Final Solutions
Prof.S.Jayaraman
Final Solutions
Mahesh Dattani, the author of the play ‘Final Solutions’, is the first Indian play Wright writing in English to win the prestigious Sahitya Academy Award for his book ‘Final Solutions and Other Plays’, in 1998. One of the producers of his plays, Alyque Padamsee called him as one of the “most serious contemporary playwrights.” Mahesh Dattani is a multifaceted personality. He is a director, actor, dancer, teacher and writer. An avid teacher of contemporary theatre, he conducts Summer-Sessions Programme of Portland University, Oregon, U.S.A., and also workshops, both at his studies in Bangalore and elsewhere. He is also an accomplished screen- play writer, film director and radio-play writer.
The play ‘Final Solutions’ is on the Hindu-Muslim communal hatred. In fact, Dattani has not provided any final solutions on the burning issue. Instead, he allows his readers or audience to think over it and arrive at a final solution to resolve the issue permanently.
The stagecraft also plays its part in carrying the message powerfully to the audience. The stage has a ramp on which five persons are seated. They have two different masks, one Hindu, another Muslim. They are the Chorus, the violent mob, in the play. As per the requirement of the situation on the stage, they act as violent Hindu mob or Muslim mob. They really represent the problem of religious fanaticism and communal violence that has tormented the Hindu-Muslim relationship in the country.
The protagonist of the play is Daksha. The entire play is presented through her eyes. The play opens with her reading her diary. She is presented both as a young bride forty years ago and Hardika, a grandmother now. The entries in her diary introduce the incidents that happened at the time of India’s independence. She started writing her diary on March 31, 1948. In that diary are found entries describing the incidents of communal violence and consequent communal hatred between the Hindus and
Final Solutions
Mahesh Dattani, the author of the play ‘Final Solutions’, is the first Indian play Wright writing in English to win the prestigious Sahitya Academy Award for his book ‘Final Solutions and Other Plays’, in 1998. One of the producers of his plays, Alyque Padamsee called him as one of the “most serious contemporary playwrights.” Mahesh Dattani is a multifaceted personality. He is a director, actor, dancer, teacher and writer. An avid teacher of contemporary theatre, he conducts Summer-Sessions Programme of Portland University, Oregon, U.S.A., and also workshops, both at his studies in Bangalore and elsewhere. He is also an accomplished screen- play writer, film director and radio-play writer.
The play ‘Final Solutions’ is on the Hindu-Muslim communal hatred. In fact, Dattani has not provided any final solutions on the burning issue. Instead, he allows his readers or audience to think over it and arrive at a final solution to resolve the issue permanently.
The stagecraft also plays its part in carrying the message powerfully to the audience. The stage has a ramp on which five persons are seated. They have two different masks, one Hindu, another Muslim. They are the Chorus, the violent mob, in the play. As per the requirement of the situation on the stage, they act as violent Hindu mob or Muslim mob. They really represent the problem of religious fanaticism and communal violence that has tormented the Hindu-Muslim relationship in the country.
The protagonist of the play is Daksha. The entire play is presented through her eyes. The play opens with her reading her diary. She is presented both as a young bride forty years ago and Hardika, a grandmother now. The entries in her diary introduce the incidents that happened at the time of India’s independence. She started writing her diary on March 31, 1948. In that diary are found entries describing the incidents of communal violence and consequent communal hatred between the Hindus and