High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748
Cultural Conflicts and Gender Stereotyping in Mahesh Dattani’s Play Dance Like a Man.
Dr. L. Sangeetha
Head, P.G Department of English
Thiruvalluvar University
Constituent College of Art and Science
Kallakurichi 606202, Tamilnadu,( India)
Abstract:
Earlier Dramatic works didn’t get much popularity in Indian literature and somewhere it
was overshadowed by the fame of poetry and novel writings. Further twentieth century
saw a great enrichment of drama writings in Indian literary world. Drama started to appear
both in writings and theatrical forms and received wide readership and audience during
this time. Many prominent dramatist appears in 20th century and contributed
miscellaneous wonderful dramatic pieces such as Girish Karnad, Vijay Tendulkar, Utpul
Dutt, Bijan Bhattacharya, Manoj Mitra, Badal Sircar and others. Their writings replete with
multitude subjects and themes i.e. historical, social, political, cultural and many
contemporary issues. In contemporary period Mahesh Dattani, Asif Currimbhoy, Bhimsen
Sahni, Shiv k. Kumar and Cyrus Mistry got significant place in Indian drama for their
remarkable contribution. Mahesh Dattani is one of the dramatists who is known for his
striking subjects that reflects the contemporary societal, political and cultural problems of
the Indian society. Dattani plays largely focus on the urban life issues that is noteworthy
characteristic of his writings. In this Paper I have discussed the traditional, modern and
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cultural conflicts between two people of different generation, gender stereotyping and
other aspects in the play Dance Like a Man. Besides it also sheds brief light on the status of
drama in Indian literature.
Keywords: Mahesh Dattani, Gender stereotyping, cultural conflicts, women,and drama.
Indian English drama reputation in the period of Tagore and Aurobindo Ghosh was slightly
popular. They were only writers who tries their hand in the drama and obtained some
admiration. Besides many other writers such as T. P. Kailasam, Bharti Sarabhai,
Harindranath Chattopadhayay and others didn’t receive wide readership for their dramatic
works. It is said that earlier Indian literatureoccupied with other forms of literature such
novel, prose, short stories and poetry collections and people also shows their inclination
towards these genres and didn’t give much attention to the drama writings. During the
twentieth century Indian literary market saw a great insurgence in the writings of drama.
This time many popular writers produced dramatic works which were quite interesting in
terms of subjects, themes, techniques and in other literary aspects. The drama of this
period carryout the subjects which were strongly shows country’s social, political,
historical and cultural problems and other issues. Many historical works were translated
from local languages to English language and this ignite the interest of the people and
catches the attention widely towards the drama writings. The use of digital and technical
things gave drama so much audiences and readers as well. Dramatist like as Girish
Karnad,Habib Tanvir, Utpul Dutt, Badal Sircar, Dipa Mehta, Mrinalini Sarabhai, and Bharti
Sarabhai received much reputation for their remarkable literary productions in the drama
field. They were awarded and also acclaimed on many occasions by the critics and literary
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men at national level. Manjula Padmanabham is the first Indian dramatist who is awarded
the Onassis International Cultural Competition. On the other hand drama also got a strong
position in the contemporary Indian literature with the plays of Mahesh Dattani, Asif
Currimbhoy, Bhimsen Sahni, Shiv k. Kumar, Cyrus Mistry and other significant playwrights.
