The changing paradigms of reform: a study of three playwrights from post-independence Indian theatre (1950 – 1990)

Abstract

This thesis reappraises the works of three post-independence Indian playwrights viz., Mohan Rakesh (1925–72), Habib Tanvir (1923–2009), and Mahesh Dattani (1958–) and through their works, examines the significant transitions in the functions of Indian reformist theatre after the independence. It contextualises and studies the impact of these transitions on the playwrights to argue that their plays serve as “liminal” (Thomassen 1) avenues bridging different streams of their respective theatrical traditions. They also problematize the conceptualizations of reform and, in turn, bridge the methodological gaps between the concepts of ‘drama’ and ‘performance’ (Schechner 8) in their respective traditions of theatre.