Gender Discrimination in 'Tara'

                         Name: Joshi Toral

Paper: E-c-202: Indian Writing in English-Post Independence

Topic: Gender Discrimination in ‘Tara’

SEM: 1, part 2.

Year: 2011-2012

Submitted to,

Dr.Dilip Barad,

Bhavnagar University,

Bhavnagar.

·      Introduction:

                  Mahesh Dattani frequently takes as his subject the complicated dynamics of the modern urban family. His characters struggle for some kind of freedom and happiness under the weight of tradition. Cultural constructions of gender, and repressed desire. Their dramas are played out on multi level seats where interior and exterior become one, and geographical locations are collapsed in short, his settings are as fragmented as the families who inhabit them.

                 In his plays, Dattani takes on what he calls the “invisible issues” of Indian society. In an interview, Dattani says, you can talk about feminism, because I a way that is accepted. But you can’t talk about gay issues because that is not Indian, doesn’t happen here. You can’ talk about a middle class housewife fantasizing about having sex with the cook or actually having sex life - that isn’t Indian either that is confrontational even if it is Indian.

·      Gender discrimination in ‘Tara’:

                 By pulling taboo subjects out from under the rug and placing them on stage for public discussion, Dattani challenges the constructions of “Indian” and “Indian” as they have traditionally been defined in modern theatre.

         Alyque Padamsee, calls

                  “Mahesh Dattani, as one of the most serious contemporary play wrights. At last we have a play Wright who gives sixty million English” ashes Dattani has presented the bizarre reality of the woman playing second fiddle to man. This play opens with Chandan changed into Dan in order to absolve himself from the guilt of killing his sister. He has to bear the brunt of his grandfather`s and mother`s cruelty .He considers himself responsible for his sister`s death. In this play Dattani plays with the idea of female infanticide that is prevalent among the Gujarat’s and also suggests Patel`s hegemonic patriarchy when he insists that proper division in the gender roles be made Tara gives us a glimpse into the modern society which claims to be liberal and advanced in its thought and action. In a society which claims that its mothers are educated today and have `Devis ` like Durga, Kali, Saraswati , Lakshmi etc whom not only women but men also pay obeisance , differentiate between a male child and a female child. All the propagandas of equality between male and female, equal opportunities to women in all the fields are belied. Dittany’s deep preoccupation with gender issues leads to the emergence of the idea of the twin side to one`s self –quite literally embodied in one body and the separation that follows Mahesh Dattani mentioned in one of his interviews with Lakshmi Subramanian:

``I see Tara as a play about the male self and female self. The male self is being preferred in all cultures .The play is about the separation of send the resultant angst``

This is why the play generates a death like response from Tara when she learns the truth, she was discriminated against, because of her gender, but not by her father- it was Bharart`s decision that deprived her of what she wanted more than anything else in the world- a second leg.Bharati`s father further strengthened his indulgence for male grandchild by leaving his property after his demise to Chandan and not a single penny to Tara.

Chandan and Tara`s maternal grandfather was a wealthy man. He was in politics and came very close to becoming the Chief Minister. His will is a testament of the kind of treatment that is meted out to girls in Indian society.Mr. Patel and Chandan are talking,

``PATEL. He [grandfather] left you a lot of money.

CHANDAN. And Tara?

PATEL. Nothing

CHANDAN. Why?

PATEL It was his money. He could do what he wanted with it.

It is noteworthy that discrimination against Tara continues even after her death. Chandan, who was always interested in writing, and who has come to England for higher studies, has transferred into Dan .He turns the story he writes into his own tragedy. Dan apologizes to Tara for doing this ``Forgive me, Tara .Forgive me for making it my tragedy. ``

·      Conclusion:

                 Mahesh Dattani let her characters evolved somewhat different. Mahesh Dattani’s play are different from others in language, subject matter and he also deal with social problem.

                  Mahesh Dattani’s plats are

 “Man to be performed not read”.