The story of one Tara, The reality of a million Taras

Abstract or Introduction

Wading through the tempestuous waters within which our society is drowning, is India’s first
Sahitya Akademi award winning dramatist, Mahesh Dattani. He is a humanist who uses his
multifaceted personae as a weapon in his fight against inhumanity. Dattani sees in society
what others wish to ignore. His works are a plea for humane treatment of homosexuals,
equality towards women and moreover equal rights for every small section of society
including the hijras. His plays question all kinds of discrimination, be it religious prejudice,
gender discrimination or even homosexuality. His plays not only bring up gender issues and
the space allotted to women in a patriarchal society, but also deal with gender prejudices
which affect the lives of the female child even amongst educated, urban families.

Mahesh Dattani is a name that guided the weakling Indian English Drama on the path of
reliability, steadfastness and distinct identity. He has an ability to amalgamate the traditional
beliefs with ultramodern disposition and conviction. His plays are heavily charged with socio
political, emotional, physiological and psychological issues. Many of his plays deal with
familial issues wherein the family members are trapped in social constraints and struggle to
wrestle out of societal pressures. Dattani’s plays expose the violence of our “private thoughts,
and the hypocrisy of our public morals” (Kumar,“Mahesh Dattani’s Collected Plays”). [...]