Akoopar

Jashwant Thaker Memorial Foundation (JTMF), a city-based trust set-up in the memory of one of the pioneers of the modern Gujarati theatre actor, director-Late Jashwant Thaker, is organizing a first full length Gujarati theater festival in collaboration of 150 actors and technicians associated with JTMF at Thakorbhai Desai Hall, Ahmedabad.
This theatre festival will be celebrating his birth centenary.

There will be sale of Festival Pass and Daily Pass.

The festival will span over two days May 6 and 7, 2017 a major treat for theatre lovers as back to back enactment of three blockbuster Original Gujarati plays, 'Akoopar', 'Samudra Manthan' and 'Dhaad' written by stalwarts of Gujarati Literature Shri Dhruv Bhatt, Su Shri Devaki, Shri Vinesh Antani and are directed by Aditi desai (daughter ,2nd generation of Jashwant Thaker ), acted By Devaki and Saumya Thaker (3rd generation of Jashwant Thaker) with well known actors Abhinay banker, Gaurang Anand, Ankit Gor, Hetal Modi, Harsh Thakkar, Mayur Chauhan, Raksha Naik, Tushar Tripathi, Gopal hari, Hiren patel and 70 actors, dancers on stage.
There will be a also small visual exhibition of his life and work and a show case of an Award winning documentary on Jashwant Thaker- 'Gujarati Rangbhoomi na kalakar- Jashwant Thaker '- of 17 min.42 seconds.

Akoopar is the only play in Gujarati theater based on the life of Maldhari's - animal breeders - who live in the forest of Gir, known as the last home of the Asiatic lion. This play is based on a well-known novel ''Akoopar'', written by Shri Dhruv Bhatt. This play covers the culture and traditions of the Maldhari's, their relationship with nature, animals, their philosophy of life, and conservation of the environment and of planet earth. It is complete theater, with comedy, songs, dance, music and drama.

A narrator, who is an unnamed painter is on an assignment to paint the elemental form of the earth for the interior decoration of a grand project. The artist is an outsider who gradually unfolds the inner world of the Gir forest - the last den of Asiatic lion of Gujarat. The wide range of characters from Maldhari' s (cattle breeders) who live within the forest, from forest officers, guards, villagers, wild life activists, to characters dead and alive presents the life of the Gir and Ghed region.

This play has several thrilling incidents and characters with 20 artists and 10 technicians. This play tries to create the jungle of Gir on stage. With dense cultural text, where in women spearhead efforts to maintain the sanctity of the forest Gir and its surrounding region, refers to the contemporary ecological issues.

Performances of this play received a huge media coverage and appreciation and it has also won two transmedia awards. This was the only play selected in the International Festival of national school of drama (NSd) - Bhharat Rang Mahotsav from Gujarat.