Tara’ by Mahesh Dattani

1. The narrator of the play is-

1. Tara
2. Dan
3. Mr. Patel
4. Bharati

2. In the play, Dan is the name adopted by-

1. Mr. Patel
2. Tara’s friend
3. Chandan
4. Dr. Thakkar

3. Tara and Chandan were-

1. neighbours
2. cousins
3. classmates
4. conjoined twins

4. Tara has an artificial-

1. hand
2. leg
3. eye
4. ear

5. The mother, Bharati, shows preferential treatment towards-

1. Chandan
2. Tara
3. Roopa
4. Her husband

6. What does Dan do in his London apartment?

1. He paints pictures
2. He writes a play about his past
3. He studies medicine
4. He works in an office

7. The Patel family lives in a-

1. large bungalow
2. village house
3. cramped flat in a housing society
4. luxurious apartment

8. Who is Roopa?

1. Tara’s cousin
2. A new neighbour
3. Chandan’s friend
4. Tara’s best friend

9. Mrs. Patel often refers to Tara as her-

1. little star
2. precious jewel
3. beautiful little girl
4. clever daughter

10. Mr. Patel’s attitude towards Bharati’s obsession with Tara is one of-

1. support and encouragement
2. indifference
3. annoyance and helplessness
4. pride and joy

11. Tara and Chandan were joined at the-

1. head
2. shoulder
3. hip
4. chest

12. The play explores the theme of-

1. gender discrimination
2. identity
3. guilt and secrets
4. all of the above

13. How does Tara react to Roopa’s initial attempts at friendship?

1. She is very happy and welcoming
2. She is suspicious and hostile
3. She ignores her completely
4. She cries

14. The “freak show” that Dan mentions refers to-

1. a circus
2. his play
3. the way society viewed him and his sister
4. a TV show

15. What is the secret surrounding the separation surgery?

1. It was done for free
2. It was illegal
3. The decision about which twin would get the healthy leg was manipulated
4. It was not successful

16. Chandan’s talent lies in-

1. singing
2. painting
3. writing
4. sports

17. The setting of Dan’s apartment in London symbolizes his attempt to-

1. become rich
2. escape his past
3. find a better doctor
4. get married

18. Bharati’s excessive care for Tara is driven by her-

1. natural motherly love
2. deep-seated guilt
3. desire for social praise
4. hatred for Chandan

19. Mr. Patel wants Tara to be more-

1. educated
2. artistic
3. independent and practical
4. religious

20. The name ‘Tara’ means-

1. Moon
2. Sun
3. Star
4. Flower

21. What did Chandan have that was surgically given to Tara?

1. A kidney
2. A lung
3. A leg
4. His heart

22. The two sides of the stage represent-

1. rich and poor
2. India and London
3. present and past
4. male and female

23. Roopa is curious about Tara’s-

1. family background
2. education
3. artificial leg
4. wealth

24. The play is written by-

1. Girish Karnad
2. Vijay Tendulkar
3. Badal Sircar
4. Mahesh Dattani

25. What is Mr. Patel’s profession?

1. Doctor
2. Lawyer
3. Office worker
4. Businessman

26. Tara feels that her mother loves her more because she is a-

1. girl
2. twin
3. cripple
4. genius

27. The mother’s special attention to Tara’s food suggests-

1. Tara is always sick
2. Chandan eats too much
3. an attempt to compensate for a deeper injustice
4. she is a great cook

28. Chandan often feels like-

1. a hero
2. a burden
3. an appendage to Tara
4. the head of the family

29. The play critiques the societal preference for-

1. the rich over the poor
2. the educated over the uneducated
3. the male child over the female child
4. the able-bodied over the disabled

30. Dan’s act of writing is a form of-

1. entertainment
2. confession and therapy
3. making money
4. revenge

31. The character who represents the insensitive and curious outside world is-

1. Mr. Patel
2. Dan
3. Roopa
4. Dr. Thakkar

32. Tara is witty and intelligent, but her potential is hampered by her-

1. laziness
2. physical disability and the family’s secret
3. lack of education
4. arrogance

33. What is the source of conflict between Mr. and Mrs. Patel in Act 1?

1. Money
2. Their different attitudes towards their children
3. Their jobs
4. Their neighbours

34. The play uses the technique of-

1. soliloquy
2. flashback
3. aside
4. chorus

35. The surname of the family is-

1. Thakkar
2. Mehta
3. Dattani
4. Patel

36. The play suggests that a person’s identity is shaped by-

1. their choices alone
2. their body and how society perceives it
3. their education
4. their wealth

