Just as a lotus grows and blooms amidst murky and difficult conditions, Manisha Pereira’s amazing story too is born surrounded by adverse circumstances and hard-ships of life. Three years back, Manisha participated as a poetry reciter in UK’s Awaaz 99.8 FM Community Radio Station’s ‘Konkani Uloi London Fuloi,’ a weekly Konkani radio show, hosted by RJ Roque Vaz, and wowed the worldwide Konkani audience.
Born in Sanguem and brought up in Panchwadi, a village in Ponda taluka, and Sanguem, Manisha endured extreme hardship and economic turbulence to realise most of her childhood dreams till date. Santiago Pereira, her father, a truck driver by profession and a tiatr lover, always hoped that Manisha would create a niche for herself. He would take his family to every tiatr that was staged and it was during this phase of her life that Manisha dreamed of becoming an actor on the Konkani stage. Viviana, Manisha’s doting mother and her main motivator and supporter, wrote regularly for the church bulletin, which in turn inspired Manisha to be a budding actress, passionate poetess and an inspirational author in Konkani. Malistan, her younger brother, too plays a supporting role by motivating her.
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A student of St Anthony’s High School, Amblai, Panchwadi, she completed her Class 12 at Guardian Angel Higher Secondary School, Sanvordem, followed by her graduation in Arts at Government College, Quepem, and finally she secured her Master’s degree in Konkani from Goa University. After Santiago’s demise, Viviana got Manisha enrolled at Pilar Music School, Sanguem, when Fr Mark Fur-tado was the manager. She answered her Music Theory Exams (Trinity College, London) with good marks.
Over the years, Manisha has actively participated in several cultural and literary ac-tivities like state-level comedy skit competitions. She dons the role of a catechist in her local parish, writes for her church magazine and also for Porzoll– the magazine published by the Diocesan Catechetical Centre, Old Goa. Manisha is also a keen member of a Daily Reflection Youth Group where she writes a daily reflection un-der the guidance of Fr Savio Fernandes. She also writes for several popular Kon-kani newspapers and magazines and is gradually earning the reputation of a sea-soned young Konkani writer.
Manisha anchored Konkani news bulletins, recites her own poems and articles and hosts a special series in Konkani titled Jivitacho Prokas via social media. Manisha also has her own YouTube Channel named Manisha Pereira showcasing and doc-umenting her work and achievements. She plans to publish a book of her poems and other written literary works in Konkani.
Manisha is a much-sought after young artiste on the Konkani stage. She has acted in Khell tiatr productions of Xavier De Sanguem, ‘Ghoddttelem Mhunnon’, ‘Vogich Ravlom’ and ‘Punn Koslo Faido’, Nicky Mario’s Carnival khell, ‘Mhoje Kuddicho Sandho’, ‘Suseg Dhi’ and ‘Ekvottan Ravath’, Anthony De Ambajim’s ‘Pai to Pai’, ‘Amkam Nith Zai’ and ‘Marog vo Sovai’ for Carnival Khell and his Lenten drama ‘Patkachem Bhogsonnem’, Rodrigues De Benaulim’s Carnival Khell, ‘Ministeranim Nuim, pun Ami Vinklam Goem’, ‘Andi aha Cheddo, sodit soglo vaddo’ and ‘Devan, Tanchi Nitt Keli’ and Willy Silveira’s tiatr, ‘Khoddpar Bandlelem Ghor.’ She is currently acting in Hortencio Pereira’s new tiatr, ‘Mollbak Hat Tenkona Toxich Devachi Nit Chukona’.
Speaking about her love for Konkani, Manisha says, “I love writing in Konkani. I write poems, articles, monologues and I am very happy that it is well received by a wide audience. For the radio show, ‘Konkani Uloi London Fuloi’, I present all my original work in Konkani. There is an overall theme for each show and RJ Roque Vaz lets me know the theme in advance so I can work on it accordingly.”
RJ Roque Vaz, the creator and radio host of Awaaz FM UK’s ‘Konkani Uloi Lon-don Fuloi’, recalls, “Three years back, when this young girl began reciting Kon-kani poems of established poets on our radio show, little did our team realise that she was evolving into an intellectual and literary powerhouse. Through her sheer determination, never-say-die attitude and her remarkable ability, she has been able to express her writings and creativity for the promotion and preservation of Kon-kani on various platforms for the world to watch and recognise. It was her hard work and perseverance that we gave her the much-deserved title, ‘Sanguem-Panchwadichem Ochorianchem Sallok’ (Sanguem-Panchwadi’s Wondrous Lotus) on our radio show. She now has her own segment on our show with this title where she has presented over 50 presentations which include her own poetry com-positions and recitations, articles and monologues in Konkani. She has grown into a charming media and broadcasting personality. In fact, she has earned the right to be known as an International Youth Icon for Konkani in ways more than one. I have personally visited her family in Panchwadi and seen that in spite of their diffi-culties in life and unfavourable economic conditions, a robust and beautiful lotus has grown, developed and bloomed for the whole world to appreciate and get in-spired.”
Manisha Pereira’s clarion call is that the modern generation should lovingly em-brace the Konkani language in all walks of life, be it locally, nationally or globally. She says, “I am extremely happy whenever I do something different and unique and when people appreciate my creativity with their positive comments.” She ex-presses sincere gratitude that she is blessed with many people who help her regularly to achieve her dreams against all odds.