One of the critic comment on the drama position in the context of the present
contemporary Indian literature; “Very recent Indian English drama has shot into
prominence. Younger writers like Mahesh Dattani and Manjula Padamanandhan have
infused life into the branch of writing, (Dhawan).”It is asserts that Indian English drama
evolved gradually with the collective efforts of all the locals as well as national writers who
composed plays in their respective languages and also translated them into English which
brought wider readers for their writings. Contemporary playwrights illustrates the urban
middle class and elite society and therecurrent issues like homosexuality, marital infidelity,
complex relationships, political communalism, women problems and feministic approaches
and others which remain common part of the society. Mahesh Dattani is called a promising
voice in Indian English drama.His plays mainly revolves around social, political problems of
the country and also give some solutions for the welfare of the society. The major subjects
in his writings are homosexuality, modern urban life and its absurdities, gender
discrimination, complex marital life, women problems, cultural differences between old
and new generation etcetera. Dattani plays also received wide popularity for their
theatrical performance on stage and broadcasting on radio. Dattani is the first English
dramatist who is awarded Sahtiya Academy Award for his striking playFinal Solution. Many
Indian renowned directors directed Dattani plays such as Final Solution, Dance Like a Man,
Tara, Thirty Days in September and others. Besides he credited role of theatre to
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popularize his writings and also his own theatre company named Playpen in the following
lines:
I wouldn’t say the only one, but I would say that I have been the most
successful for various reasons: I have my own theatre company (Playpen),
and I have a theatre background. I’m not writing because I’m a writer (of
literature), I’m writing because I have theatre back-ground. (Dattani)
Dattani is not only known as a playwright but also as a director, actor, scriptwriter, dancer
and an accomplished professor ofdrama writings at the Summer Programme of Portland
State University.It is truly asserts that Indian English drama has started to grow rapidly
after the significant contributions of dramatist like Mahesh Dattani. One of the fellow critic
praise his multitude personality and theatrical abilities:
Dattani’s dramatic art is inspired by the mission to communicate profound
meaning through his plays and, therefore, he exhibits keen awareness for the
direction and stage performance of his own plays. His sensitive dramatic self
is a fine synthesis of a dancer, director, actor, playwright, audience and
commentator moving collectively towards a single direction. (Agarwal, 24)
Dance like a Manpresents the conflict between old principles and modernity. His novel
mainly deals with the issues of Indian people and this play also reveals the artificiality of
the society, social absurdities and other aspects which are characterize as suffocative for an
individual or common men. This play shows the patriarchal dogmatic ideological
imposition over an open minded, rational human being who in the end give up all his
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ambition and yield to the societal norms against his will. He speaks on the themes of the
plays which reflects his objective of the writing as well:
Thematically, I talk about areas where the individual feels exhausted. My
plays are about such people who are striving to expand 'this' space. They live
on the fringes of the society and are not looking for acceptance, but are
struggling to grab as much fringe - space for themselves as they can.(Dattani)
Here Dattani captures an old fashioned Gujarati family and the protagonist struggle to
become a good dancer. Jairam is a protagonist of the play. He wanted to be a classical
dancer but his ambition shattered by his patriarchal father. Amritlal, Jairam’s father,
symbolizes conservative narrow-minded person who considered dance as a feminine art
and not suitable for men. Here he uses different literary devices such as flashbacks and
stream of consciousness which represent characters ongoing multiple ideas and thoughts
that goes through in their mind intermittently in the play. His characters also exhibits
middle urban class people, their problems and attitude towards the world which somehow
connects the audience emotionally with the characters as well. On asking about his
illuminating characters in an interview Dattani says; “Every time audiences (critics too)
have applauded, laughed, cried or simply offered their silence in response to some moment
in the play, I am completely aware that it is my character that has done the work for me,
(Dattani).” The story deals with two dancers who met earlier on a dance stage and get
married later. The plays describes their path of becoming the dancers in which they both
remain competitive to each other. Despite of gaining much success in their arts they remain
unsatisfied. And now they try to find these things in their daughter career. The play open as
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Jairam become the father and now he wants his daughter to be a perfect classical dancer.