37. The language of the play is primarily-

1. Hindi
2. Gujarati
3. English, with some Indian expressions
4. Marathi

38. Dr. Thakkar is the-

1. family physician
2. surgeon who separated the twins
3. psychiatrist
4. neighbour

39. The title ‘Tara’ is significant because-

1. it is a beautiful name
2. the play revolves around her and the injustice done to her
3. she is the narrator
4. she is the only female character

40. Bharati’s action of giving the healthy legs to Tara was ultimately an act of-

1. love for her daughter
2. hatred for her son
3. deeply ingrained patriarchy (preference for a male heir)
4. medical necessity

41. Chandan feels that he and Tara are-

1. complete individuals
2. two halves of a whole
3. rivals
4. strangers

42. The setting of the play is a city in-

43. “They were not two, but one…” This line emphasizes the twins’-

1. physical separation
2. emotional and psychological connection
3. hatred for each other
4. different personalities

44. The mother’s frantic phone call in Act 1 is to-

1. Dr. Thakkar
2. her husband’s office
3. the school
4. her father

45. In Act 1, the audience learns about the past primarily through-

1. letters and diaries
2. Dan’s narration and flashbacks
3. Mr. Patel’s monologue
4. Roopa’s gossip

46. The play suggests that physical deformity leads to-

47. Tara’s bitterness towards the world is a result of-

1. her mother’s neglect
2. her constant experience of being stared at and treated as a “freak”
3. her poverty
4. her jealousy of Chandan

48. What does Mr. Patel try to give Tara to make her self-sufficient?

1. Money
2. A job opportunity
3. Books and encouragement for education
4. A new artificial leg

49. The relationship between Tara and Chandan is one of-

1. deep empathy and interdependence
2. rivalry and hatred
3. indifference
4. master and servant

50. Act 1 successfully establishes the central _______ of the play.

1. comedy
2. romance
3. conflict and mystery
4. historical setting

1. This is my play. I am the main character. (Join into a complex sentence)

1. This is my play and I am the main character.
2. This is the play in which I am the main character.
3. Being the main character, this is my play.
4. This play has me as the main character.

2. She is my sister. We were joined together. (Join with ‘who’)

1. She is my sister who was joined together with me.
2. She, my sister, and I were joined together.
3. She and I were sisters and were joined together.
4. She is my sister with whom I was joined together.

3. The mother entered the room. She was carrying a glass of milk. (Join into a complex sentence)

1. The mother who was carrying a glass of milk entered the room.
2. The mother entered the room and was carrying a glass of milk.
3. Carrying a glass of milk, the mother entered the room.
4. The mother entered the room, while she was carrying a glass of milk.

4. Tara is a girl. She is intelligent. (Join with a relative clause)

1. Tara is an intelligent girl. (Simple)
2. Tara is a girl who is intelligent.
3. Tara is a girl and she is intelligent. (Compound)
4. Tara’s intelligence is known.

5. He is angry. I do not know the reason. (Join with a noun clause)

1. I do not know the reason for his anger. (Simple)
2. He is angry but I do not know the reason.
3. I do not know why he is angry.
4. His anger is a thing for which I do not know the reason.

6. The mother gave Tara a glass of milk. (Change the voice)

1. Tara was given a glass of milk by the mother.
2. A glass of milk was given to Tara by the mother.
3. Both a and b are correct.
4. A glass of milk is given to Tara.

7. I call the play ‘Tara’. (Change the voice)

1. ‘Tara’ was called the play by me.
2. The play is called ‘Tara’ by me.
3. Let the play be called ‘Tara’.
4. The play has been called ‘Tara’.

8. They separated us. (Change the voice)

1. We were being separated by them.
2. We had been separated by them.
3. We were separated by them.
4. We are separated by them.

9. Do not touch my leg. (Change the voice)

1. My leg should not be touched.
2. You are forbidden to touch my leg.
3. Let my leg not be touched.
4. All of the above.

10. Mr. Patel is typing a letter. (Change the voice)

1. A letter was being typed by Mr. Patel.
2. A letter is typed by Mr. Patel.
3. A letter has been typed by Mr. Patel.
4. A letter is being typed by Mr. Patel.

11. We were joined ___ the side.

1. on
2. at
3. with
4. by

12. She is angry ___ me.

1. on
2. at
3. to
4. with

13. She looks ___ the window.

1. at
2. through
3. out of
4. on

14. The flat is ___ the first floor.

1. in
2. at
3. on
4. upon

15. My life is a gift ___ her.

1. for
2. of
3. from
4. to

16. Tara is the most beautiful girl in the world. (Change to Positive Degree)

1. Tara is more beautiful than any other girl in the world.
2. Very few girls in the world are as beautiful as Tara.
3. Tara is a very beautiful girl.
4. No other girl in the world is as beautiful as Tara.

