Hangwoman

Hangwoman is the English translation of one of the famous contemporary Malayalam novels namely Arachar, written by K. R. Meera. The English translation was done by J. Devika and released by Arundathy Roy. The book has won numerous accolades: The Kendra Sahitya Academy Award, The Odakkuzhal Award, The Vayalar Award etc – The central theme of Hangwoman is feminism. The story depicts the life of the Grudha Mullick family; Mr Mullick possessed the job of public executioner, as a legacy for over hundred years. Chetana, the protagonist of the novel is a unique and exemplary character in the south Indian literature .She is a strong build and tenacious 22-year-old woman. Her father, Phanibhushan hung more than 450 convicts to death, during his tenure of Public Executioner. The novel begins with the rejection of the mercy petition sent by Jatindernath Banerjee to stay his death sentence. Phanibhushan Grudha Mullick, the 88-year-old hangman who has already sent 450 people to death is the one who will be Jatindernath Banerjee’s executioner. However, he demands that his daughter, the 22-year-old Chetana be given a government job if he has to carry out the execution. There it would have stayed. But Sanjeev Kumar Mitra, anchor of CNC channel takes it upon himself as a media stunt to advocate the cause of Chetana as Phanibhushan Grudha Mullick’s successor. Later Chetana is forced to inherit the role of the “Hangwoman”, in the absence of a male member of the family to continue the legacy. Thus, Chetana is appointed as the first lady public executioner in the country. The novel presents many shocking events including a murder within the family Grudha Mullick- a savage crime that could result in Chetana having to hang a member of her own family. Meera’s spectacular imagination turns the story of Chetna’s life into an epic and perverse coming-of-age tale. Will the ardent young woman be able to escape the love that binds her? Will she bring herself to take a life? Will she add lustre to the illustrious name of Grddha Mullick? Or will she succumb to the dazzle of celebrity and the thrill of power over life and death? The lurid pleasures of voyeurism and the punishing ironies of violence are kept in agile balance as the drama hurtles to its inevitable climax.