After 40 days of abstinence, fasting and prayer during the season of Lent, the commercial tiatr directors are all set to entertain the tiatr audience with their new Easter releases.
In fact, the October releases and its conclusion just before Lent helped the tiatr directors to enjoy a halt from those continuous city and village shows. And the 40-day break in Lenten season motivated them to prepare and come in full swing for the forthcoming Easter season which stretches till May-end with their new productions.
During the season of Lent, those directors who had come staging Lenten shows annually in various parishes, continued with their mission in all earnest. But availability of several seasoned artistes during Lent, prompted some tiatr directors to come out with ‘tiatrs’ in disguise of Lenten shows, thus providing sheer entertainment and distracting the minds of the Catholic community.
No doubt, there were a handful of Lenten shows staged across Goa which provided food for the soul. And many who watched those
shows in villages and cities returned home enriched spiritually.
With the dawn of Easter season, there are around 13 new tiatrs from different commercial tiatr directors to be released in Goa simultaneously. And the tiatr lovers will be entertained with a galaxy of artistes, comedians and singers.
This Easter season is the shortest season for the commercial tiatr directors, yet all efforts are made to provide good entertainment to the tiatr audience in the form of good storyline, comedy and songs. And the tiatr that clicks with a good number of shows in cities and villages will probably continue further depending on the demand and requests from the organizers.
The new Easter releases include ‘Amchea Ghorant’ by Prince Jacob, ‘Girgirem’ by Roseferns, ‘Hem Ghor Tujem Nhoi’ by comedian Sally, ‘Ger’rak Nhoi Vor’rak Melo’ by Francis de Tuem, ‘Saibinn Maim Chuklim Ami’ by Dominic Fernandes, ‘Mhojea Jivitachi Kanni’ by Wilmix, ‘Osadd’ by Franky Gonsalves, ‘Rogot’ by Menino de Bandar, ‘Mhozo Daddy’ by comedian Myron, ‘Parveachem Rogot Dhovem ani Kavlleachem Rogot Kallem?’ by Peter/Roshan, ‘Sonvsar Chear Disancho? Kai Monis Chear Disancho?’ by comedian Joyel, ‘Bara Brestar Tera Sukrar’ by Aleixin de Morjim and ‘Tuka Odhikar Nam’ by Selvin de Siolim.
To commemorate 50 years on the tiatr stage as an actor and singer, Wilson Mazarello (Wilmix) will be staging his tiatr ‘Mhojea Jivitachi Kanni’. He started his ‘tiatristponn’ along with the likes of C Alvares, Prem Kumar, Alfred Rose, M Boyer, Jacint Vaz, Robin Vaz, Seby Coutinho and several tiatrists of yester years.
Throwing light on his new production, Wilmix said, “My tiatr ‘Mhojea Jivitachi Kanni’ has a story that relates with the life of every Goan. It is in the format of original traditional tiatr with seven ‘podd’dde’ and songs in the form of solos, duets, trios, quartets.” “For those enjoying ‘cantos’, he said there are several of them wrapped in the tiatr and a child artiste singer Mezioh and a magician performing on stage are some of the novelties.”
Usually the tiatr directors rope in seasoned comedians to entertain with laughter pills, but Wilmix has introduced college students as comedians and they will enthrall the audience with their natural comedy. Some of his earlier 25 productions include ‘Devan Sanddunk Nam’, ‘Tiatrist’, ‘Sukhti Bhorti’, ‘Chorachea Horddeant Dukh’, ‘Durig’, ‘Ladies Specialist’, ‘Chor-Pulis’ and several others.
Francis de Tuem’s 9th production ‘Ger’rak Nhoi Vor’rak Melo’ will be released in Goa with three shows, followed by 7 shows in the UK.
He has always come doing his homework thoroughly well and he expects a crowd puller for this release as well.
“As people have many expectations from my productions,” informed Francis de Tuem, “there’s politics, a good storyline wrapped with a good dose of comedy and songs.” “It will be a complete entertainer for my tiatr lovers, with a message to carry home,” he added.
Aleixin de Morjim’s tiatr ‘Bara Brestar Tera Sukrar’ bagged the second prize at Kala Academy’s Tiatr ‘A’ Group Competition this year and he feels excited to bring it to a wider audience in villages and cities across Goa this Easter season. He has come performing for the KA’s tiatr competition from 2013 and since then he has hopped into the commercial tiatr shoes.
Roseferns 104th production ‘Girgirem’ carries a family story and the new entrants in his troupe include Patricia, who performed earlier in comedian Ambe’s tiatr. There’s Benzer and Prakash Marathe too who have been roped in for his new release and instead of comedian Nato, Ben Evangelisto will be wearing the comical shoes with Meena, Agnel, Juvinel and Steven.
Kuwait-based Dominic Fernandes will be releasing his tiatr ‘Saibinn Maim Chuklim Ami’ across Goa from April 6. It carries a family story with all artistes from Goa. Some of his artistes include Priscila, Venita, Manisha, Jones, Gracy, Alister, while the singers are Savio, Aniceto,
Rons, Marcus, Xavier Gomes, Xavier de Maina
and Lanessa. The comedians roped in are Piety and Lino.
Tiatr ‘Sonvsar Chear Disancho? Kai Monis Chear Disancho?’ penned by comedian Agostinho and directed by comedian Joyel has Normandez in place of Pascoal Rodrigues and the comedians include David, Joyel and Flavia. Among the singers, apart from Benny de Aldona, Tony de Ribandar has also been roped in.
Regards the new Easter releases, Margao, Maddel-based Filipe Dias, who is an ardent tiatr lover, says, “to maintain the sanctity and bring up the standard of tiatr on the Konkani stage, vulgarity should go and be wiped off at all costs. “It appears that comedy is at the point of extinction; hence double meaning comedy is ruling and empowering the tiatr stage today. Let natural comedy, as before, empower the tiatr stage and entertain the tiatr audience,” he said.
When Filipe goes to watch tiatrs, he expects to view tiatrs with a good storyline and a message or two to carry home. “Only a few tiatr directors will deliver as per the expectations of the audience and they win instant appreciation and applause from the tiatr lovers,” he noted.
Another tiatr lover from Fontainhas-Panjim, Rafael Pereira said that many people come to watch tiatrs viewing the tiatr posters. But they finally get disappointed when they find their favourite artistes and singers not there on stage on the day of presentation. “Earlier, the tiatr directors would apologize before the start of the show if any artiste was replaced due to unavoidable circumstances. But today it is not the case and the tiatr director goes by his whims and fancies, taking the audience for granted,” he said.
“The audience expectations are always high when going to watch tiatrs,” Rafael continued, “but when tiatr lovers are seated to view shows, they are forced to digest cheap and vulgar comedy. This treatment has to be stopped somewhere so that everyone gets full entertainment worth the ticket cost.”
Tiatr ‘Mhozo Daddy’ is the first production of comedian Myron in the commercial field and he has dedicated his work on stage to his father, late comedian Selvy. As his father received ample support from the audience, he also expects the same from all his tiatr fans.
What the first product of comedian Myron will be depends on the acceptance or rejection from the audience. And if this tiatr clicks among the viewers, then it will be an easy pathway for more productions to follow from the young director.
Some of the old productions which are being re-released for Easter include ‘Goemkarachim Dukham’ by Pascoal de Chicalim, ‘Bessaum’
by John D’Silva, ‘Mhojem Kalliz Otrekta’ by Dominic Carvalho and ‘Chint Munxea Vogot Astanam’ by JosEvon.
