Significance of Time and Space in 'Final Solutions'

1. Mahesh Dattani
Mahesh Dattani was born on August 7th, 1958, in Bangalore, Karnataka.
His parents were originally from Porbandar in Gujarat. He went to to
Baldwin High School where "Snob Culture" prevailed. Proficiency in English
and a westernized lifestyle were considered to hoist one head and
shoulders above one's countrymen not similarly endowed. All
communication happened in English, and the use of vernacular was looked
at with disdain. The contempt of indigenous languages and mores foisted
on by the school, however, could not dampen Mahesh's ardour to watch
Gujarati, Marathi and Kannada plays with his parents and sisters. These
plays were to make a lasting impression on his psyche, kindling his inherent
propensity for theatrical art. Being a son of soil, he would channelize his
thespian energy to portray the variegated flavour and sensibility of Indian
life through a stage plays, radio plays (for BBC Radio 4) and screen plays
(films). (Dawande )
Personal Information
Prepared by : Avani Jani
M.A Sem: 3
Paper : 202: Indian English Literature – Post-Independence
Roll no: 3
Enrollment no: 4069206420220014
Submitted to: Department of English, MKBU

2. Significance of Time and Space in 'Final Solution'

3. Road Map
● Writer Introduction
● Short Summary of ‘Final Solution’
● Significance of Time
● Significance of space
● Conclusion

4. Mahesh Dattani was born on August 7th, 1958, in Bangalore,
Karnataka. His parents were originally from Porbandar in Gujarat.
He went to to Baldwin High School where "Snob Culture"
prevailed. Proficiency in English and a westernized lifestyle were
considered to hoist one head and shoulders above one's
countrymen not similarly endowed. All communication happened
in English, and the use of vernacular was looked at with disdain.
The contempt of indigenous languages and mores foisted on by
the school, however, could not dampen Mahesh's ardour to watch
Gujarati, Marathi and Kannada plays with his parents and sisters.
These plays were to make a lasting impression on his psyche,
kindling his inherent propensity for theatrical art. Being a son of
soil, he would channelize his thespian energy to portray the
variegated flavour and sensibility of Indian life through a stage
plays, radio plays (for BBC Radio 4) and screen plays (films).
(Dawande )
Mahesh Dattani

5. Promod K. Nayar consideres Mahesh Dattani as “Daring and
innovative” by arguing that Dattani has made Indian drama in
English a major genre of social critique today. His increasing
presence in college syllabi, research projects and now film
adaptations suggests a growing popularity. Mahesh Dattani,
perhaps India's most important playwright in English today.
Dattani blends conventional themes with some startlingly new
ones in his work. His plays combine the intimate with the social,
the personal and the public, often exploring the boundaries
between these realms. (Chaudhuri )

6. Short Summary of ‘Final Solution’
● The play opens with Daksha, a young bride in 1948, yearning for freedom to pursue her singing passion. Her
story parallels that of her Muslim friend, Zarine. In the present, in a Gujarat village, tensions rise after a Hindu
idol is destroyed, sparking unrest between Hindus and Muslims. Smita, Daksha's granddaughter, receives a
distressing call about a bomb blast from her friend Tasneem. Amid growing tension, two Muslim boys, Javed
and Bobby, seek refuge in Ramanik's home while a hostile mob surrounds it. Despite resistance, Ramanik
refuses to surrender them, and Smita recognizes the two young men.
● Smita is questioned about her connection to Javed and Bobby. She reveals that Javed is Tasneem's brother,
and Bobby is her fiancé. When tensions rise outside, Smita brings them into her home. Amid a heated
exchange, Javed expresses his feelings of being a minority. Ramanik, the host, tries to bridge understanding
by offering them milk. However, Smita discloses that Javed had ties to a terrorist organization and was
disowned by his family, causing a rift. Smita's revelation leads to shock and her sudden departure from the
scene.
● Ramanik provokes Javed about his involvement in terrorism, leading to a heated exchange and a slap. Bobby
steps in to calm the situation and reveals a past incident of inter-community violence involving Javed.
Ramanik threatens to call the police, but Javed shares a chilling confession about an attempted murder in the
name of Jihad. Ramanik is moved and calls Javed brave. Smita apologizes for revealing his secret. Aruna and
Smita argue about their differing religious beliefs. Later, Smita, Bobby, and Javed playfully share memories
and splash water on each other. Meanwhile, Daksha recalls a violent incident from her past and wishes
hardship upon Javed's sister, prompting Ramanik to defend them. Bobby symbolically promotes harmony.
The play concludes with no definitive solutions to the age-old communal issues that persist in society.

