SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2024
Dolcy D’Cruz
Tragedy King Mario Menezes is in great spirits, not only
because his new tiatr for the season, ‘Amkam Kiteak Poddla’, will be staged
shortly, but also for winning the Dalgado Cultural Award. In the tiatr world
for nearly 35 years, Mario is of the opinion that this award has come to him at
the most apt time of this career. “I am very happy to be awarded the Dalgado
Cultural Award as this annual award acknowledges a person’s lifetime
contribution. I would like to thank the President of Dalgado Konknni Akademi,
Premanand Lotlikar, and the committee members for the award.”
DKA will be presenting its annual awards for 2014 to personalities and institutions who have contributed to the development of Konkani in the Roman script and the preservation of Goa’s rich cultural heritage. Six awards in different categories will be presented to Tomazinho Cardozo, Mario Menezes, Francisco Martins, Fausto V Da Costa, Xaverian Publication Society (for ‘Vavraddeancho Ixtt’) and Fr Luis Xavier Gomes. Deputy Chief Minister of Goa Adv Francis D’Souza will be the Chief Guest while Fr Manuel Gomes, Visiting Professor of Rachol Seminary, Mater Dei, Old Goa and Gujarat Vidyadeep, Baroda, will be the Guest of Honour.
Originally from Chinchinim, Mario, the son of Late Leopoldino Menezes and Late Esmeralda Noronha, works for Mormugao Port Trust as Office Superintendent. He made his debut in tiatr at the age of 6 years and joined the professional stage with Fr Freddy J Da Costa’s ‘Doxea’ in 1981. From then on, he was offered roles in tiatrs by directors like Rosario Rodrigues, Roseferns, Prince Jacob, Comedian Agostinho, Jose Rod, Pascoal Rodrigues, Patrick Dourado, Ligorio Fernandes and Menino De Bandar, to name a few.
Married to Epiphania and the father of two lovely daughters, Rioma and Riosha, Mario has written and directed 38 tiatrs including the upcoming tiatr, ‘Amkam Kiteak Poddla’ and has performed in nearly 10,000 shows. He was crowned the Tragedy King of Konkani Stage for the tragic characters he has portrayed. “In April 2011, with my 25th production ‘Rogtacho Rong Tambdo’, I created a record of writing and directing 25 tiatrs within a span of just nine and a half years. I introduced the Triple Revolving Stage without curtains for the first time on the Konkani stage in my tiatr ‘Maim Tuka Khoim Soddun’. I have also published two of my tiatrs, ‘Uprant Roddun Kiteak Upkarta’ and ‘Beiman Kir’, in book form through Tiatr Academy of Goa,” says Mario.
Mario has rendered his voice in more than 80 CDs and cassettes and has acted in more than 18 video films. He has directed two video films and four CDs. The long list of awards he has won over the years holds testament to his amazing talent. His honours include Best Actor (1981), Best Director and Best Performance (1992), ‘Goa Bandh’ and Best Duo with Lawry Travasso in 2002 at Kala Academy Tiatr Festival. He won the Gulab Best Actor in 1985 for ‘Amchem Ghor’, Best Director for ‘He Chukik Bogsonem asa?’ in 2001, for ‘Tiatr Somplo Cholat Ghara’ in 2003, for ‘Tanchem Chintat Tevui Munxeam’ in 2005 and Best Writer for ‘Sangat Ami Burguim Khonachim’ in 2004 and for ‘Tanchem Chintat Tevui Munxean’ in 2005. He won the Dr Jack Sequiera Award for Best Director for ‘Kal Aiz Ani Falleam’ in 2009, for ‘Beiman Kir’in 2010, for ‘Hatachin Panch Bottam’ in 2011 and Best Tiatr for ‘Maim Tuka Khoim Soddum’ in 2012 Best Actor for ‘Beiman Kir’ in 2010.
He was amongst the first three in all editions of the Tiatr Academy Popular Tiatr Festival. In the first year, he won First Place for Best Actor and Best Director and second place for Script and Performance for ‘Beiman Kir.’ In the second year, he won awards for ‘Futtleli Boxi’ and in the third year he won the first place for negative role in ‘Xirlo’. In the fourth Year of Tiatr Academy Popular Tiatr Festival, he won the first place for Writer, Director and Performance for ‘Hi Vatt Khoim Veta’ and the following year he won the second place for Director, Script and Performance for ‘Omtea Kollxear Udok’. In the sixth year of the awards, he won the second place for PERFORMANCE and third place for director for ‘Eke Fottik Xembhor Fotti.’ The Goa Konkani Academy also awarded him for Best Script for ‘Tanchem Chintat Tivui Munxeam’.
He has been felicitated by the Kuwait Goa Tiatristanchi Sounstha, Kala Mogi Kuwait, Dubai Cultural Club, Simba Club London, Cultural Club Of Ahmedabad, Nagpur Goans Association, Lions Club of Navelim and Colva, Kanta Boys Abu Dhabi, Nerul Mumbai Parishioners, Sonapur Parishioners, Mumbai and many more. He is associated with many social and cultural clubs all over Goa and is presently Vice President of Non Stop Tiatristanchi Soustha as well as Menezes Theatre.
Mario however is hurt that his contribution towards tiatr hasn’t yet been recognised by Kala Academy. “Every year, Kala Academy celebrated Tiatr Day by felicitating personalities from the field of tiatr. With so many years in the industry, I feel hurt that Kala Academy has not considered my work. There are artists who have not done 10 per cent of my contribution and are recognised through Kala Academy. They have not directed as many tiatrs, have not promoted it internationally whereas I rightfully have shown my work to the world,” says Mario.
Speaking about how he intends to promote Konkani in Roman script in the future, Mario says, “Konkani in the Roman script is neglected and disowned by Goans and the one organisation that is trying to preserve and uplift the script is Dalgado Konknni Akademi. Tiatrists who are making the maximum use of Romi Lipi by writing the scripts and songs in Romi Lipi are doing nothing about it. It is high time that we showed our support to make Romi Lipi an official language. We should fight for the rightful place of the script. The script is most used for our religious functions and liturgy and yet is it not treated as an official script.”
The Dalgado Cultural Award will be presented on March 23, 2015 at 4.30pm at the Conference Hall of Institute Menezes Braganza, Panjim
