What is the significance of soliloquies spoken by Hasmukh and how

What is the significance of soliloquies spoken by Hasmukh and how do they help in explaining the theme of the play?

Comment on the use of technique of soliloquies and asides in the play. Do they provide a deeper insight into the characters ?

Ans.

Different from Conventions

Soliloquy is a very important device in the hands of the dramatist to comment on the incidents and to highlight the characteristics or weaknesses of a particular character. In this play, Mahesh Dattani has made a very perfect use of soliloquies and all of them have been spoken by the hero Hasmukh. He speaks them when he was alive and even after his death, his ghost speaks them. They help a lot in understanding the acts and his own reactions. In fact, these soliloquies are quite different from those conventionally spoken in other plays because in them the character is quite alone. Here Hasmukh speaks them as if he is talking to the audience even in the presence of other characters. He expresses his ideas about his wife, his son and his daughter-in-law. Some of them are quite in the spirit of aside, stray comments and thus, it becomes quite easier to know the person concerned better. We find his dislike for all of them in these asides.

In the beginning we find Ajit talking to his friend about his new project and in the aside Hasmukh comments, “If I implemented any of his crack pot schemes. I won’t be around to listen to anybody.” This tells us that in the opinion of Hasmukh, his son Ajit is quite worthless and is not practical. This hatred and dislike becomes still sharper when he remarks, “If I let him have his way, we would all be paupers. Twenty three years old and he is on his way to bankruptcy.” The same hatred and dislike of Hasmukh for his daughter-in-law Preeti is clearly revealed. He is well aware of the roguish and clever nature of Preeti. “That’s my daughter-in-law, Preeti, pretty. charming, graceful and sly as a snake.” He thinks that all of them are after his money and so he repeatedly says in his asides that it is his money. He tells in his long soliloquy to the audience that just after his marriage, he thought that Sonal was gold but “I soon found out what a good for nothing she was.” Even sexually, he is not satisfied with her and so he started ‘eating out’.

Express personal reactions

In fact, the soliloquies of Hasmukh are totally his self revelation. We see him remembering his early days in his village when he used to enjoy halwa and jalebis and barfi at the shop of Lala Bhola but now all that is completely lost. He also presents the reasons why he was led to go to the company of the other woman. He feels happier with her and so he has promoted her to one of the directors of his company. This soliloquy is, in a way, a self justification. Earlier he has reflected on the folly of his son and regrets that all this is the result of his mistake that he got him married at an early age. Instead, he should have made him work hard as his own father had done with him “I remember we used to spend half the night going through our accounts and counting our profits.” This made him a hard worker and now he is one of the richest men in the city but his own son Ajit is quite the otherwise.

Reflection on Marriage

In another soliloquy. Hasmukh argues within himself on the question of marriage. He says that man marries to get a wife who will be his own and a life long companion and more important is to get a son who will carry on the family came. This is why his father had married and he was born. He has also got a wife who loves him like a dog and has given him a son but this son is wasting his money instead of making him happy. “He has made my entire life worthless! He is going to destroy me.” This feeling is so deeply suffocating that he coughs uncontrollably and at last dies.

Soliloquy by the Ghost

Mahesh Dattani has continuously made use of these asides and soliloquies through the ghost of Hasmukh even after he has died. He is happy that at least after his death, he has been honoured. There was a large crowd at his funeral and the news of his death was printed in various newspapers along with his photograph. The only thing was that Ajit could not manage it properly. He also declares that his family has done nothing to earn money, so none of them will get it. “Neither he nor my daughter-in-law will get what they were after-my wife is also in for a great shock.” This reveals that Hasmukh very well knows that all of them want nothing from him but his money. It reflects their character. This is why, in order to check them and teach them a lesson. he has prepared a special will. He is happy to see that they are very much angry and disappointed after they have known the conditions of his will. Hasmukh has told the audience that he will stay in this home and will not go from there. In the soliloquy at the end of Act I, Scene II, Hasmukh reflects on the ways of the world. He is disappointed to note that his son has put a sandalwood garland around him while he was expecting fresh flowers as he had done with his father. But then he philosophically reflects on the ways of the world. The man dies and even his children remember him for only a few days. They put his photograph on the wall which is removed and put in the box afterwards and then everybody forgets him. This had happened with his father and will happen with him also. “This is how the world will remember me. Until my son locks me up in a trunk. Then all that remains of me is (points to Ajit) that.”

Use of Asides

His frequent comments through aside on the behaviour of Ajit, Sonal, Preeti and Kiran with one another and his anger and happiness, throw ample light on the purpose of the dramatist. He sympathises with his wife, feels that he was a fool to have been cheated by Preeti and this is why, in fact, he did not die but he has been murdered-are the examples of the perfect use of asides and soliloquies in the play. When Sonal repents that she could never make him happy. Hasmukh enthusiastically says in aside “At last a moment of truth” and is happy that now she has become wiser. He expresses his anger against Kiran also that “I must have been mad to employ a woman like you!” At last the determination of Hasmukh to stay there and trying to find a place for himself is very powerfully expressed in an aside, “I don’t want to go! Take that buffalo away! I am going to stay here !”, and he enters the womb of Preeti.

Thus the soliloquies and asides perform their function quite honestly and perfectly.