From Dilemma to Insanity: Representation of Colonial Horror in Gurcharan Das’ Larins Sahib

Sanghamitra Ghatak, Assistant Professor, Department of English and Literary Studies, Brainware University, Kolkata, West Bengal

The impressions and impact that India faced as a community can hardly be compensated with. The return of such memories of the past generates colonial horror within the people even today. This might be one of the reasons behind the popularity of period pieces even today. Gurcharan Das draws us back to this time through his play Larins Sahib. The narrative entices us to revisit the power dynamics of the time and the psychological effects it had upon the common folk. But most importantly, it addresses the issue of a White man who is apparent in his motives but gets dragged to insanity, overwhelmed by his position of power. In this plot of cruel and clear consciousness, the historical episodes of Punjab get entangled. Gurcharan Das provides a different perspective towards colonial times, breaking the distinction between power and ‘othering’.