Before we move on to the textual discussion

Brief bio-sketch of Mahesh Dattani:

MaheshDattaniisconsideredasoneofthebestIndianplaywrightsandhewriteshispiecesinEnglish.
Heisanactor,playwrightanddirector.MaheshDattaniwasbornonthe7thofAugustin1958in
Bangalore,Karnataka.HewaseducatedatBaldwinsBoysHighSchoolandthenwentontograduate
fromSt.JosephsCollege,Bangalore.Aftergraduation,heworkedforabriefperiodasacopywriterfor
anadvertisingfirm.In1986,hewrotehisfirstplay,WhereThereisaWill.

MaheshDattanisWorks
Afterhisfirstplay,MaheshDattanibegantoconcentrateonhiswritingandwrotemoredramaslike
FinalSolutions,NightQueen,DanceLikeaMan,Tara,andThirtyDays.From1995,hestarted
workingexclusivelyintheatre.
Allhisplaysaddresssocialissues,nottheveryobviousones,butthedeepseatedprejudicesand
problemsthatthesocietyisusuallyconditionedtoturnawayfrom.Hisplaysdealwithgenderidentity,
genderdiscrimination,andcommunaltensions.TheplayTaradealswithgenderdiscrimination,30
DaysinSeptembertacklestheissueofchildabuseheadon,andFinalSolutionsisaboutthe
lingeringechoesofthepartition.
Modern Indian theatre was thus not only the amalgamation of art, dance, music and dialogues but was a
means of reaching people and addressing their issues and was of course the main element in changing
the social and political ailments of independent India.

ItwasAlyquePadamseewhofirstspottedandencouragedMaheshDattanistalentandgavehimthe
confidencetoventureintoacareerintheatre.Dattaniformedhisowntheatregroup,Playpen,in1984.
HeistheonlyEnglishplaywrighttobeawardedtheSahityaAcademyAward.Hegotthisawardin
1998.HealsowritesplaysforBBCRadioandhewasalsooneofthe21playwrightschosenbyBBCto
writeplaystocommemorateChaucers600thanniversaryin2000.

ACATALOGUEOFTHEMESCOVEREDBYDATTANISPLAYS:

Genderandsexuality[transgendercommunity,genderviolence]

Socialcrimes

Intricaciesofsocialrelationship

Bodilyperformanceperformance

TERMS:

(Radical) political drama ["Political theatre" is a term that has been used
to refer to three different things: theatre that comments on political issues, political
action or protest that has a theatrical quality to it, and any action by politicians
that is intended to make a point rather than accomplish something substantive. ]