Mr. Apple

How can the greatness of a man be measured? Is ‘greatness’ an independent entity? Isn’t a great man – any great man – a human being first, filled up with flaws, inconsistencies, and eccentricities? Doesn't the so-called ‘negative’ side of his personality make him even more humane and authentic? Being human is never about being either black or white - there are always multiple shades of gray in between. Apple, an Ideas Unlimited drama in Gujarati, is an attempt to analyze the humane side of legendary Steve Jobs and his explosive relationship with his ‘abandoned’ daughter, Lisa. Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011) was an iconic entrepreneur well-known for the brand he created - Apple. He encapsulated full-fledged internet in a mobile phone for the first time in the world which dramatically resulted in the birth of the digital era, in which we live today. That Jobs was an adopted child is a well-known fact. However, not many people know that his biological father was a Syrian Muslim who fell in love with an American Christian girl (Jobs's biological mother). They became unwed parents and abandoned their child. The infant, a baby boy, picked up by an ordinary couple grew up to become Steve Jobs. The adopted couple loved him and always made him feel special. Abandoned. Chosen one. Special. The essence of these words became the very foundation of Steve Jobs’ extraordinary life – both inner and outer. It is fascinating to observe that Jobs repeated the same unsympathetic cycle with Lisa just like his own biological father. He fell in love with a girl at a young age, became a father out of wedlock, and abandoned both his lover as well as their lovechild – Lisa. For many years, he did not acknowledge – or accepted – the fact that Lisa was his real daughter. Lisa grew up with a sense of shame, embarrassment, and rejection. They shared a rocky relationship all along. Gradually, though, they became comfortable with each other. Jobs went on to officially marry another woman and fathered a couple of children. However, he missed Lisa the most in his downtime. Probably it was Lisa who could give him the emotional strength he needed more than anyone else. Mr. Apple, an Ideas Unlimited play based on real-life characters, is not a love story of the father and daughter. It is, in fact, the other way round in most parts. Mr. Apple is a two-acts relationship drama complete with massive confrontations, meltdowns, catharsis, tears, and even joy. It also captures the motivational aspect of Jobs' larger-than-life persona.