Page 1 of 15
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 01
January 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 697
Social Issues Raised In the Plays of Mahesh Dattani
Author name- Dr Geeta Monga
Principal, Shah Satnam ji Girls College, Sirsa
geetamonga69@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Mahesh Dattani’s plays represent twenty first century and its social
issues. The themes of his works are relevant to society, as time changes,
but society remains the same, which is universal truth. This study
provides unique insight in this changing world, presenting literary travel of
genres from West to East. His literatures show inner personality of society.
This raises his plays to universal level. His works vanish cultural
boundaries and discover excellence of works. The study not only limits
itself with the search of universality and unity, but also studies the
divergence as well. The objective of paper is to study the social issues
raised in the works of Mahesh Dattani.
KEYWORDS:
‘Where There’s Will’ , 'Dance Like a Man' , ‘Final Solution’
Page 2 of 15
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 01
January 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 698
INTRODUCTION
Mahesh Dattani is among the famous contemporary Indian English
dramatists all rolled in one, is a director, actor, writer, dancer and
teacher. He was born on August 7th 1958, in Guajarati family, settled in
Bangalore. He studied in Baldwin boy’s high school. He is a post
graduate in marketing and advertising management. His plays are
successfully staged in India as well as abroad. He has worked as copy
writer and founded a theatre grow play pen in 1984. He is a trained and
a perfect dancer of Bharathanatiyam.
He conducts workshop at his studios and teaches theatre courses Part
Lands state university, Oregon, USA. He seeks his inspiration from Vijay
Tendulkar, Girish Karnad, Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. He is
the first Indian English play wrights to be awarded the Sahitya Academic
Award. ‘Dance like a Man’ has won the award for the best picture in
English awarded by National Panorama in (1988) Sahitya Kala Parishad
had selected ‘Final Solution’ (1997). He has successfully hurled the
Indian theatre in English. His themes and the characters are chosen
from the Indian Society, but he raises them to the universal level, staged
anywhere in the world.
His significant plays include- Where There's a Will, 1988, Dance Like a
Man, 1989 , Tara, 1990, Bravely Fought the Queen, 1991, Final
Page 3 of 15
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 01
January 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 699
Solutions, 1993, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, 1998, Seven Circles
Round The Fire (Radio play for BBC) (Seven Steps around the Fire),
1998, The Murder That Never Was, 2000 ; 30 Days in September, 2001
,Brief Candle, 2009 ; Where Did Leave My Purda,2012 ; The Big Fat
City,2012
A theme of Patriarchy can be observed in Dattani’s works.
“Patriarchy” is a social system in which male or father is considered as
head of the family, having authority more than others in the family,
showing the suffering of family under the oppression of patriarchy.
Society is dominated by male, who takes decision regarding the choices
of Education, marriage, property etc, the women and children become
the victim of their decision.
‘Where there’s will’ in the play the protagonist Ajit , his wife Preeti and
his mother Sonal suffer under decision of Hasmukh , who monitors his
family through his will even after his death. Hasmukh Mehta is an
industrialist, who is an autocratic patriarch. Hasmukh wants his son to
be obedient as he was to his father. Ajit feel frustrated, when his father
refuses to give his five lakhs for modernising the factory. He thinks his
son is spendthrift. Ajit feels that he is ignored by his father. He has no
emotional bonding towards his family. Hasmukh curses on the birth of
Ajit and wishes him dead. He treats his wife like a servant and mocks at
