PERFORMING MASCULINITY: GENDER, BODY AND RESISTANCE IN MAHESH DATTANI'S DANCE LIKE A MAN

Abstract

Mahesh Dattani’s Dance Like a Man is one of the most important contemporary Indian plays that explores the dark reality of socially constructed ideas of masculinity and patriarchy. This paper explores the play through the interconnected dimensions of text, body, space, and spectator. Dialogues between Jairaj, Ratna, and Amritlal reveal the conflict of gender identity and artistic freedom. Jairaj’s male dancing body becomes the center of conflict and shows the way he resists and goes against the traditional patriarchal setup and social expectations. It also explores the relationship between performance and patriarchal authority. By placing Bharatanatyam within a modern family conflict, Dattani invites the spectator to question conventional ideas of gender roles and changing meanings of Indian performance traditions. The paper argues that Dattani uses performance to question gender stereotypes and presents Indian theatre as a Centre for social change.