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@article{207632,
        author = {Dr. Panchshiela Mahale},
        title = {Subverting Patriarchal Hegemony: A Nuanced Analysis of Marginalization, Agency, and Resilience in the Female Characters of Mahesh Dattani},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {3},
        pages = {1916-1920},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=207632},
        abstract = {This research paper explores the complex representation of female characters in the dramatic works of Mahesh Dattani, a pioneering voice in contemporary Indian English theater. While traditional Indian drama has frequently relegated women to idealized archetypes or passive victims within patriarchal structures, Dattani’s plays challenge these simplified narratives by presenting multi-dimensional female protagonists who navigate the intersections of gender, class, tradition, and sexuality. Focusing on key plays including Tara, Dance Like a Man, Where There’s a Will, and Bravely Fought the Queen, this study examines how Dattani uses domestic spaces as micro-political battlegrounds to expose the structural violence inherent in urban middle-class Indian families.
Utilizing a qualitative and text-based methodology grounded in feminist literary theory, structuralism, and materialist feminism, this paper analyzes the spectrum of female experiences in Dattani's universe. It traces their journeys from internalized oppression and compliance to resistance, subversion, and the reclamation of agency. The paper highlights Dattani’s unique ability to reveal how women can simultaneously be victims of patriarchal violence and gatekeepers of the very structures that oppress them. Ultimately, this research demonstrates that Dattani’s female characters are not mere dramatic devices but serve as profound sociological sites. They reflect the anxieties, contradictions, and shifting identities of women in a transitioning post-colonial India.},
        keywords = {Patriarchal Hegemony, Domestic Space, Agency, Marginalization, Subversion, etc},
        month = {August},
        }