CONSTABLE India kantě Kanyā-śulkam Kanyasulkam KARATAKA-SASTRI kill kiss KONDI-BHOTLU laughing leave listen live look LUBDHA AVADHANLU MADHURA-VANI maharaja MANAVALLAYYA marriage marry a widow MINAKSHI mother nautch-girl Niyogi Pantulu Pantulu-garu person play pleasure-woman poems poet POLI-SETTI PRIEST GAVARAYYA Rajahmundry Rama-chandra-puram Rāmānuja RAMAP-PANTULU ritual rupees Sanskrit SAUJANYA RAO SCENE servant SHOPKEEPER SIDDHANTI sister Śiva slut social reform song STRANGER Tagore talk tell Telugu there's things Vaidikis Veda Velcheru Narayana Rao VENK'AMMA VENKATESAM verse VILLAGE HEAD Viresalingam Vizianagaram wedding What's wife woman women words young