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January to March 2024 Article ID: NSS8573 Impact Factor:7.60 Cite Score:57108 Download: 337 DOI: https://doi.org/ View PDf
The Plight of Women in Mahesh Dattani’s Play Where There’s a Will
Dr. Chhagan Lal
Assistant Professor, SGN Girls PG College, Sriganganagar (Raj.)Dr. O.P. Tiwari
Professor and Head (English) Dr. B.R.A. Govt. College, Sriganganagar (Raj.)
Abstract:
The current scenario of Indian English
Theatre has completely changed thanks to the innovative ideas, artistic insight
and futuristic vision of the playwrights like Mahesh Dattani. He beautifully
blends the traditional urban Indian issues with post-modernist ones. Where
There’s a Will is a tragicomedy manifesting some characteristic traits of
Dattani. The play has a Gujarati setting, which is a trademark of Dattani. The
playwright shows a woman as a subaltern in her own home.
Dattani is an expert
in finding reality by presenting us glances of the past. His mining of the past
shows us the truth hiding at the unfathomable pit of the past. He does not want
to mine the past for myth as Girish Karnad does. Dattani has a view that realization
of errors done in history helps us to be better in the present. This touch of
history makes his plays lively and audience never feel bored.
Humanity has
progressed in every sphere and education has touched the new horizon, but
conditions of women have not changed for centuries. It is said that by giving
education and job, we can change the current situation of women. But Dattani
shows us that only imparting knowledge and providing employment is not enough
to improve women’s conditions in Indian society.
Keywords:
Innovative, futuristic, post-modernist, subaltern, unfathomable.