There were two risks of watching a Gujarati play with my 23-year-old son. First, he was more aware of the subject—Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs—especially, the earlier depictions of the icon in feature and documentary films. Second, he was less accepting of the treatment and tenor of the two-act play Mr Apple, written by Shishir Ramavat and directed by Manoj Shah. The risks were worth taking because both of us valued the mid-afternoon aural treat of motivational granthik Gujarati. In fact, the play lends itself well to non-Gujaratis too, because of the ample use of English. A Hinglish version of the play is currently in the works.

Mr Apple, which premiered at the Prithvi Festival, starts on a high-pitched—rather screeching—note and stays that way during its two-hour run. Those who can deal with this premise, can enjoy the moot point conveyed by the two lead actors, Rohan Trivedi (Steve Jobs) and Disha Savla Upadhyay (daughter Lisa Jobs). It’s essentially a string of monologues of two wronged-abandoned individuals who grudge their fate. Jobs, the charismatic and successful pioneer of personal computers, resents the dual rejection by biological and adoptive parents. He was raised by a lower-middle class couple, unlettered but loving, who offered him a garage space for exploration and tinkering. While Jobs did make it big in computer technology, he suffered an immense sense of loss and deprivation, which also reflected in his flawed relationships, especially with his daughter Lisa. Hers is a rant against an eccentric self-seeking father, who made big money for himself, but parted with a paltry maintenance ($385) sum for his daughter.