Setting the stage for success: The man behind the curtains

However good a tiatr script maybe, followed by good cast and performance, but if the stage sets are not appealing to the eyes, then the production can be a failure. Avito Saldanha, popularly known as Saldanha in the tiatr field, hails from the village of Raia in Salcete taluka and has been successful in stage sets.

Born on June 5, 1972, Saldanha has an interesting tale to relate about how he got into the trade of preparing stage sets, besides the business of catering, which followed simultaneously. His father, late Joaquim Domingos Saldanha, was a good cook and served at Salcete Bar and Restaurant, which was quite popular in Margao during yester years.

After matriculation, Saldanha’s elder brother, Edwin, learnt carpentry at Fr Agnel Ashram, Verna and picked up a small trade at Maddel, Margao. Thereafter, through the employment exchange, he managed to win gainful employment in the Navy.

Due to financial constraints, Saldanha’s father gave up his service as a cook in Goa and proceeded to Kuwait, seeking greener pastures. Meanwhile, after matriculation, Saldanha decided to take up a course in diesel mechanics.

“Many in the family, besides those in the friends circle, were inquiring as to why I did not wish to follow my father’s trade as a cook,” Saldanha informed, but he was not keen about it. Due to ill health, his father had to make a comeback to his roots and never returned overseas.

Thereafter, Saldanha decided to give it a try on the ship, but due to financial constraints, never succeeded. Instead, he took up cookery as the best option, and learnt the nuances and all the skills required for a good cook from his father.

Meanwhile, Saldanha’s brother, after service in the Navy, would move out in the evenings to assist tiatr director, John D’Silva, as a stage manager. “My brother suggested that we could work together on the stage curtains and sets and he bore all the expenses to prepare the ‘podd’dde’,” he revealed.

“Earlier, nobody knew us,” confessed Saldanha, “and when we approached John D’Silva, he gave us a platform to display our ‘podd’dde’ in his tiatr ‘Sokallim’ at Gomant Vidya Niketan.” “Watching our ‘podd’dde’ and other creativity on stage,” he continued, “for the following season, all the tiatr directors started approaching us and seeking our stage service.”

Keeping a track of the demand for stage sets, Saldanha’s brother began watching Marathi nattaks in order to pick up novelty from there. And simultaneously, he started preparing new stage sets for the tiatrs.

After gaining name and fame as Saldanha Caterers for almost 19 years, timely assistance from his brother with all expertise in carpentry, Saldanha became equally popular among the tiatr directors for his stage sets. “Eighteen years into stage setting and 13 years since marriage,” with pride in his heart, Saldanha speaks about unity among the siblings, as both continue to reside under one roof, with a taste of mutual understanding and co-operation.

With regards to preparing new stage curtains, “all our ‘podd’dde’ are prepared by Kishore Naik from Kesarpal, Dodamarg,” Saldanha provides an insight, “we only have to present him with a photograph and the task is fulfilled.” “Rest of the creativity on stage is worked upon by my brother and I assist him in all his tasks,” he stated.

Excluding the villages, Saldanha is ready to assist any tiatr director with stage sets only in the city auditoriums. “Due to huge curtains, it is not feasible to raise them on temporary erected stages in the villages. Instead, they are just apt in the city halls,” he notes.

Seeking timely assistance from mere two employees, Valu from Velim and Lazario from his own village, Saldanha has been successful in business of catering and stage sets. And brotherly help an guidance as and when required helps him to handle both the trades tactfully, professionally and successfully.

Within 18 years Saldanha has assisted in over 200 tiatrs with his stage sets. “Earlier, it was travelling even to the north, namely Panaji and Mapusa,” he conceals, “besides Ponda and Sanvordem. But now, with demand for catering simultaneously, it becomes difficult to move distant places.”

Saldanha mentioned that earlier he has assisted nearly 6 tiatrs each day, with three shows at Gomant Vidya Niketan in Margao, two at Kala Academy in Panaji and one at Sanvordem.  And excluding tiatr director Prince Jacob, who usually seeks help from Chari for stage sets, he has assisted practically all the tiatr directors from south Goa.

With regards to earning profits on the business of stage sets, Saldanha mentioned that initially it was only Rs 500/- per show and the hike followed over the years from Rs 800 to Rs 1,000. “If the stage sets are exceptionally good,” he says, “you can even draw Rs 7,000 on one show.”

“Stage sets designer is no easy task,” Saldanha, states as a matter of fact, “and you need a lot of expertise and skill. And not all carpenters can turn out to be experts in stage setting. And some, who have no experience, can also be successful in their venture. ”

Saldanha accepts that he is earning a living due to tiatrs and tiatr directors and is equally grateful to them. He believes in punctuality and is determined to deliver everything well in advance.

Checking on the demand for stage sets designer, Saldanha admits that there is a dearth in the tiatr field and additional 3-4 stage set designers will be of great help to the tiatr directors in order to overcome the vacuum.

Saldanha informed that his brother had a great wish to work on the revolving stage and his dream came true in Mario Menezes’ tiatr ‘Maim Tuka Khoim Sodhum’, when it was introduced on stage successfully and worked upon manually. “The director would proudly announce during each show that it was the work of Saldanha,” he said.

 “It was Luis (A P Rojols), who welcomed my brother into tiatrs and in turn he gained a lot of knowledge of stage sets in John D’Silva’s tiatrs,” Saldanha stated.  For those who would like to take a plunge into stage setting, though a challenging task, he is willing to teach the nuances to the aspirants as it will help lower the burden of the present stage set designers, in the long run.