Chitra: A Play in One Act

First published in English in 1913 by the India Society of London, Rabindranath Tagore’s Chitra is a one-act play adapted from a story from the Mahabharata. Chitra tells the tale of Chitrangada, a warrior princess, who falls in love with Arjuna and begs the Gods of Love and spring to help her win Arjuna’s heart. It is one of the three Nritya Natyas or dance-dramas created by Tagore to enact stories through dance and music. Tagore imagines Chitrangada as the ideal, exemplary woman, whose desire is to be equal with the man of her choice while still retaining her own identity. In exploring Chitrangada’s struggle to come to terms with her identity in the eyes of others as well as in her own eyes, Tagore offers a lyrical portrayal of the emotions of a woman—a portrayal that is still relevant even today.