Gendered Social Fabric and Identity Crisis in Mahesh Dattani's Tara

Abstract

The history of Indian English Drama demonstrates the presence of individual talents and sporadic theatrical activity. The roots of the theatre in Indian Society are certainly very old and deep. Although plays about women have existed since the origin of drama yet feminist drama emerged as a theatrical genre in the sixties bringing the burning issues of gender discrimination as well as the tortures inflicted on the female. Tara is the tragedy of a feisty girl who falls a prey to the gender disparity prevalent in the Indian society and thereafter proves her mettle in the world of male supremacy. Tara is an ideal character of Mahesh Dattani which has been widely applauded by the audience and the readers alike. Dattani has tried to depict the feminine side which always has to come to terms with the society that favours only male viewpoint in a male-dominated world. The playwright is concerned not only with the issue of gender discrimination in Indian society but also with the contribution of the female to the injustice towards women. Throughout the play, Dattani shows his audience the difference between sex and gender indicating that women don't have their own status and identity in the society. The play effectively belies all the propagandas of equality between male and female.