17. Chandan is not as smart as Tara. (Change to Comparative Degree)

1. Tara is smarter than Chandan.
2. Tara is the smartest.
3. Chandan is less smart.
4. Chandan and Tara are not equally smart.

18. This is one of the most painful memories. (Change to Comparative Degree)

1. This memory is more painful than any other memory.
2. Very few memories are as painful as this.
3. This is a very painful memory.
4. This memory is more painful than most other memories.

19. No other secret is as dark as this. (Change to Superlative Degree)

1. This is the darkest secret.
2. This secret is darker than any other secret.
3. This is a very dark secret.
4. This is one of the darkest secrets.

20. The mother was the guiltiest person. (Change to Positive Degree)

1. No other person was as guilty as the mother.
2. The mother was guiltier than any other person.
3. The mother was very guilty.
4. Very few people were as guilty as the mother.

21. Her love for Tara is special. (Use the adverb form of ‘special’)

1. She loves Tara with speciality.
2. She specially loves Tara.
3. Her love for Tara is a speciality.
4. She loves Tara in a special way.

22. The memory is painful. (Use the noun form of ‘painful’)

1. The memory gives pain.
2. The memory is full of pain.
3. The memory causes pain.
4. All of the above.

23. Dan speaks nervously. (Use the adjective form of ‘nervously’)

1. Dan’s speech is nervous.
2. Dan is nervous when he speaks.
3. Dan is a nervous speaker.
4. All of the above.

24. She wanted to create a better life for Tara. (Use the verb form of ‘creation’)

1. She wanted a better life to be created for Tara.
2. Her creation of a better life was for Tara.
3. She wanted to create a better life. (The verb is already there)
4. This is a trick question; ‘create’ is the verb form of ‘creation’.

25. Her guilt was immense. (Use the adjective form of ‘guilt’)

1. She was immensely guilty.
2. She was a guilty person.
3. She felt guilty.
4. Both b and c are correct.

26. (Complex) He is my brother. He is my sister. We are one.

1. He is my brother and sister, so we are one.
2. Although he is my brother and she is my sister, we are one.
3. We are one, a brother and a sister.
4. We, who are a brother and a sister, are one.

27. (Voice) Let me write the play.

1. Let the play be written by me.
2. The play should be written by me.
3. I might be allowed to write the play.
4. The play must be written.

28. (Preposition) The family secret weighs heavily ___ them.

1. on
2. over
3. with
4. at

29. (Degree) The father is the most practical person in the family. (Change to Positive)

1. No other person in the family is as practical as the father.
2. The father is more practical than any other person.
3. The father is a very practical person.
4. Very few people in the family are as practical as the father.

30. (Parts of Speech) Her affection was obvious. (Use the verb form of ‘affection’)

1. She obviously affected her.
2. She showed her affection obviously.
3. She affected her obviously.
4. This cannot be changed meaningfully using the verb form.

31. (Complex) He writes his pain. He wants to forget it.

1. He writes his pain so that he can forget it.
2. He writes his pain to forget it. (Simple)
3. He writes his pain and forgets it.
4. Forgetting his pain, he writes.

32. (Voice) One should not hide the truth.

1. The truth is not to be hidden.
2. Let the truth not be hidden.
3. The truth should not be hidden.
4. Hiding the truth is not right.

33. (Preposition) She is different ___ her brother.

1. than
2. of
3. from
4. with

34. (Degree) Her life was harder than his. (Change to Positive)

1. His life was not so hard as hers.
2. Her life was the hardest.
3. His life was easy.
4. Her life was very hard.

35. (Parts of Speech) Their separation was a tragedy. (Use the verb form of ‘separation’)

1. They separated tragically.
2. They were separated, which was a tragedy.
3. Their act of separating was a tragedy.
4. Both a and b are plausible.

36. (Complex) She was my sister. I loved her deeply.

1. She, whom I loved deeply, was my sister.
2. She was my sister and I loved her deeply.
3. I loved my sister deeply.
4. I loved her deeply because she was my sister.

37. (Voice) Did the doctor make a mistake?

38. (Preposition) He is dependent ___ his sister.

1. on
2. with
3. to
4. at

39. (Degree) This is the saddest story I have ever written. (Change to Positive)

1. I have never written a story as sad as this.
2. This story is sadder than any other story I have written.
3. This story is very sad.
4. Very few stories I have written are as sad as this.

40. (Parts of Speech) Her voice was gentle. (Use the noun form of ‘gentle’)

1. Her voice had gentleness.
2. She spoke with gentleness.
3. Gentleness was in her voice.
4. All of the above.