Here he recalls his boyhood and the challenges that he faces in his life to reach on this
position. Jairam belong to a house where dance was considered a profession of the women
not men. Amritlal is presented a freedom fighter and a conservative figureof traditional
thoughts who is regarded a reputed men in his society. For him dance art is devised
specifically for the matriarchal community and it suits them. His narrowness reflect when
he called dance art as a craft of prostitute:
The craft of a prostitute to show off her wares- what business did a man have
learned such a craft? Of what use could it be to him? No use. So no man would
want to learn such a craft. Hence anyone who learned such a craft could not
be a man. How could I argue against such logic? (Dattani)
On the other hand Jairam remain resolute to follow his ambition and this causes cultural
conflicts between a father and son. Amritlal wants Jairam to choose the profession of men
such as cricket, business and others which, according to him, are viewed reputed
profession in the society. Both father and son remain resolute with their ideology that
causes problems in their relationship. Through their depiction Dattani projects the
patriarchal society of our country where millions youth doesn’t fulfill their ambition
because of their familiar old fashioned ideology and such things should be wipe out from
the society as the writer supposes. Although Amritlal fulfils a father duty by bringing dance
toys and also build a cricket pitchfor his son but when he realize the obsession of his son
towards dancing he strongly object it; “I thought it was just a fancy of yours. I would have
made a cricket pitch for you on our lawn if you were interested in cricket. Well, most boys
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are interested in cricket, my son is interested in dance, I thought. I didn’t realize this
interest of yours would turn into an Obsession, (55).” If we go through the Indian societal
status we see that it is largely based on traditional beliefs. Many old people still believes
that dance, music, acting are not made for men. Such rigid beliefscreates obstacles for the
new generation who wants to pursue their career in this fields. Amritlal and Jairam both
represent generation gap and clash between traditional and modern society. Amritlal
doesn’t want his son to follow such dreams and somehow proved a barrier but Jairam was
determined to follow his passion against his father wish. Though he become a dancer but
he didn’t achieve the efficiency and perfection in his profession that causes sadness and
grief in his life. Amirtlal is also projected a liberal freedom fighter with the old conventional
ideas. Though he shows his valor among the old people by talking about the struggle
against the British Empire but when his son ask him to follow his dream he denies them
which causes frustration and anger in Jairam.Once he rebukes his father for his dual
behavior and reminds him moderation and open thinking which he imbibes in his youth;
“Where are your progressive ideas now? … Where is the spirit of revolution? You didn’t
fight to gain independence. You fought for power in your hands. Why you are just as
conservative and prudish as the people who were ruling over us, (Dattani).” When Amirtlal
doesn’t seek any answer and feel guilty over his behavior then he defend himself by giving
a lame response which seems absurd to Jairam, he says; “You are mistaken. Gaining
independence was part of our goal ….As you know, our priority is to eradicate certain
unwanted and ugly practices which are a shame to our society, (Dattani).” Moreover there
are various instances of clashes between father and son which shows a broken
relationship, gender stereotype and conflict between tradition principals and
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modernity.Another factor that renders identity crisis in the life of protagonist was his
competitor wife Ratna. She describes as a materialistic and self-centered woman who
doesn’t care about others feelings and ready to do anything to achieve her dream of a
classical dancer. In the play she represent as the wife of Jairam. She get married with Jairam
on a condition that he will never stop her to follow the dancing career. But when she came
into his house she finds Jairam’s patriarchal father who also stopped Ratna from dance. It
makes her outrageous and she scolds her husband for all the obstacles in her life. When
Amritlal finds himself unable to stop his son from his obsession of dance he told Ratna to
stop her husband and if she remain successful in this plan, he will allow her to follow her
dreams; “A woman in a man’s world may be considered as being progressive. But a man in
a woman’s world is pathetic… Help me to make him an adult. Help me to help him grow
up… Help me and I’ll never prevent you from dancing. I know it will take time but it must
be done, (67).” Now Ratna started to dominate Jairam and she scolds her every-time for
minor issues that turned Jairam from a liberal, bold, high-spirited man to an incompetent,
lazy, hopeless and timid drunker. She was so busy in her dancing career that she become
ignorant of her son. She always leave him in the in the protection of Ayah whose negligence
causes the death of her son. She is an ambitious women who doesn’t care about anything to
