27 Dec 2020  |   04:31am IST

A genius par excellence

Anthony Mendes was one of a kind who shone as a singer, lyricist, music composer, scriptwriter, and a comedian with impeccable timing. As his birth centenary approaches, Chris Mendes his grandson reminisces about him

Chris Mendes

He was a man with impeccable comic timing who was also a good singer, lyricist, music composer, and scriptwriter. Anthony Mendes was a performer par excellence. As his birth centenary is celebrated on Dec 28 it would certainly help to remember his varied talent. He is highly appreciated for his performance in Amchem Noxib (1963) but before he reached those heights, it was quite a journey.

As his grandson, I am privy to facts not known to many. His first journey from Margao to Mumbai was on a horse-driven carriage. On reaching the Karwar border he was noticed and taken to Mumbai with no one having any choice or alternative and the rest as they say is history. An extremely humble, helpful, and thorough gentleman, he moved around in his natural self. People failed to recognize that he was the famous Mendes.

Unlike his screen persona, he was a loving husband, a supportive and dedicated father, who untiringly provided all he could for his family. He believed family came first. Like many others from the world of entertainment, he wanted his children to stay away from acting and pursue other sources of income in life. His five children, Felix, Theresa, late Xavier, my father Derrick, and Amelia watched him perform at many of his stage shows(tiatrs) and were drawn towards the Konkani  Stage. After my grandfather demise at the age of 43, his son's fondly known as Mendes Brothers staged his last written Konkani drama which unfortunately he could not complete "Bomboicho Dada" making them an instant hit, not only because they were Anthony Mendes's children but because they were equally talented as their father. This proves what runs in the blood cannot be withheld for long. Every show they performed was house full and were applauded for an encore.  One of their biggest singing hits was "Amchi Maim" the song was dedicated by The Mendes Brothers to their devoted mother Clementine who looked after the five children single-handedly after they lost my grandpa. My grandma Clementine's hard work and determination helped her provide everything they required. They lost their backbone when she passed away.

I am the third generation of the "Mendes" legacy finding my way and owning my roots to achieve the passion within me of being a  music composer,  lyricist,  singer, and most importantly a performer. I feel the presence of my grandfather in all that I do, so for his 100th birth anniversary I have  recreated  and  sang the song "Mogachem Tarum" from the movie "Amchem Noxib". Featuring Remo  Fernandes who graciously accepted to do it. Remo like me is a big fan of Anthony Mendes.  I hope you listen to the song  and  watch the video on my Youtube channel and enjoy it as much as I did creating it. I pray the legacy my grandfather began continues to entertain the generations to come. Lastly, I would like to thank you all for your constant support towards the Mendes family. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2021.