Social Realism in the Plays of Mahesh Dattani

The book is basically analytical in nature. It aims at Mahesh Dattani’s predominant and unusual themes, innovative techniques and his magic like theatricality to be brought to the doorsteps of literature loves and theatre goers. Ultimately, it may be a substantial contribution to the field of Indian drama. Mahesh Dattani’s plays have deep moral undertones. He treats his characters with understanding and sympathy whether they are good or bad, right or wrong. He never pronounces any rewards or punishments, thereby allowing the natural law of justice to prevail. His plays are meant to be performed, not just to be read as literature. It is important to note that Dattani does experiments with all his plays in his theatre ‘Playpen’ before being performed outside. The sad part is that Indian drama in English is yet to gain a sizeable audience in India. No wonder Dattani’s plays address the middle-class. The reason is that language barrier prevents the lower classes from coming to the Indian English theatre. But with the spread of education and the circumstances that makes learning English a prerequisite for a good career one may just hope that things may not remain the same for long.