New Delhi, March 12 (IANS): A gay man's lonesome quest for love, the psychological state of people in conflict zones, understanding politics of migration through sardines - such stories will come alive on stage in the capital from March 21.

Ten plays in different Indian languages have been shortlisted for the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) and each one touches upon issues like mythology, social evils and discrimination.

Director Happy Ranajit's "A Straight Proposal" talks about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community of India through the story of a gay man who is in search of love and it is through a diary that darker shades of his life are revealed.

Malayalam play "Mathi" uses sardines as a metaphor. The fish, a cheap and nutritious item eaten by all classes of the society, brings together stories of migration and binds people together.

Bilingual (Hindi and English) play "Kaumudi" is about a rite of passage. Using the "moonlit timeless night", when Krishna delivers his sermon to Arjuna, the play explores the dynamics between an estranged father-son duo.

Through their conversation, it asks questions like "Whose life is more valuable, an older or a younger person's", "Is personal ethic more important than public ethic", "Does art have a function, and do we make art or does art make us".

Apart from these, Marathi play "Aaydaan", Kannada play "Chitrapata", Assamese plays "Dhou... The Wave" and "Fall of a King - Burha Manuhor Babe Desh Nai", Manipuri play "Dreams From My Room", and English play "Rage and Beyond: Irawati's Gandhari" will also be staged at the Little Theatre Group auditorium and Kamani Auditorium.