The Centre for Folk Culture Studies and the Centre for Women’s Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad, jointly organized a one-woman play at the Centre for Folk Culture Studies on February 12, 2026. The performance, titled Santhimmi’s Pakshi Purana, was presented by Dr. Du Saraswathi, a prominent Kannada writer, translator, theatre practitioner, and researcher from Bengaluru, Karnataka.

The event was coordinated by Ms. Pushpa, Research Scholar at the Centre for Women’s Studies. Ms. Lekshmi, Research Scholar at the Centre for Women’s Studies, welcomed all participants, and Ms. Kamala, also a Research Scholar at the Centre for Women’s Studies, introduced the performer and set the context for the play.

Dr. Saraswathi has made numerous significant contributions to Kannada literature, foregrounding the lives of women, Dalits, and issues related to health, arts, and food culture. Her acclaimed one-woman performance series, Santhimmi’s Purana, reimagines dominant narratives from a Dalit woman’s perspective and comprises six plays engaging with themes such as the Ramayana, beauty, love, the life of the Buddha, electoral politics, and toxic masculinities.

The play Santhimmi’s Pakshi Purana takes the audience through the life-world of Santhimmi, a woman from rural Karnataka. It confronts toxic masculinities by drawing inspiration from positive masculinities observed in various birds, asking whether masculinities can be reimagined around collaboration and nurturing rather than domination. Written in the aftermath of the horrific rape of a young girl inside a temple in Kashmir, the work reflects on how patriarchy not only harms women but also erodes the humanity within men.

The performance was followed by an open-house discussion moderated by Dr. A. Suneetha, feminist researcher and activist. A lively exchange unfolded around themes such as masculinities, patriarchy, and the complexities of performing theatre as a Dalit woman.

The event concluded with a token of appreciation presented to the artist, Dr. Du Saraswathi, and to the moderator, Dr. A. Suneetha, by Prof. Deepa Sreenivas, Head, Centre for Women’s Studies. Prof. Jolly Puthussery, Head, Centre for Folk Culture Studies, presented a memento to the performer and also delivered the vote of thanks.

 

Report by Abhiruchi Chatterjee, Research Scholar, Centre for Women’s Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad