An alumnus of Loyola High School, Margao, Canacona’s Bardroy
Barretto remained un-acclaimed when it came to his work in film production,
until 2014, when his film, ‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’, took the film circuit, locally
and otherwise, by storm. Produced with a budget of just Rs 3.5 crore, the film
goes to prove that the labour of love can trump box office spending, as a lot
was put into the film by Bardroy’s compatriots who looked to make his endeavour
a smashing success.
‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’ pays tribute to Goan music and the
musicians behind it from the glory days of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The film has come
a long way since its debut in 2014, bagging three honours at the 62nd National
Film Awards with two awards and one special mention.
Director Bardroy Barretto and Producer Agnelo Braganza have
since been receiving calls from Goan associations in the Middle East, Europe,
America, Australia and Canada asking them to hold screenings of the film. In
terms of finding an international platform, the film has so far only been
screened in Doha. Qatar. When the film
last found its way to Qatar, the online portal, Daijiworld, a media network
that is run by the Konkani-speaking
community comprising Mangaloreans as well as others, lauded the production as
one that “captivated audiences”. In keeping with this, the team behind the film
has decided to take the film to several venues in the Middle East as their
first step forward.
As is the case with all things logistical, ‘Nachom-ia
Kumpasar’ has a few hurdles to cross before it can make its way to the droves
of Goans that eagerly await the screening of the much lauded film. Bardroy
adds, “Getting screenings cleared can be quite tricky as every region has its
own little niggles in terms of planning and clearances, and there is the factor
of viability that needs to be addressed. However, we plan on getting these
eliminated at the earliest to enable our audiences to view a film that is
clearly, on the basis of response alone, rather well anticipated.”
As things currently stand, the screening schedule for the
film will see Muscat in Oman getting their seats to their first screening on
May 1, which will then be followed by Kuwait at the end of May, with May 29 or
30 being touted as a probable date for screening. Another locale that has
clearly emphasised on their interest in having a screening set up is Doha,
which will happen in the month of June. In similar vein, another such screening
is likely to come to pass in Bahrain within the same month. The dates for the
screenings in June are yet to be confirmed. However, what some might find
surprising is that Dubai, which serves as a massive pool of Goan, well, ‘ness’,
has not been concretely factored into the Middle Eastern screening plan and is,
as Bardroy says, “A work in progress.”
With Goans in the Middle East now set to get their fix of
‘nach’ and ‘kumpas’, other settlements will have to bide their time as Bardroy
makes his way across the world, one theatre at a time.
