After months of anticipation, finally Goans will have the opportunity to head to Ravindra Bhavan, Margao today to watch the Konkani film, ‘Osmitay’ as Mandd Sobhann makes their production debut at 7.30 pm. With the story written by Eric Ozario, the film is directed by Vilas Ratnakar Kshatriya with screenplay and dialogues by Joel Pereira.
This film follows a young couple as they trace their roots through the narrative of migration from Goa and showcases the visual splendour of Konkani’s rich folk heritage. The filmmakers take the audience on a scenic journey of the coast while bringing to life the rich heritage of Goa through song and music.
The talented quartet of Alwyn Fernandes, Cajetan Dias, Joel Pereira, and Eric Ozario, featuring the renowned singer Nihal Tauro and an array of talented vocalists created the music for the film. The cast includes stellar performances by Goan actors, Prince Jacob, Sayish Panandikar, Gaurish Vernekar, Lulu Fortes, along with Mangalorean artistes, Denis Monteiro, Ashwin D’Costa, Wencita Dias, Stany Alvares, Nellu Permannur, Sunil Siddi and Naveen Lobo.
Eric Ozario, a distinguished recipient of the prestigious Rajyotsava Award from Karnataka State, is a seasoned musician renowned for elevating Konkani music to unprecedented heights especially in Mangalore. Eric is the brains behind the film, “We have been working on this film for the past one year but this film has been in the process for the last 15 years. It is a big budgeted project and every minute detail is looked into for the film,” says Eric of Mandd Sobhann, all the way from Mangalore.
President of Mandd Sobhann, Louis J Pinto promises that the film is a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Konkani art and storytelling. “The story is about how we came to be this culturally rich community with different songs and dances like the Siddi dance, Kharvi dance, Dekhnni and Manddo. The 144 minutes film is truly entertaining and the music is well recorded,” says Louis, who is travelling with the film to Goa.
Speaking about the international screenings, he informs, “The film was internationally screened at Mississauga, Canada on October 7 and on October 15 at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Adelaide, Australia. ‘Osmitay’ will be screened in Goa from October 27 in theatres in Margao and Panjim. Each of the theatres will have a show each at 7.30 pm. On October 27, it will be screened at Qatar, followed by London on October 29 and Muscat, Oman on November 3. We plan to screen the film in 20 countries around the world.”
Lulu Fortes, the vocalist of Rhythm N Blues, is no stranger when it comes to belting musical wonders. She has been singing for over four decades and this is will be her big screen debut as she will be acting in the film for the very first time. “This was a totally new experience for me. This is a big scale movie and the filming and sound is done on the same level as a Bollywood movie. It is a sort of a documentary but based on a fictional story. In the film, I play the role of a media person who goes to Mangalore to interview the storyteller. It is a great story in search of an identity of the Konkan region,” says Lulu, who is joined by Goan actors like Prince Jacob and Gaurish Vernekar among others.
Singer, composer, music director and the director of the internationally renowned Goan Folklore troupe ‘Kepemchim Kirnnam,’ Elvis Goes led his troupe which is featured in the movie as they perform Mando and Dekhni performances. Elvis has done the main vocals for both the Mando and the Dekhni along with Victoria Da Costa, Melita D’Costa and other artists from Kepemchim Kirnnam. The music of both the songs were recorded, re-arranged and initially mixed by Kreutzer Svilen Goes at Britto’s Home Studio, Goa.
The Mando dancers that are featured in the film include Late Johnson Fernandes who passed away recently and this was his last performance, Celina Azavedo, Alexander Azavedo, Meena D’Costa E Nair besides the singers – Lynnette Goes, Wilma Lopes, Minoshka Fernandes, Jerson Dourado, Rohan Denis, Britto Benjamin Baptista (singer and bass guitar), Kreisler Mozart Goes (singer and Ghumot player), Kreutzer Svilen Goes (singer and guitar), Orville Lourenco (violin and mandolin for Dekhni) and Keith Azavedo (violin). The Dekhni artistes from Kepemchim Kirnnam, who are featured in ‘Osmitay’ are Glorio Goes as Tarya Mama-the boat man with the dancers being Linnet D’Silva, Deona Elsa Pereira, Astrid Colaco, Shiya Naik, Sela Fernandes and Shamina Abrona D’Costa.
“When Eric requested me to be a part of the film, I could not refuse. A total of 21 artistes travelled to Mangalore in the month of March for the shooting and we performed ‘Doryachem Lharari’ as a Mando and ‘Hanv Saiba Poltoddi Vetam’ as a Dekhnni. Those were busy days as it was the Holy Week and yet, we returned to Goa on completing the shoot. The recording for the songs were done in Goa,” says Elvis Goes, who is excited to attend the film premiere.
The relationship between Elvis Goes and Eric Ozario been a long standing one. The group had performed in Mangalore at the inaugural ceremony of Kalaangann, the Konkani Heritage Centre, besides at Moinealli Manchi (The monthly theatre) at Kalaangann, the Mando Utsav at St Aloysius College grounds in Mangalore. Kepemchim Kirnnam also had the distinction of being a part of the ‘World Record’ that was created in Mangalore for the world’s longest singing marathon by multiple singers, an event organised in Mangalore by Eric Ozario’s Mandd Sobhann in January 2008 thus making Konkani enter the Guinness Book Of World Records.
Vaibhav Kamat from Goa was crowned ‘Rai Kogull’ (King Nightingale) at Soad-5 Mangoa’, the Konkani television singing contest in January last year. The finale was in Mangalore and the prize was cash prize and a concert performance in London in October 2022. However, impressed by his voice, Vaibhav was asked to sing the title track of the film, ‘Osmitay Tuji.’ “The song was written by Joel Pereira and the music is by Cajetan Dias. We recorded the song in February in Mangalore. I am excited to host the premiere show in Margao,” says Vaibhav, who is an engineer by profession and is also an emcee for shows.
Saish Poi Panandikar is a noted Konkani, singer, writer and actor. He will be seen playing a pivotal role in the film. “I play the role of Laxman Shirodi Pai who is a 17th century Goan, who refuses to get converted by the Portuguese and is executed by the Portuguese. A few generations later, it is his a descendant of his who comes down from the US in search of his roots and comes searching for history of his family,” says Saish.
Speaking about his experience working with the team, Saish says, “The experience was very good. The film was screened in different places since its release on September 15 in Mangalore and in Mangalore itself, the film had over 350 screenings. I received a lot of appreciation and the film has received this response because of the relationship Eric Ozario has maintained with the Mangalorean community across the world. This marketing skill should be studied as Goan diaspora is also spread across the world.”
Saish is the Goan representative in the Executive Board of Mandd Sobhann. “The film is beautifully done with from the North to the South of Kanara. Mandd Sobhann is a very rare institution that is run without any government support. They have a theatre college, a museum and even a centre for literature, which is really amazing as a cultutral hub in Mangalore,” says Saish, who has known Eric Ozario since 1982.
