Based on a tale from Vetalapanchavimshika and Thoman Mann's 'Transposed Heads', Hayavadana is the tale of a man with the head of a horse who stumbles into a play. He is asked to go to some temple to find a solution to his problem.
The story is set in Dharmapura where two friends - Devadutta and Kapila live. Devadutta is fine bred, poetic and graceful while Kapila is dark, coarse and rough. Devadutta, prone to fall in love with every damsel he sees, falls for the beautiful Padmini, and marries her thanks to his friend's help. Padmini loves Devadutta but cannot help but be attracted to Kapila's coarse manner and strong body. On a trip out of town, Devadutta finds that the pregnant Padmini, is attracted to Kapila and decides to get out of the way by cutting off his own head at the Kali temple. When Kapila finds Devadutta dead he cuts off his own head. Padmini appeases Goddess Kali to get their lives back and in her confusion, attaches the wrong head to the wrong body. It turns out that the head of Devadutta and the body of Kapila claims Padmini, while the body of Devadutta and head of Kapila, loses out. Kapila leaves. After many years, Padmini sets out to find Kapila who has once again become a strong man. Devadutta joins them, and after the two friends realise that they cannot share their love, they kill one another. Padmini commits Sati and her son is sent to Devadutta's parents.
As one can see, it is a fantastic tale that challenges so many ideas. The body and the mind, what makes the man? Why should love be confined to one - and as the song says ' one head to each breast.
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