Use of Myth in Girish Karnad’s Fire and the Rain: A Critical Appreciation

Abstract

Girish Karnad’s Fire and the Rain is the sixth successful play which is based on mythological episodes from Mahabharata. The play was originally written in Kannada as “Agni Mattu Male” translated as Fire and the Rain in English. Girish Karnad is the master of using ancient myth into his plays. He skilfully derives old myth and with necessary changes utilizes into his plays to give the contemporary spirit. In the same tradition, this play by Karnad is based on the myth of ‘Yavakri’, ‘Yajana’ and ‘Indra’ which occurs in the Mahabharata.