18 Jan 2020  |   05:10am IST

'Padrik Nanv Na?' reaches UK Goans first

Konkani film ‘Padrik Nanv Na?’, written and directed by Valerian Vaz and Viraj Salkar, is the first Konkani film to be released in the UK before Goa. Following a successful premiere in the UK, the film will now be released in Goa on Sunday, January 19, 2020. The film highlights the struggles of priests in Goa

 

 

There are Konkani films that have been based on Goan priests. However,

Valerian Vaz thought of focusing more on the issues that happen in everyday life and the fake allegations that some men of the cloth have faced. As a young man who also wanted to become a priest, this Agassaim resident knows about the struggles a priest goes through more closely. “There are some incidents in society where fake allegations or property scams are blamed on the local priest. Whether it is true or not is secondary but the first finger is always pointed at the priest. I was thinking of a story line that would work with the Goan audience and wrote my own script, which was later made into a screenplay with the help of Viraj Salkar. To get the film on the floor, we did the casting according to the characters in my mind. The film also focuses on communal harmony between Hindus, Muslims and Catholics,” says Vaz, who took a break from his work in the UK to release the film.

Written and directed by Vaz and Salkar, the film has been produced by Vaz and co-produced by Andre Teixeira, starring Pradeep Naik, Nitin Kolvenkar, Vishwajeet Phadte, Vinod Vernekar, Fr Salvador, Fr Savio Costa, Damodar Dicholkar and Damodar Naik. “I had seen Pradeep Naik acting in tiatrs and felt he was best suited for the role of the priest. I directly cast him in the film, while Nitin, who also plays the lead role, had to be selected through auditions. The complete crew was from Goa and it took some time to find the right locations and technicians,” says Vaz.

The film premiered in the UK and was released at the hands of Comedian Augustine on October 5, 2019 in Southall. The film was screened twice at Wembley and Swindon. “The poster and trailer of the film were released by the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Ferrao. The film will be released in Goa on January 19 in Margao

“The film has received great reviews in the UK. I want every Goan to watch the film and make up their minds about the film and the concept. I have put in a lot of effort and if the film does well then it will motivate me to do another Konkani film in the future,” says Vaz optimistically.