Themes and Social Issues in Manjula Padmanabhan’s Harvest: A Critical Exploration of Power, Poverty and Human Body

This research critically examines the major themes and pressing social issues portrayed in Manjula Padmanabhan’s dystopian play Harvest, with a specific focus on power structures, poverty, and the commodification of the human body. Set in a near-future India, the play narrates the story of a poor urban family whose economic desperation leads them to enter a contract for organ donation with a wealthy foreign recipient. The study explores how the play mirrors real-world inequalities shaped by globalization, economic dependency, and technological exploitation, particularly within postcolonial societies. It analyzes how Padmanabhan critiques the capitalist commodification of the human body, where the poor are reduced to biological forecourses for the rich. Through characters like Om and Jaya, the play also reflects gendered oppression, highlighting how both men and women are differently impacted by systemic poverty and surveillance. By weaving science fiction with social realism, Harvest offers a potent critique of global hierarchies and moral decay, making it a significant text for understanding the ethical implications of modern biopolitics and neoliberal exploitation. This research, therefore, aims to uncover the layered meanings of power, poverty, and bodily autonomy, situating Harvest as a profound commentary on the human cost of survival in a deeply unequal world.