UpdateBot at 02:58, 16 June 2022

2022-06-16T02:58:35Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jashwant Thaker
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| native_name = જશવંત ઠાકર
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1915|5|5}}
| birth_place = Mahelav, [[Anand district]], [[Gujarat]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1990|12|25|1915|5|5}}
| death_place = [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]]
| occupation = playwright, director, theatre actor
| nationality = Indian
| education = B.A.
| alma_mater = [[Elphinstone College]]
| awards= {{Plainlist|
* [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] (1968)
* [[Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak]] (1977)
}}
| spouse =
| children= Aditi Desai (daughter)
}}
'''Jashwant Thaker''' (5 May 1915 – 25 December 1990) ({{lang-gu|જશવંત ઠાકર}}) was an Indian actor, playwright and director of [[Gujarati theatre]]. He directed and acted in several successful plays. He was awarded the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] in 1968, the [[Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak]] in 1977 and the Soviet Land Award in 1986.

==Biography==
Jashwant Thaker was born on 5 May 1915 in Mehlav in [[Kaira district]] to Dayashankar Thaker and Lalitabahen. His father's career as a city survey officer led him to take his primary education in [[Nadiad]] and [[Jamnagar]]. He completed his matriculation from Nadiad. Due to his interest in art, in 1928, he studied at music school in Jamnagar. At the age of fifteen, he joined the freedom struggle and established ''Abhedyamandal''. In 1932, Thaker joined the [[B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad|B.J. Medical College]], [[Ahmedabad]] but dropped out of study to join nationalist activities. In 1936, he joined the Arts department of M.T.B. College, [[Surat]]. In 1938, he received a B.A. degree from [[Elphinstone College]], [[Mumbai]]. He was arrested for his participation in anti-war conferences. During his three years in prison, he studied theatrical literature. He was one of the initial members of [[Indian People's Theatre Association]] (IPTA). In 1943, he established the Gujarat branch of IPTA.<ref name = "Ananda Lal">{{cite book|title=The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195644463.001.0001/acref-9780195644463-e-0685|last=Lal|first=Ananda|author-link=Ananda Lal|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=2004|isbn=978-01-956-4446-3|location=|pages=|access-date=2021-07-30|archive-date=2021-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730172929/https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195644463.001.0001/acref-9780195644463-e-0685|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1949–50, he left political activities and adopted the field of drama as his career.<ref name="Urmila Thakar"/>

He died on 25 December 1990 in Ahmedabad.<ref name="Urmila Thakar">{{cite encyclopedia|editor-last=Thakar|editor-first=Dhirubhai|editor-link=Dhirubhai Thaker|encyclopedia=Gujarati Vishvkosh (ગુજરાતી વિશ્વકોશ)|title=Jashavant Thakar|last=Thakar|first=Urmila|volume=|year=|edition=|publisher=[[Gujarati Vishwakosh|Gujarati Vishwakosh Trust]]|location=[[Ahmedabad]]|page=|oclc=}}</ref> His daughter, Aditi Desai, is also a theatre director.<ref name="David 2013">{{cite news|last=David|first=Robin|title=Gandhian tells Kasturba's katha in new play|newspaper=The Times of India|date=20 February 2013|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/gandhian-tells-kasturbas-katha-in-new-play/articleshow/18582505.cms|access-date=3 August 2021|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803201008/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/gandhian-tells-kasturbas-katha-in-new-play/articleshow/18582505.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career==
Thaker staged many Gujarati plays including ''Unda Andhare Thi'', ''Dukhi no Beli'', ''Mudrarakshas'', ''Mushak ane Manushya''. After eighteen plays, he joined as head of the theater department of [[Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda]] in 1950. In 1951, he left the department and went to [[Rajkot]] to stage a play by [[Gunvantrai Acharya]]. Then he rejoined university and between 1955 and 1960, he continued to direct various plays by [[Shakespeare]] and [[Anton Chekhov]].<ref name="Urmila Thakar"/><ref name = "Baradi">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eWwCxY7w-QC|title=History of Gujarati Theatre|last=Baradi|first=Hasmukh|author-link=Hasmukh Baradi|publisher=[[National Book Trust]], India|year=2003|isbn=978-81-237-4032-4|location=New Delhi|translator-last=Meghani|translator-first=Vinod|pages=152–158|access-date=2021-05-11|archive-date=2021-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510010614/https://books.google.com/books?id=9eWwCxY7w-QC|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Bhagat ni Samadhi'', ''Matimathi Sonu'', ''Rajiya Sulatana'', ''Ganga Par Ek Rat'' are his famous plays. He visited several theaters and met artists from across the country and abroad for the development of stage plays. He was dedicated to theater and direction. He directed more than 125 plays in Sanskrit, English and Gujarati languages and also acted in some plays.<ref name = "Baradi"/>

''Natya Shikshn na Mool Tattvo'' (''Basic Elements of Theatre Education'') (1957), ''Natya Prayog Shilp'' (''The Structure of Thearitical Experiments'') (1959), and ''Loknatya ane Gamadun'' (''Folk Theatre and Village'') (1960) are his educational books.<ref name = "Baradi"/>

==Legacy==
The Jashwant Thaker Memorial Foundation, an NGO which works for children, women, and Gujarati language, was founded in Ahmedabad in honour of Thaker.<ref name="The Times of India 2013">{{cite news|title=First woman teacher to come alive on stage|newspaper=The Times of India|date=27 March 2013|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/first-woman-teacher-to-come-alive-on-stage/articleshow/19234723.cms|access-date=3 August 2021|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803201009/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/first-woman-teacher-to-come-alive-on-stage/articleshow/19234723.cms|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Adhyaru-Majithia|first=Priya|title=Parishad to ensure RJs get their ka, kha right: Gujarati Sahitya Parishad's plan is to train RJs in using pure gujarati|newspaper=DNA : Daily News & Analysis|date=2 July 2011}}</ref> In 2012, a documentary, ''Rangbhumina Kalakar'', based on Thaker was made and presented by his daughter, Aditi Desai, at Fanatika Theatre Club's documentary festival.<ref>{{cite news |last=Desai|first=Kinjal|title=Fanatika's documentary festival has much to offer|newspaper=DNA : Daily News & Analysis|date=3 February 2012}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1990 deaths]]
[[Category:Gujarati-language writers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak]]
[[Category:Indian male stage actors]]
[[Category:Indian theatre directors]]
[[Category:Indian male dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Gujarati theatre]]
[[Category:People from Kheda district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male actors]]
[[Category:Dramatists and playwrights from Gujarat]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]

Jashwant Thaker - Revision history

UpdateBot at 02:58, 16 June 2022