TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: Recently re-instated Goa Kala Academy Chairman Vishnu Surya Wagh took a pot-shot at the State government’s tedious procedure for obtaining financial assistance to filmmakers of Goan origin and called for simplifying the financial scheme.
Wagh, who was previously divested of the GKA chairmanship due to differences with the BJP-led State government, was speaking at the felicitation function organized by Canacona Lions and Anujit Creations to honour ‘Nachoim-ia Kumpasar’ director Bardroy Barreto in Canacona on Tuesday.
Wagh, who had a love-hate relationship with the BJP government of which he is the St Andre MLA, stated that right from beginning he is for simplifying the procedures to obtain financial assistance under the government schemes.
“I do not like the (tedious) procedure where applicants are made to submit expenses and other bills at regular interval to claim financial assistance. Instead, government should simplify the procedure, where-in a certain amount is paid, for a fixed period (like six months). Obtain feedback on the progress made with the given financial assistance, then pay the second installment. Asking to produce bills and expenses too often does not prove good in providing financial assistance to film producers, Wagh said.
Goa Konkani Academy Chairman Pundalik N Naik who opined that felicitation of cinema artistes is a rare compared to felicitation of tiatrists, natak artists, etc, said that after Mumbai, Goa is the only place where local dramas are very often achieving 100 shows.
Pundalik virtually praised the Christian community saying, “the staging of century shows first began with tiatrs mostly written and produced by people belonging to Christian community. Even most Konkani films are produced by Goans who are incidentally also Christians, who migrated worked and with experiences gained from Bollywood.
industry. There was no government assistance till the Konkani film Bhuierantlo Munis. Now, Hindus too have begun to produce Konkani films and Konkani nataks which have also begun to achieve the century landmark.”
’While many Goans who have migrated elsewhere during and post Portuguese era may have not made it great, the lucky ones like Bardroy Barreto, have earned name and fame for himself, his family and the State, especially his home taluka– Canacona’, Naik stated sarcastically.
In the presence of Lions Club Canacona president (Dr) Vilas Pawaskar and Anujit Creations President R B S Komarpant, Goa Konkani Academy Chairman Pundalik S Naik, Canacona Municipal Council Chairperson Simon Rebello, Goa Kala Academy Chairman Vishnu Surya Wagh presented a shawl, sreefal and a memento to Bardroy Barreto for his splendid film Nachoim-ia Kumpasar.
Bardroy, whose relatives and villagers of his native Galgibaga (in Poinguinim) were also present for the function, responded saying only his ten-year hard work in the field made him to achieve a production of his dream. ‘There’s more to come, certainly’, Barreto assured of his future plans in the Konkani film industry’
