Mahesh Dattani - A playwright, Stage Director, screen writer and film maker.


  • Mahesh Dattani is a playwright, stage director, screen writer and film maker.
  • His published works include FINAL SOLUTIONS AND OTHER PLAYS, TARA and a COLLECTED WORKS edition published by Penguin India in two volumes.
  • In 1998 Mahesh Dattani won the prestigious central Sahitya Akademi Award for his book FINAL SOLUTIONS AND OTHER PLAYS, the highest award for a literary work in the country. Mahesh is the first playwright writing in English to receive this award.
  • Today his plays are produced in all the major cities of India. His works have been produced in cities outside the country as well including London, Leicester, New York, Washington DC, Sydney, Colombo and Dubai. Most of his plays have been translated and performed in Hindi, Gujarati and Kannada.
  • His plays are on the syllabus of several Indian and foreign universities and schools including New York Univerisity, Univeristy of Malaysia, Hyderabad University, JNU, Stella Maris, Loyola College, LSR, Mumbai University etc.
  • Mahesh Dattani also conducts workshops in Playwriting and acting and writes radio drama regularly for BBC Radio 4.
  • His film Mango Souffle was shown in several interntaional film festivals all over the world and was adjudged best motion picture at the Barcelona Film Festival 2003.
  • His film Morning Raga had its international premier at the Cairo Film Festival in December and he won the award for best artistic contribution. The script has been archived by The Academy of Motion Pictures, USA.
  • Quotes from the international press :
  • 'One of India's best and most serious contemporary playwrights writing
  • in English.' Alexandra Viets
  • - International Herald Tribune
  • 'A playwright of world stature'
  • - Mario Relich, Wasafiri
  • 'Mr. Dattani is a canny and facile writer, and there is nothing (in
  • his writing) that is alien to American audiences.. Powerful and
  • disturbing.'
  • - The New York Times
  • 'Since Salman Rushdie swung open the door to the West, English language Indian novelists have wowed the world. Indian playwrights have been less conspicuous except for Mahesh Dattani'
  • - Vibhuti Patel, Newsweek International.
Mahesh Dattani - A playwright, Stage Director, screen writer and film maker. Mahesh Dattani - A playwright, Stage Director,  screen writer and film maker. Reviewed by rohit malik on Friday, June 01, 2007 Rating: 5

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