Gujarati Play 'Apurva Avsar' Imparts Philosophical Message

A two-act Gujarati drama staged at the Jain Center of Southern California on July 21 drew a full house, in spite of its serious and intellectually challenging subject. The two-and-a-half hour play performed by a cast of only three actors, tells the story of Shri Rajchandra, a seer revered by the Jains, whose vision of non-violence inspired Mahatma Gandhi.

The drama opens with a pivotal moment in Rajchandra's life, where he enters a trance-like state at a relative's funeral pyre. This transcendent experience reawakens his previous lives, at which he had made significant spiritual progress but left unfinished, and from then on, he grows detached from worldly matters.

Having mastered his studies, excelling in poetry and astrology, Rajchandra moved from the village of Morbi and then went to Mumbai in 1880 to practice as a lawyer. Here, a businessman called Dharmavanta Gohil, interacts with him to show us his financial troubles. These roles are all played by Pulkit Solanki and Pratik Gandhi.

The main theme of the play is that of Dharma, and it is shown through Rajchandra's pursuit of self-restraint and renunciation. Although his words are simple, a discerning observer can clearly see in them an echo of Gandhian philosophy, which has been distilled by many later religions, including Jainism. Rajchandra's wrestling with the spiritual versus the business thrive, even as he speaks Dharmic principles.

The play progresses through narratives, dialogues, spiritual lyrics and flashback scenes, in which a young Mahatma Gandhi, who was a lawyer dressed in British clothing, would be seen posing deep questions about the highlights of religion. And through this, we see the earnest quest of enlightenment take shape.

Ideas Unlimited seeks to bring Gujarati culture and literature to a wider audience, and we hope this initiative will inspire the next generations of theatre-goers.