OUTCASTE – THE NOVEL

The production is based on the Malayalam novel “Brushtu” by Matampu Kunhukuttan, translated into English by Dr. Vasanthi Sankaranarayanan. It depicts the true-life story of the sexual revenge a lone woman, Paptikutty, wreaks on a whole community which is rigid, oppressive and anti-women.

The setting of the tale is Kerala, South India and the community in question is the orthodox upper caste Namboodiri Brahmins.

While the men in this community enjoyed a superior status in society, for the women it was a life of oppression and injustice. Referred to as ‘asooryampasyakal’ which means ‘unseen by the sun’s rays’, they were confined to the four walls of the inner quarters from the time they came of age. The only place they were permitted to visit was the local temple and even then, they had to completely cover themselves with a shawl, carry an umbrella and be accompanied by a servant girl. In effect, they left their homes in freedom only as corpses.

There was another custom which worsened their plight. This was the practice whereby only the eldest brother in the household was allowed to marry a Namboodiri woman. The younger brothers were forced to enter into liaisons with women of other castes such as the Nairs. Thus the ratio of marriageable women to men was very high and so it was the norm for the eldest Namboodiri to have three to four wives.

In this kind of scenario there was yet another restriction on the women. Looking, speaking and entering into a sexual association with men of any caste was considered a sin and any woman caught doing so was dealt with very severely. There existed at that time in Kerala a system of trial in which the accused was made to face a jury of investigators and, if convicted, faced total excommunication from the entire community. This trial was conducted according to the Vedic customs prescribed in the Smritis and was therefore known as the "Smartha Vichara". The King representing the secular power and the Namboodiri Brahmin priests from special families representing the religious power constituted the committee of jurors. One of the canonical investigators in this trial was the author Matampu Kunhukuttan’s grandfather.

Not only was the outcaste rejected completely by society but so too were the descendants of the woman. Sexual adventures usually ended in the pregnant woman’s trial; the men went scot-free. It is into this Namboodiri community that Paptikutty was born.
On the night of her wedding, she is raped by her brother-in-law while her husband stands guard at the door. She is only 14 at the time. She then decides to take revenge on the entire community by seducing 64 prominent upper caste men and maintaining proofs of these sexual liaisons.

When she is called to trial she argues her case and proves that if she is to face excommunication, so too should the 64 men who have slept with her. For the first time in Kerala 64 eminent men were outcasted resulting in the break up of numerous families. There was total chaos.

This year marks the 101st year since Paptikutty’s trial which was a landmark in the history of Kerala as it led to many social reforms.