Team Herald
PANJIM: A day after a house-full theatre performance was disrupted due to faulty lights at Kala Academy, artists, culture activists and Opposition parties have come down heavily on the State government for what they referred to as faulty renovation of the landmark venue after several crores were spent on the job.
On Sunday, the Marathi play Purush was disrupted for nearly 15 minutes on Sunday evening due to a lighting glitch, prompting actors Sharad Ponkshe and Spruha Joshi to apologise to the audience. A video of the interruption has since gone viral on social media.
Actor Sharad Ponkshe, speaking to media after the show, called the situation ‘unfortunate’ and said the carefully designed lighting effects of the production were lost due to technical failure. He also lamented the lack of a dedicated manager for the prestigious venue and urged the Chief Minister to ensure proper management and infrastructure
improvements.
The incident has swung the focus back on long-standing concerns over the quality of renovation and allegations of mismanagement at Goa’s premier cultural institution.
Goa Forward Party (GFP) President and MLA Vijai Sardesai termed the episode a ‘fiasco’ and questioned whether the state government would take responsibility. “Will Sharad Ponkshe’s observations be ignored like the oft-repeated concerns raised by Goan theatre artists and activists?” Sardesai asked. He also criticised the delay in delivering justice in various public forums, suggesting that inaction continues
to prevail.
Dance practitioner and culture activist Cecille Rodrigues also condemned the incident, calling it an ‘embarrassment’, particularly since the performance featured prominent Marathi artists from Maharashtra. “It is shameful that we, the taxpayers, are not getting the benefits of this public-funded facility. The Art and Culture Minister should resign for making false promises and overseeing substandard renovation work,” she said.
Actor and Kala Academy Task Force member Francis Coelho echoed these sentiments, stating that repeated warnings about the poor quality of lighting and sound systems had gone unheeded. “The current lighting system is unfit for theatrical productions — it’s more suited for dance bars or discotheques. Despite being on the task force, we have only attended meetings with no outcomes. The Chief Minister does not even grant us an appointment,” Coelho alleged, calling on Goans to ‘wake up and save Goa’.
Reacting to the incident, actor Rajdeep Naik pointed out that artists have consistently raised concerns about the venue’s sound and acoustic systems. “Actor Sharad Ponkshe had to apologise to the audience because of technical faults – not his own. The government has ignored our repeated warnings. A committee was formed, but we are unaware of its findings,” Naik said, appealing to Chief Minister Sawant and BJP State President Damu Naik to act promptly and address the issue.
Cultural activist and Kala Rakhonn Mand Convenor Devidas Amonkar, who is also part of the task force, reiterated that members had repeatedly flagged concerns regarding substandard renovation work. “We have mentioned in task force meetings that the lights and sound system are below standard. However, the minister insists everything is fine. If there is a mistake, it should be acknowledged,” he stated.
Despite mounting criticism, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the Public Works Department (PWD) portfolio, remained tight-lipped on the matter. He declined to comment when questioned by reporters on Monday. The Kala Academy was reopened to the public in 2023 following extensive renovations.