Form And Meaning In Mahesh Dattani'S Plays

Modern Indian theatre came into being with the establishment of Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of music and dance drama and the National school of drama in the 1950s and ’60s. The best known four playwrights—mohan br>Rakesh, Girish Karnad, Badal Sircar and Vijay tendulkar—dominated the Indian theatre for quite a long time. Mahesh dattani appeared on the horizon in the 1980s and revolutionised both Indian English play and theatre. He shot into fame with the winning of Sahitya Akademi Award for final solutions and other plays in 1998. His subsequent plays which appeared in collected plays in two volumes were equally well received by the readers. Mahesh dattani’s plays are set in contemporary society. He has examined issues of gender inequality, social exclusion, fundamentalism and the impact of dreaded disease HIV/aids on people mind. What distinguishes him from other playwrights is his courage of conviction in depicting the innovative themes like portrayal of sex preferences by men and women which were until recently considered to be a taboo in Indian society. His realistic portrayal of human nature evokes both sympathy and empathy in the minds of readers. The book analyses with insight and precision various themes in dattani’s plays. As drama is a performing art, it also highlights his techniques of stage production. It will be useful to students, teachers and researchers in Indian English plays and those concerned with stage craft.