16 May 2020  |   03:12am IST

Goa is the undisputed cultural & entertainment capital of India

Everything is in place to make the state a very important centre for the entertainment industry what with talent and excellent locales present but the absence of infrastructure is obvious

Team Café Café@herald-goa.com

With its beautiful locales and scenic settings, Goa had become the de facto destination of choice for many films and TV show shoots. Myriad Bollywood productions and even international films have been shot here. With the success of Nachom-iaKumpasar at the national and international stage, the local Konkani film industry has seen a huge increase in the number of films being produced. IFFI has been a roaring success ever since it got permanently rooted in Goa.

But bottlenecks remain. Equipment and studios are simply non-existent. For any major shoot, equipment is often trucked in from Mumbai adding a massive and unnecessary cost overhead. Can this be an opportunity for Goan entrepreneurs?

Amit Satija, CEO of ESG said, “Goa is a land that has plentiful of creative resources and talents. It has always struck a perfect balance between traditional and western entertainment avenues. It will only be matter of time that Goan entertainment industry showcases its true potential to the world. ESG will explore all avenues and provide all necessary support through which this dream can be turned into reality.”

Aritra Mukherjee of JumpCutGoa, said “Goa breeds creativity and craft. In spite of an ever increasing population of established film makers, musicians, artists, designers and other creative minds settling in to Goa, there is lot to be desired in how this influx can be used to advantage. With a bit of regularization, there’s an entire industry waiting to boom. Let’s work towards making that happen.”

In recent years, Sunaparanta, Heritage Studio, Museum of Goa, Cube Gallery, Gallery Gitanjali, Carpe Diem and many smaller venues have lit up the art scene with beautifully curated art, photography and sculpture shows. Besides these, a bunch of art festivals, several photo exhibitions and literary festivals. Finally, Goa is reclaiming its heritage!

Samira Sheth said, “Kids in India know Picasso and Van Gogh but have not heard of FN Souza and VS Gaitonde. These Indian Masters achieve record breaking prices in international auctions yet there is little awareness about them in their homeland of Goa. We need to turn the spotlight on Goa's rich artistic legacy and its thriving contemporary art scene to propel it into and place it firmly on the world cultural map.”

The crafts scene has also evolved quite dramatically. From local kunbi weavers assisted by fashion and design specialists who are now producing sarees and scarves to local village women picking up long forgotten crafts like crochet, quilting and

Sharda Kerkar of Museum of Goa said, “We need to move away from a mass production approach to support India's second largest workforce after agriculture–the artists and craftsmen of our country. Goa has the potential to become the art and cultural capital of India and now is the time to invest in our rich heritage.”

Nikhil Chinapa of Submerge said, “No amount of sugarcoating is going to change the fact, the virus is here to stay and this is our new normal. As an industry where social distancing is an alien concept, we need to adapt and innovate and create a new system to work and run our events by. Health and safety will have to take topmost priority at events. Systems will need to be developed for all aspects – ticketing, toilets and entry/exit for all personnel - guests as well as crew and staff.”

The culinary scene on Goa has simply exploded in recent years. At every segment, thousands of restaurants and café s offer a variety of Indian and international cuisines. But can this last? Can this break be the rebirth of the true Goan simple, home-cooked meal? The situation is giving rise to many entrepreneurial ideas and some of these will certainly see the light of day soon.

Rev Ryan Semelhago of Zodo said, “Times are dynamic. All we have to do is look at things differently. Change is drastic and the learning curve is steep. The food and restaurant businesses will have to innovate toward a new normal. From where I sit, I am not worried because I see these as a time for exciting opportunities.”