7. Mahesh Dattani devoted over a year to extensive research for the play. His research included studying
books like "Freedom at Midnight" by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, as well as consulting the
Kannada weekly magazine, "Lankesh Patrike." Furthermore, he conducted numerous interviews with
survivors of communal riots in Gujarat and Karnataka.
And as Mister Dhiren Parmar mentions, a. One of the riots that Dattani researched that particularly caught
his attention was the 1985 Rath Yatra riot in Ahmedabad. Mr. Dhiren Parmar belives that -”This would have
had become his inspiration for the riot that brings Javed and Bobby to the Gandhi family in Final
Solutions.”(Parmar )
The play gains added significance due to the political context of the Hindu Right's Ramjanmabhoomi
movement during its writing and production.
In the early nineties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) endorsed the demolition of the Babri Masjid through
religious processions called Rath Yatras.
The backdrop of these Rath Yatras is integral to the play, as they serve as the backdrop for the communal
riots depicted. The play highlights this connection through the portrayal of a Rath Yatra being disrupted as it
passes through a Muslim neighborhood.
"Final Solutions," written and staged in 1993, coincided with a period of heightened tension and urban
violence in India. Mahesh Dattani's play was a response to the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, and it evolved
within this specific social context. Dattani's deep social awareness compelled him to tackle the pressing
issue of religious communalism, advocating for communal harmony. The play underscores the idea that the
only solution to this problem lies in mutual acceptance and empathy toward one another.
Significance of Time

8. Time has played significant role as it indirectly represents the background of
Playwrights time as well through the character of Daksha / Hardika.
The communal violence between these groups brings back Hardika‟s
memories of partiton and her life life as a new bride in 1948. Her memories
are expressed through the character of Daksha who is shown reading from
her diary.
This situation throws light upon time.
Memory is a crucial discourse in contemporary literature. It leaps out one of
thepredominant clear cut societal, mental and psychological panorama. Meory
actually retains the Main topical items throughout various modes and models.
As Mr. Dhiren Parmar also highlights that - Through the character of
Daksha the audience is slowly able to know the two factors that are the
source of Hardika‟s animosity. (Parmar )
Forgetting occurs in history, politics and life in general. "The struggle against
power is the struggle of memory against forgetting", comments Milan Kundera in
his book Book of Laughter and Forgetting (Kundera #)

9. Significance of space
The play is into three spaces one, the mob, two, the Gandhi
family and three, the memory of Dakhsha.
Mr. Dhiren Parmar feels that various points of time these three
separate worlds interact and overlap with each other.(Parmar )
The local Hindu and Muslim communities, symbolized by the
Mob/Chorus, are being driven toward conflict during the riots.
The communal violence between these groups triggers
Hardika's recollections of the partition era and her
experiences as a newlywed in 1948. These memories find
expression through the character of Daksha, who is depicted
reading from her diary.
Final Solutions opens with the
image of five masked individuals
dressed in black. Dattani has
named them as Mob/Chorus. Each
member has two masks one is of
Hindu and other of Muslim.The local
Hindu and Muslim communities,
representedby the Mob/Chorus are
blowing each other for the riots

10. Conclusion
In "Final Solutions" by Mahesh Dattani, the significance of time and space is a
fundamental element that contributes to the play's depth and complexity. The
play's setting in a period of heightened communal tension in India and the
specific context of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement adds layers of meaning
to the narrative. Dattani skillfully weaves together three distinct spaces: the
Mob/Chorus representing local Hindu and Muslim communities, the Gandhi
family, and Daksha's memories of the partition era. These spaces interact
and overlap, illustrating how communal violence transcends time and affects
multiple dimensions of society.
Daksha's recollections, expressed through her diary, serve as a powerful link
to the past and highlight the enduring issues of communal tension,
emphasizing that these issues persist despite the passage of time. The
disruption of the Rath Yatra in the play underscores the connection between
past and present, emphasizing the continuity of communal issues.
In conclusion, "Final Solutions" effectively utilizes the interplay of time and
space to shed light on the enduring communal tensions in India. The play
underscores the need for acceptance and empathy to address these issues
and calls for a collective understanding of history's impact on contemporary
society.

11. References
Chaudhuri, Asha Kuthari. Mahesh Dattani: An Introduction. Foundation Books, 2005. Accessed
17 October 2023.
Dawande, Jitendra. “Mahesh Dattani as a Playwright or the Autobiographical Note in Mahesh
Dattani's Plays.” International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), vol. 10, no. 10,
October 2021. International Journal of Science and Research,
https://www.ijsr.net/archive/v10i10/SR211014083450.pdf.
Kundera, Milan. The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. Translated by Aaron Asher,
HarperCollins, 1999, https://www.amazon.in/Book-Laughter-Forgetting-Perennial-
Classics/dp/0060932147.
Parmar, Mr. Dhiren. “Mahesh Dattani’s Final Solutions: an Analytical Study.” International
Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI), vol. 8, no. Aug. 2019,
https://www.ijhssi.org/papers/vol8%288%29/Series-2/E0808024954.pdf.