‘এবং ইন্দ্রজিৎ’ : এক অর্থহীন আবর্তনের আর্তনাদ/ ‘Evam Indrajit’ : A Lament of a Meaningless Cycle

Abstract

‘Evam Indrajit’ is a significant example of absurd drama in Bengali literature, where Badal Sarkar profoundly expresses the existential crisis of modern human beings through the concept of a 'meaningless cycle'. Influenced by Western theatrical thought, particularly the absurd philosophy of Albert Camus, the play presents human life as an endless loop of repetition—where each day, each experience, and each relationship seems confined within a predetermined pattern. The characters Amal, Bimal, and Kamal symbolize this cyclical existence—they are born, grow up, receive education, take up jobs, enter into married life, and eventually move toward death. Life thus becomes a mechanical habit—an unending repetition of the same motion. Within this cycle, individual identity gradually dissolves, and a person is reduced to an anonymous existence. On the other hand, the characters of Indrajit and the Writer become aware of the meaninglessness embedded within this repetition. Through their dialogues, a deep sense of disillusionment, loss of faith, and existential anguish finds intense expression. Their persistent question— ‘Why do we exist?’ — challenges the very foundation of human life. The absence of any definitive answer only deepens their suffering. Like Sisyphus, humans are conscious of the futility of their efforts, yet remain trapped within the same repetitive cycle. This awareness does not liberate them; rather, it binds them to an endless state of fatigue and melancholy. Yet, despite this overwhelming sense of meaninglessness, the play does not culminate in absolute despair. Indrajit does not choose self-destruction; instead, he accepts life within this void and decides to continue living. Thus, while the play powerfully articulates the anguish and outcry born of a meaningless cycle, it simultaneously gestures toward a subtle yet significant hope—an affirmation of existence that persists even within absurdity.