MARGAO: Several tiatr directors and producers preparing to release their new tiatrs will once again not be able to stage their shows for Easter at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao as the main auditorium named after Pai Tiatrist Joao Agostinho Fernandes will be shut for a month for carrying out maintenance works.
It is pertinent to note that this is not the first time the main auditorium has been closed, as in November, last year, during International Film Festival of India, the same remained shut, as the tiatr fraternity had no other auditorium to stage their tiatr shows.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Ravindra Bhavan sources said that the main auditorium will be closed from March 18 to April 18 and may extend further if the maintenance works are not completed in time.
However, a group of tiatr directors said that they have agreed to the hall’s closure but with the conditions that the works should be completed on time.
The authorities had also cited repair works as the reason for the auditorium’s closure in November. And now, yet again, RBM will be carrying out the repair works of the auditorium.
Sources stated that this time the stage repair works will be carried out and there is no information as to when the works will be completed.
On the other hand, several tiatr directors and producers will be deprived of releasing their tiatr shows in the auditorium for Easter and will be forced to move their shows to villages.
Reacting to the news, noted tiatr director Pascoal de Chicalim said that closure of auditorium taking place during the peak season when tiatr writers/directors are releasing their new tiatrs.
“This is the only happening place to showcase our talent to the tiatr hungry crowd of surrounding villages, but alas, the government does not care for us. Tiatr directors again will shed tears silently due to this odd behaviour of the management and government,” he charged.
He said that he had booked a show in January last week but the management cancelled my show and allotted him a later date (April 21).
“This is harassment to the tiatr directors to stop their tiatrs in these government auditoriums altogether,” he alleged.
Comedian Sally said that RBM had called for meeting of the tiatr directors to deliberate on the issue and upon the same, tiatr directors/producers agreed to the RBM’s proposal to carry out maintenance work. However, at the same time, he said that it will affect the release of new tiatr shows.
“RBM had placed the proposal before the tiatr directors and hence it was agreed to allow it to carry out the repair works. The works should be completed within the stipulated time or else it will affect the tiatr fraternity in a big way,” he said.
O Heraldo’s efforts to contact RBM chairman Rajendra Talak to seek his views on the issue proved futile as his cellphone was not reachable.
