Final Solution

 Hello Everyone, I'm a student of the Department of English,M.K.B.U. This blog is a part of a thinking activity and it is assigned by Alpa  Ma'am. In this blog we have to share our experiences related to drama performance and also review movie screening.

Introduction :-

'Final Solution' is a drama written by an Indian Playwright Mahesh Dattani. In this Play ,He deals with the theme of communalism. In this play Dattani applies religious consciousness and prejudices towards different religions. He presents communalist attitudes and stereotypes prevalent in the society which influence to have a sensibility of hatred of one community against another.

About the Playwright :-

Mahesh Dattani (born 7 August 1958) is an Indian director, actor, playwright and writer. He wrote such plays like., Final Solutions,Dance Like a Man, Bravely Fought the Queen, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, Tara, Thirty Days in September 2007  and The Big Fat City.

He is the first playwright in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award. His plays have been directed by eminent directors like Arvind Gaur, Alyque Padamsee and Lillete Dubey.

About the Drama :-

"Final Solutions" is a play by Mahesh Dattani that explores communal tensions and the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots. The story revolves around a Hindu family that is forced to confront their biases and prejudices when a Muslim man seeks refuge in their home. The play delves into themes of identity, prejudice, and the complexities of human relationships in the context of religious conflict.

There is a story of an old widow lady Hardika,who is reading her diary and recalling her past. So, in this Play there are two stories going on in similar time,one is Hardika's family and another is Daksha's (Hardika) story.

Here are several questions which are given by Alpa Ma'am.

1.)What is the significance of the title "Final Solutions" and what is the final solution of the play?

The significance of the title “Final Solutions” by Mahesh Dattani lies in its multi-layered meaning and its connection to the themes explored in the play. The title itself is a reference to the Holocaust, specifically the Nazi regime’s plan for the systematic extermination of Jews, known as the “Final Solution.”

However, in Dattani’s play, the term “Final Solutions” takes on a broader and metaphorical meaning. The play, set in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, addresses the issue of religious communalism and its destructive consequences. Dattani’s use of the title “Final Solutions” suggests that the play is not just about a specific incident or event but rather about the larger problem of communal disharmony and the urgent need for resolution.

By choosing this title, Dattani highlights the gravity of the issue and the urgency to find lasting solutions to the deep-rooted conflicts in society. It serves as a reminder that the consequences of communal disharmony can be devastating and that finding a way to coexist peacefully is crucial.

2.)What was the difference you observed in the movie and play you performed?

There are so many differences between the movie and the play,which we have performed. For e.g. the stage is well organised, the characters can deliver the correct message to their audience. And the corus were also performed well compared to us. A play which we had performed we tried our best to express feelings as per the actions ,but at some places we were not able to express feelings with the actions and in some times we failed to deliver the message to our audience. In short, I have observed that the organisation and performance is better than our performance.

3.) Share your thoughts on understanding drama through drama-based pedagogy or involvement in  theatrical practices.

Throughout these practices of drama I observed that involvement is a very important part of the drama, without involvement an actor can not act well and the audience cannot get the message or they can't enjoy the drama. I got this idea from one activity or a game which is done during these drama classes. 

That game was 'Imagination', in this game alpa Ma'am were instruct us and we had to imagine and  act as per her instructions. In that game many of us who can imagine and are involved in that they can act very well even  they can really cry, and others who are not involved in this they can't do act as per the instructions.

Through this I got the message that involvement and imagination is the most important part of the drama performance.

As per my experience now, I can say that.,

 "Drama is meant to be performed, not read." This reflects the idea that the true essence of drama is experienced through live performances rather than simply reading the script.

4.) What kind of skills do you develop while undergoing the preparation process for a performance and how?

Throughout the preparation of the drama performance I have learnt lots of things like how to perform, what are the basic rules for performing a drama on stage, how to imagine things and how to take position on stage. During the preparation I can get the idea of how difficult it is to remember the dialogues, and how we should perform. 

Through this preparation of the performance of drama I have developed various skills.like., Remembrance of the dialogues, Imagination skills, group building, leadership,how to act, expression of the emotions,etc.

I developed these skills only by the practical session of the learning drama. In these classes we have to perform on the selected scenes of the play 'Final Solution' written by Mahesh Dattani. In this practical session we have to practise collaboratively , by that process we learnt how to do something in group. During the performance, we have to follow some rules of the stage performance like , how to stand , how to attract the audience,etc.  As we have to perform the play ,we have to remember some dialogues and we have to speak dialogues orally and also we have to express feelings as per the dialogues, so through this we learnt how to express feelings and how to remember the dialogues. In this performance we organised stage by our own with the help of ma'am that's why we learnt how to organise stage and what kind of sat-up is needed into the performance of the play.