Koogai, the owl-huddled in its hollowwith the sun overhead, it flies freewhen darkness descends Bird of the night-an abuse, a bad omenattacked and shunnedby birds, by humans... Strong, but unaware ofits immense power,Koogai, the owl-foolish or wise? Set in post-Independence Tamil Nadu's era of agrarian and industrial change, Koogai reflects the nuances of an authentic contemporary myth leavened with irony and fierce humour. Empowering themselves with the image of the owl, a totem of self-respect and hope, men and women break free of old caste taboos only to find themselves entangled in the doublespeak of an egalitarian rhetoric