Mahesh Dattani’s new play weaves together queer histories across civilisations

Playwright Mahesh Dattani, recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award (1998), has played a pivotal role in shaping contemporary theatre in India. Since his debut with the 1988 satirical play, Where There’s A Will, he has boldly explored themes such as religious fanaticism, homosexuality, child abuse and gender bias. His works include Dance Like A Man, Tara, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai and Gauhar.

Mahesh has now teamed up with Brooklyn-based director Jonathan Taikina Taylor on the queer epic The Monk & The Warrior, to be staged at Mumbai’s Experimental Theatre from April 2 to 5. Featuring an international cast, the play begins with a “historically-accurate encounter between Alexander the Great and a Buddhist monk, which explodes into a love story that traverses culture, space and time, weaving together queer histories across centuries and civilisations. 

“Though the inspiration comes from history, I still consider this play to be contemporary as the issue is still relevant. It talks about who we choose as our heroes. Often, the conqueror is seen as a hero, while the one choosing non-violence is perceived as a passive personality,” says Mahesh.

Brooklyn-based director Jonathan Taikina Taylor. 
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The idea for the play, he adds, came from Jonathan. “I got to know Jonathan through a friend, Akshay Gandhi, who had studied with him in New York. I also saw his production on Helen of Troy in New York and invited him to do a workshop, while he was in India. We kept in touch, and one day, he sent me a mail requesting me to write this play.”

Jonathan, the artistic director of The SuperGeographics, says he first thought of The Monk & The Warrior during a visit to Nepal and India in 2019. “When I came to Bengaluru, I met people from the queer community. I thought I’d work on a play that looked at how queerness can be a counterpoint to the colonial mindset. Colonisation is all about going into a community and dictating how people should be. Queerness, in contrast, is about being within a community and allowing them to be themselves.”

Jonathan recalls reading a story about Alexander, said to be a famous Western queer, meeting a group of monks upon entering India. “His relationship with a particular monk seemed to carry a romantic angle. One sought to conquer the world while the other longed for nothing.”

Shabana Azmi in Mahesh Dattani’s Morning Raga.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu Archives

Through this play, Jonathan feels cultures can converge to uplift the voices and stories of people seldom heard. Mahesh shares, “For me, a queer is any person who creates his/her own system of living and loving. There’s a misconception that queer stories are a Western concept, but in India, we have had such narratives in the Upapuranas, Upakathas and folk tales.”

On his approach to his subjects, Mahesh says, he begins with research. “However, the research is just an inspiration, because as a fiction writer, I lean into my imagination to tell stories. While I try to use documented and authentic sources, it’s also good to move beyond them as one risks ending up with a dry, factual story.”

Mahesh has also extensively worked with theatre personalities such as Alyque Padamsee and Lilette Dubey. “As an advertising professional, Alyque believed one is ultimately working for the audience. He knew how to communicate effectively. I met Lilette later, and she too comprehended what resonated with the audience and what does not. Initially, I was self-indulgent, and reluctant to compromise. But as one grows, one learns that theatre works best as a collaboration, and the collaboration continues with your audience.”

A scene from Dance like a Man, directed by Lilette Dubey, which was staged in Coimbatore in 2019.
| Photo Credit:
M. Periasamy

Mahesh, who believes in the importance of feedback, says: “The first time we staged Gauhar, both LiIlette and I realised that scriptwise, it was all over the place. So I made some edits, allowing the music to take over, as the character demanded it. With Dance Like A Goddess, which is a sequel to Dance Like A Man, I used a formal feedback process which I learnt from a European theatre company called Das. In other plays, I have used informal feedback methods.” 

About The Monk & The Warrior, Mahesh shares though his earlier play On A Muggy Night in Mumbai was also about queer love, the two are very different. The former is more an interpersonal drama; while this one relies on poetry with the stories becoming metaphors for the journey.”

Among his plays, Dance Like A Man remains one of his most successful work; it was adapted to the screen by Pamela Rooks and went on to win a National Award. Mahesh wrote it to portray his experience as an aspiring male Bharatanatyam dancer, inspired by his gurus. In 2004, he wrote and directed the film Morning Raga, a story about how music unites different worlds. Asked whether he also thinks from a cinematic perspective while writing, Mahesh responds: “I believe that a play written with a film in mind is rather weak. I agree that some of my subjects have made good films, but then, most haven’t. Theatre has its own charm, and requires a human touch that technology does not provide,” says Mahesh.

Published – March 24, 2026 04:47 pm IST