Historical Note: To understand this play, set in mid-19th century Bengal, we need to take note of two historical facts which were prominent in Bengal at that time.
Widow remarriage: The Hindu Widow’s Remarriage Act was passed in 1856. Before that time Hindu widows could not legally remarry. Forward thinking people encouraged widow remarriage, though it was still not accepted by the general public.
The birth of the Bengali novel: The father of the Bengali novel, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhayay, wrote his first book, Durgeshnandini, in 1865. This novel, in particular, full of romance and high adventure, has a pernicious influence on Hemangini, the female protagonist of the play. In fact, she wishes to be like Ayesha, a character from the novel.
