Scrutiny of Mahesh Dattani’s ‘Dance’ in “Dance Like a Man” from Judith Butler’s Perspective

Abstract

Dattani’s plays deal with gender identity and gender discrimination. Society has imposed gender stereotypes on both men and women and when one does not accept or follow the roles decided for them there are ‘outcasts’ in the patriarchal world. In the play ‘Dance like a Man’, Jairaj and Ratna both with a common passion for dance are victims of Amritlal the patriarch of the family. Even after Amritlal’s demise Jairaj, his son cannot get rid of the expectations of his father which eventually leads him into depression and alcoholism. In contrast, Ratna at every stage cooperates with Amritlal for her benefit and pursues her passions till the end. Hegemonic masculinity norms can be traced to society’s pressure on women to be groomed and look desirable. This is the opposite of what’s seen in most animals where male species work on their looks to attract females. Ideas of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity have directly resulted in the oppression of every gender for several centuries. Dattani’s Jairaj and Ratna have both suffered from patriarchy, subjugation, the quest for identity and the male gaze. The journey of both characters through all this has one the winner and the other the loser. One character fulfils its desires and wishes while the other merely participates under societal norms. This research paper attempts to analyze Mahesh Dattani’s ‘Dance like a Man ‘ from Judith Butler’s perspective of identity politics and gender performity.