Goa's Tiatr -- Grossly Ignored

Goa's Tiatr -- Grossly Ignored

Tiatr! the very word brings to mind various times spent in viewing a good act on stage -- that too in Koankanni -- Goa's official language.

Various tiatrists have come and gone, played their part and let the torch of the tiatr burn through younger generations and upcoming talents.

But, years down the line, despite Goa producing various tiatrists of great caliber and talents, none of the tiatrists have been honoured, despite Goa having so many theatres where tiatrs are staged.

The Goa government, which historically and traditionally has favoured the marathi theatre, specially at the kala academy, has done little, where it could have done much, to promote the tiatr and the tiatrists.

The tiatrists on their part are also a divided lot, always trying to out do each other through stage names and self-imposed titles like king of centuries and prince of centuries, queen of the stage and princess of the stage, etc.

Even during the recent, and now almost fizzled out -- Romi koankanni agitation -- there was little unity among the tiatrists, and eventuality the politicians took the tiatrists, Goans and koankawani lovers for a jolly good ride.

Goa's kala academy is a sad story in itself...touted as Pratapsingh Rane's fiefdom and Manohar Porrikars money spinning machine through the first IFFI -- the kala academy is named after Dinanath Mangueshkar -- in this the less said the better -- but the Goan Government could have done better by at least naming a gallery or a stand after great koankanni stalwarts like Alfred Rose, Lorna, Chris Perry and Jacinto Vaz...

Now we are waiting for years to see the much hyped Ravindra Bhavan at Margao...the auditorium has taken ages to build and people of margao and the tiatrists feel that it will only be opened close to the next hustings. Here too the Goa government has failed to honour great koankannit tiatrists by at least making a mention of them.

Most of the tiatrists have been used by opportunist politicians like Churchill Alemao, Mickey and others only at the time of the hustings to sing and compose songs and skits relating to the candidate by throwing a lot of money, booze free flowing also.

Once the purpose of the elections was achieved -- the tiatrists were discarded like used condoms...only to be reused at the time of the next hustings.

Ask Wilmix or a Prince Jacob...and he will tell you how Churchill, let down the Romi koankanni movement after his selfish motives was achieved of getting elected and clinching the coveted PWD portfolio.

Still today, many a tiatrists look forward to the politicians to sponsor their tiatrists and also to assist in the producing of various albums and cds.

At one time, several tiatrists tried to influence commercial establishments to sponsor the production of tiatrists, but sadly that trend didn't live long.

I feel that tiatrists are given much honour and respect outside Goa, when they come with a tiatr, than in Goa itself.

As the tiatrist fraternity celebrates the annual tiatr day...i propose that all the tiatrists unite under one banner for the casue of Goa's culture and keeping the tiatr alive sans Government aid, which will never ever come. The Goa government may cunningly promote marathi theatre as it has always done with an eye on the vote bank, but a tiatrist and the tiatr will never be looked into by the Goa government and also the minority community MLA's and ministers and MPs.

It is time Goans come out to support the tiatr...and the tiatrists keep producing quality tiatrs.

Good luck.

Kind regards
Cedric da Costa
Dubai