The Forced Destiny of Hijra Community: A Critique of Dattani’s Play Seven Steps Around the Fire

Abstract

English playwrights in India are deeply concerned about various social, political and cultural ills and maladies of Indian society. Among them Mahesh Dattani is the most serious contemporary playwrights. His major study areas are social realities and sensational issues like unusual love relationship, same-sex relationship, women exploitation and child-sex abuse, sexuality and gender discrimination. The play Seven Steps Around the Fire highlights the plight of hijra community of Indian society. It alarms socio- psychological crisis, conflict, anguish, fear, frustration and humiliation of the hijra community that is forced on them by the so-called respected society. It questions the age-old belief of marriage being based on heterosexual relationship. Present paper focusses social prejudices, discrimination and abuse against the hijra community.