Dance Like A Man(English): Mahesh Dattani [Paperback] PREM SAGAR-Historical Background, Summary, Character Sketches  (Paperback, Prem Sagar)

Dance Like A Man appears a mystifying title. A reading of the text reveals the dramatist’s message that one should participate in the dance of life with determination to keep his steps well synchronized with the music one has to face. It is evident that the steps go wrong when they are misguided by the evils, such as pride, gluttony, anger, greed, etc. The dramatist has created the character of Lata as a model for all. She is free from all vices and tries to put other characters on the right track. She tries her best to purge Viswas of his pride of wealth. She admits the mistakes she had committed in her performance to let her mother realise that she has used foul means to get rave reviews for a faulty dance. Her honest confession lets her mother realise how wrong she was. Her mother’s consciousness of her sin smites her conscience so much that she cries in repentance in the loneliness of the kitchen. Jairaj remains in dark all the time that his father and his wife have worked in collusion to destroy his career as a dancer. But his wife reveals the truth that he was a mediocre, suffering from lack of confidence. Once the truth is revealed, the drunkard appears a happy man in the end. Amritlal has the misconception that he can change his son into a grown up, worthy man of his wife. The adverse result shows that the change comes from within, from the realisation of ones weaknesses. The message is that life is an ever-going dance, in which man should keep himself free from the vices. But the ultimate truth is that man is imperfect, yet he is marching all the while towards the unattainable goal of perfection. Jairaj says rightly in the end—“We talk and laugh at all the mistakes we made in our previous dances”. to commit new ones. He further says, “We were human. We lacked the grace. We lacked the brilliance. We lacked the magic to dance like God.” Let everybody dance with the consciousness—Dance Like A Man.Edited with: Historical Background, Summary, Character Sketch