follow her career. Besides many times during rehearsal she reproaches Jairam by calling
him a careless and average performer and also accuses him the murderer of his son:
If you dance alone, your mediocrity would be exposed? Yes ask yourself your
true worth and you will get your answer. Yes, I did cut you off but then you
deserved it! So don’t come to me saying I destroyed you. I didn’t have to. You
did it all by yourself. And don’t expect me to feel sorry for you, because I’m
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too busy feeling sorry for myself and Shankar. When he is a little older, he
will feel the need for a father. Oh, you will be around all right. Where will you
go? But all he will see is your exterior. It won’t take him long to realize that
(points to his head) there’s nobody home. (82-83)
Such pathetic atmosphere of the house proved detrimental for Jairam. He was neglected by
both his father and own wife. He didn’t see respect for himself in their eyes. On a side
Amritlal cause troubles for his career while another side Ratna dominates and reproach
him all the time and somehow deviate him from his dance career by pointing out his
mistakes. She titled Jairam; “a spineless boy who couldn’t leave his father’s house for more
than forty eight hours…You stopped being a man for me the day you came back to this
house… (44).” Jairam constantly feels identity crisis in his own house because of his father
resolute behavior and lastly he moves away from the house to escape himself from the
traumatic situation. They took shelter in Ratna’s uncle house where her uncle demands
from Jairam his wife for a night. Such unbearable demands of her uncle makes Jairam angry
and deceived. When he feels cheated in her uncle house he didn’t see any hope in outside
world and not find himself adjust in the society and lastly returned to his father house and
surrendered before his old patriarchal ideology.But his decision received Ratna’s anger,
who was not familiar with her uncle disgusting behavior with Jairam, and she reprimanded
him for this coward act which will not provide any solution to their problems but
nervousness and irritation. She shows her annoyance by attacking Jairam verbally for his
foolish choice of return back to his father’s house:
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Oh, how easily you fool yourself. You think you are covered, don’t you? I’m
not going to let you off so easily. You can’t blame us for your state and get
away with it. What do want? Ask yourself. Do you want freedom? You had it
and you came back to your prison. (Dattani)
Thus all these things shows the identity crisis of the protagonist and the destruction of his
ambition because of the prevailing patriarchal, conventional societal principals. If we
looked upon the Amritlal life he had also faces these challenges in his young age. He was
also prohibited to choose freely the things that he desire to be in his life. The play depicts
the Amritlal nostalgic narration of his young life incidents where he confronts societal
dogmas. He recalls that how he went to cinema in place of temple with his wife by telling lie
to his parents, he tells Ratna:
Times haven’t changed when we were newly married, Jairam’s mother and I
were not allowed to go anywhere on our own, especially not to see the
moving pictures. But we were allowed to go to the temple. So whenever we
wanted to see the moving pictures, we would tell everyone at home that we
were going to the temple. Nobody stopped us. (59)
In conclude, the plays of Dattani always exhibits his strong observance of the inherent
societal issues and problems of the urban middle class Indian society. Here in this play
Dattani remain successful to portray the societal problems such as gender stereotyping,
patriarchal society and old conventions that causes identity crisis in the life of protagonist.
This play bring out and exposes social evilness and also presents painstakingly the issues of
gender, marriage problems, complex relationship and conflicts between traditional and
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modern society which are noteworthy. One of the English critic eulogizes Dattani plays by
saying that; “They are the plays of today, sometimes as actual as to cause controversy, but
at the same time they are the plays which embody many of the classic concern for world
drama, (Rae, 03).”
Works-cited:
Dhawan, R. K. Flowering of Indian Drama. Prestige Books, New Delhi. 2004.
Dattani, Mahesh. “Invisible Issues: An Interview with Mahesh Dattani.” Interview by Erin
B.Mahesh Dattani’s Plays Critical Perspectives, ed. Angelie Multani, Pen craft International,
New Delhi, 2007. p. 156.
Agrawal, Beena. “Dattani’s Theatrical Art and the Tradition of Indian Theatre.” The
Dramatic World of Mahesh Dattani A Critical Exploration, ed.Amarnath Prasad, Sarup Book
Publishers, New Delhi, 2009, p. 24.
Dattani, Mahesh. Me and My Plays. Penguin, New Delhi. 2014.
Dattani, Mahesh. Personal Interview. Autumn 2005.
Mc Rae, John. “A Note on the Play” in Collected Plays of Mahesh Dattani. Penguin Books,
New Delhi. 2000.
Dattani, Mahesh. Collected Plays Vol. II.Penguine books, New Delhi. 2005.
Dattani, Mahesh. “Dance Like a man.” Lights on: Indian plays English, ed. Laxmi Chandra,
orient Blackswan Ltd., Hyderabad, 2013.
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