TEAM HERALD

MARGAO: Noted Konkani tiatr stage artiste and recipient of the Goa State Cultural award, Anil Chandrakant Devulkar popularly known as Anil Kumar passed away on early Friday morning. He was 63 and is survived by his wife Fatima and son Kenneth.

His last rites will be performed at the Margao crematorium at 4 pm on Saturday.

Anil Kumar breathed his last at around 6 am at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim where he was admitted around six days ago for high diabetes. Fatima said Anil’s leg had to be amputated as he had developed kidney complications.

Born on March 12, 1951 in Chandor, Anil Kumar had first started acting in Marathi nataks staged during the local festivals. He had also acted as a child artiste in various Marathi nataks produced in Mumbai when he was staying with his uncle. 

He is believed to have started acting in Konkani tiatr at the age of 17. There was no looking back since then and Anil Kumar had bagged host of awards during his career spanning 47 years, including the Dalgado Konknni Akademi Cultural Award, Tiatr Academy of Goa Lifetime Achievement Award for contribution to Konkani stage,  the last award being the State Cultural Award for his contribution to tiatr and acting.

A family source said that Anil Kumar had acted in tiatr written and directed by stalwarts of the Konkani stage such as Prem Kumar, M Boyer, C Alvares, Remmie Colaco, Jacinto Vaz, John Claro, Kamat de Assolna, Ligorio etc.

Tiatr produced and directed by Anil Kumar include Bhirant, Dev Podvedar, Savlli, Divea Pondak, Otmo, Maim –what is this, Raveena Hanga Nit Nam etc. He had produced his own audio albums includes Anifa, Dennem, Hello London etc and had acted in Konkani feature films such as Girestkai, To Dis Udelo, Dovlot etc. Sources said that Anil Kumar had acted in the Hindi feature film Laxman Rekha and acted in the Hindi TV serial Circus.

Former Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat condoled Anil Kumar’s death, saying that Goa has lost a eminent Konkani stage artiste. “Anil Kumar was one of the handful of artistes from the Hindu community who made it big in Konkani tiatr.” 

President of Tiatr Akademi of Goa, Prince Jacob said that that Konkani tiatr stage has lost a good artiste. “We have lost a good and a disciplined artist. He had knowledge of the Marathi stage as well. Anil Kumar had worked in my  tiatr and he was indeed a good and disciplined artiste”, Jacob said.

The Federation of Film Fraternity of Goa has also mourned the sad demise of Anil Kumar and extend their condolences to his family, stated Dyaneshwar Govekar, Acting President of FFFG.