Mahesh Dattani (born 1958) is a leading figure in modern Indian English theatre. He is a playwright and filmmaker. Through his plays, he proved that English can be used meaningfully and powerfully for Indian theatre.
Dattani has written many influential plays. His major published works include Final Solutions and Other Plays, Collected Plays (two volumes), and Me and My Plays, which also contains his personal reflections on theatre. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award, one of India’s highest literary honours, for Final Solutions.
His plays are regularly performed across major Indian cities and in international cities such as London, New York, Sydney, and Dubai. Many of his works have been translated into Indian languages such as Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Odia, Assamese, Nepali, etc. His plays are also taught in several Indian and foreign universities.
Apart from theatre, Dattani has also made films. His film Mango Soufflé (2002) was shown at international film festivals and won an award in Barcelona. Another film, Morning Raga (2004), received global recognition, and its script is preserved by the Academy of Motion Pictures in the USA.
Some of his popular plays include Where Did I Leave My Purdah, Gauhar, Snapshots of a Fervid Sunrise, Untouchable, and Dance Like a Man. Mahesh Dattani currently lives in Mumbai and continues to contribute actively to Indian theatre and cinema.
WORKS CITED
Dattani, Mahesh. Final Solutions and Other Plays. Manas, 1994.
https://southasia.wisc.edu/mahesh-dattani/
Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan is a teacher, bilingual writer and artist with over two decades of experience in teaching English language and literature. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of English at NSS College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Her blog, ashlit.in brings together academic resources, creative writing in Malayalam and English, and visual art. The platform features lecture notes, study materials, poems, reflections, short prose, and a curated collection of her paintings. Through this space, she seeks to foster learning, creativity, and meaningful engagement with literature and the arts.
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