An argument when had is "a conversation in which two or more people disagree, often angrily". But an argument, when made, is "a reason or set of reasons that somebody uses to show that something is true or correct". It's the second dictionary meaning that has been intrinsic to the Indian subcontinent's tradition since ancient times, with logic and reason determining the course of a conversation. "But an argument is useful when it is allowed. The fewer the nuances, the more emotive the argument. And we are living in an emotive period," points out acclaimed playwright-director Abhishek Majumdar, speaking about how he expanded on the idea of tark (logic, reason) in Buddhist philosophy to, in turn, explore the ideas of caste and gender, rebellion and nationalism, freedom and courage in the play Tathagat.

Abhishek Majumdar (left) and Sudhanva Deshpande