Identity and Oppression in Mahesh Dattani's Plays: A Study of Final Solutions, Tara, and Dance Like a Man

Mahesh Dattani is a pioneering voice in Indian English drama who brings marginalized experiences to the centre of theatrical discourse. His plays interrogate the construction of identity within rigid social systems shaped by communalism, patriarchy, and cultural tradition. This paper examines Final Solutions, Tara, and Dance Like a Man through a common thematic lens of identity formation and systemic oppression. While Final Solutions explores communal prejudice and inherited hatred, Tara exposes gender discrimination and ethical violence within the family, and Dance Like a Man interrogates masculinity and artistic freedom under patriarchal norms. Collectively, these plays reveal how society suppresses individual identity through ideology, tradition, and power structures. The study argues that Dattani’s theatre functions as a moral critique of Indian middle-class society, compelling audiences to confront uncomfortable social truths.