TAG to Remember Late Dr. Rosario Rodrigues

TAG to Remember Late Dr. Rosario Rodrigues

Tiatr Academy of Goa will organize a special function to observe the Birth Anniversary of the most popular Khell-tiatrist of Goa Late Dr. Rosario Rodrigues on Sunday, 24th October 2010 at 10:00 am at Pai Tiatrist JAF Auditorium, Ravindra Bhavan, Margao. On this occasion Anil-Olga’s Popular Khell-Tiatr “Xim Mer Asonk Zai” will be staged.

Late Dr. Rosario Rodrigues was born on 24th October 1948 and hails from Benaulim in Salcete tuluka of Goa. He was a brilliant student during his childhood days but showed keen interest in dramas. Benaulim was famous for khell-tiatrists, literate as well as illiterate. Dr. Rosario would write down the scripts for those who could not write. Gradually he started writing his own scripts and lending it to others. In 1969 he formed his own troupe and wrote his first khell “MENAKXI”.

During those days there used to be competitions of khell-tiatrs. Two different directors would stage their khells for a competition and results were normally declared after show of hands. In 1971 Rosario brought a change and staged two khells on the stage. This was called a Khell-Tiatr as the khell was performed on the stage. He came up with khell-tiatrs of his own plays namely “AMI FATOR” and “EKUCH RATI”. Other directors also followed this pattern.

Each khell in the khell-tiatr was of one and half hour duration. “12 Vorsani” and “Patang”, “Patkin” and “Tem”, “Chedde Cheddvam” and “Ekleanuch Poila”, “Hindustani Cheddvam” and “Frank Sinatra” etc were some of his famous khell-tiatrs of one and half hour duration each. In 1976 Dr. Rosario Rodrigues started a new innovation on the khell-tiatr stage. Instead of two plays he staged a full length drama of 3 hours “FATTIM PAULO”. It was a big success. Other directors also followed this pattern.

There was a time when tiatrs were witnessed by high class and the literate people while khell-tiatrs by the masses. Dr. Rosario Rodrigues changed this too. He was instrumental in bringing khell-tiatrs on par with tiatrs so much so that the popularity of khell-tiatrs surpassed that of tiatrs. Rosario had many innovations to his credit in different fields of khell-tiatr.

He wrote and directed more than 75 dramas. He was responsible to take khell-tiatrs to each and every nook and corner of Goa and other parts of the country. He traveled to Mumbai, Pune, border areas of Karnataka, Maharashtra to stage his khell-tiatrs. He also staged performances in the Gulf.

This great personality of the khell-tiatr stage expired at a tender age of 58 years on 5th August 2003.

In order to keep the memories of late Dr. Rosario Rodrigues alive to the modern generation, TAG celebrates his birthday on 24th instant. Tiatr lovers and well wishers of Late Dr. Rosario are requested to attend the celebrations along with family members and friends.


Victor de Sa
Member Secretary
Tiatr Academy Goa