Social norms often sustain exploitative practices, one of the most disturbing being human trafficking. Few tragedies rival its brutality, perhaps only war, as trafficking strips people not only of their freedom but also of their dignity and identity.
Kudessan, a Punjabi play by acclaimed playwright Jatinder Brar, remains one of the most raw and critical portrayals of this human tragedy.
Staged nearly 300 times across the world during Brar’s lifetime, Kudessan, written in 1992, was a reflection of its times, exposing how the buying of brides had become normalised in certain communities. At its core, the play confronts audiences with a simple but powerful truth: a woman is not a commodity to be bought and sold. It also questions society’s silence when a kudessan—a woman brought from another region—is reduced to a victim in the name of cultural and social norms.
The play was staged at the ongoing five-day National Theatre Festival, curated by theatre director Kewal Dhaliwal, Manch Rangmanch and Virsa Vihar.
Directed by Dhaliwal, the production follows the story of a young woman who is sold by her parents and bought as a bride for a Punjabi man. Throughout the story, her identity is stripped away, reducing her to little more than a commodity purchased to bear children and continue a family lineage.
The production featured artistes from several states who trained under Dhaliwal during a month-long summer theatre workshop, culminating in the festival. Technically polished and emotionally compelling, the performance balanced artistic excellence with sharp social commentary.
“Kudessan was written at a time when newspapers frequently carried stories of young women from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and eastern India being bought as brides by families in Punjab and Haryana. This practice was largely accepted as a social compulsion born out of patriarchy and female foeticide, which had created a severe gender imbalance. Times may have changed, but many women continue to live with the burden and stigma of being labelled a kudessan,” said Dhaliwal.
The festival itself is being helmed by alumni of the National School of Drama, with Dhaliwal joined by Partha Banerjee, Pritpal Rupana and Gulzar Kabir Khan, who have mentored the workshop participants while bringing timeless theatre classics to Punjabi audiences.
The festival opened with Oedipus, directed by Partha Banerjee and based on the celebrated tragedy by ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. Considered as one of the most famous tragedies in world literature, a story about fate, truth and the limits of human control over destiny. Drawing upon Greek mythology, Oedipus tells the story of a man struggling to escape a prophecy, only to fulfil it unknowingly.
Another festival highlight was Bhisham Sahni’s Muawze, a poignant work centred on the aftermath of communal violence during Partition. The play questions whether any monetary compensation (muawza) can truly make up for the loss of loved ones, homes, dignity and humanity, exposing the irony embedded in the very idea of compensation.
Dr Swarajbir’sTu Bulleh Wangu Bol offered another powerful contemporary intervention. While not a classic in the conventional sense, the play challenges religious orthodoxy and gives voice to the marginalised, exploring how caste, religion and power continue to be used as instruments of oppression.
The five-day festival also serves as a tribute to the late Jatinder Brar, playwright and founder of Punjab Naatshala, one of Punjab’s most significant modern spaces dedicated to Punjabi theatre. Brar passed away last year after a prolonged illness, marking the end of a remarkable legacy.
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