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Articles: Literature | Chalam’s Maidanam
- Dr. Rajeshwar Mittapalli
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Maidanam as Portrait of Women’s Sexual Freedom :
Maidanam, the most famous and most controversial of Chalam’s novels, dramatises his ideas on marriage, freedom and the moral issues involved in them from what now appears to be a radical feminist perspective. Although there is an unmistakable attempt on Chalam’s part to reduce his characters, especially the heroine Rajeswari, to personified ideas, he takes care to breathe enough life into them so that they assume distinct identities of their own.
Maidanam is first and foremost the story of Rajeswari, a young, frustrated housewife. She narrates her story in the first person although it is not clear whom she addresses. It all starts with her thorough disillusionment with her tradition-bound, unfeeling, emotionally sterile lawyer-husband who is given to treating her as a piece of property, as one who fulfils his sexual and social needs.
Her deliverance comes in the form of Ameer, a client of her husband. Their very first meeting is an emotionally charged and sexually exciting experience. His looks pierce her clothes and caress her all over her body. This is a new experience for her. She has never known anything so exhilarating like that before. When finally Ameer embraces her, in the absence of her husband of course, she reacts with a cry of joy and after he is gone she kisses herself in the mirror and feels that Ameer has endowed divinity on her. This realisation marks the death of her old self. She plunges headlong into a life of passion and bliss with Ameer.
Soon enough Ameer, asks her to “come away” with him. It is interesting to note here that apart from his passion and physical attraction for Rajeswari no other reason is cited by Chalam for Ameer’s taking such a drastic step. Equally puzzling is the complete blocking out of all details of his background. But be that as it may, they decide to go away to “maidanam,” a wide open plain where they will not be disturbed by society and its various self-appointed representatives.
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