Review of Mario Menezes' show: Kal Aiz Faleam
‘Kal Aiz Faleam’ an educative family drama
By: Daniel F de Souza
A near houseful audience at the Ravindra Bhavan on Sunday evening went home a satisfied lot after witnessing Mario Menezes’ latest show ‘Kal Aiz Faleam’. The three hour show is well balanced in every department of the presentation. The story, the direction, the presentation, the comedy, the overall performance, and stage sets including the impressive light effects, take this play to a polished finish.
The story is weighing heavily on the mother-in-law – daughter-in-law spat, with a troubleshooting married daughter thrown in the ring. But, the playwright has handled the script in a different manner bringing forth a very sensitive issue prevalent in society today with a fair amount of decent comedy. The playwright has focused the story on the discrimination meted out to the girl child, the ill treatment of the daughter-in-laws, the dominance and stubborn nature of the mother-in-law. The playwright has also projected the married daughter (Agnes) in a major role who comes and takes shelter in her mother’s home for almost a decade. The married daughter is so evil that she influences negatively the behaviour of her mother towards her helpless daughter-in-laws. The mother and the daughter team up together for selfish motives to belittle the daughter-in-laws at every opportunity.
The only saving grace in this entire episode is the presence of the second daughter-in-law (Joanna) who is no-nonsense type and the only one who can standup to the dominance of her bull headed mother-in-law. Her two sons (Lawry Travasso and Sally) are also the ones who play a very balancing act to snub the mother every time she does something wrong and at the same time expose the misdeeds and mis-behaviour of their married sister.
I do not wish to spell out the storyline in detail, but would like to emphasise that the story is as though handpicked from any Goan household where similar issues are common, disrupting and messing up the lives of many innocent victims, specially the helpless daughter-in-laws. The case of married daughters abandoning the husband’s house and coming and taking shelter in their mother’s house is also a common feature in many Goan families. Besides taking shelter, they also try to play a dominant role in exercising their right in the maternal homes. ‘Kal Aiz Faleam’ makes a bold attempt to bring such a misdemeanor to light which many a times is the major cause for discord within happy families.
‘Kal Aiz Faleam’ also projects the dominant behaviour of the traditional mother-in-laws who live in a make believe world that they are an law unto themselves, and that they do no evil, are always right, and that no one can challenge their authority in the house. But, it is time they realize that their time is up and the modern society does not tolerate such injustice.
‘Kal Aiz Faleam’ also highlights how after having achieved their motives, and when things go badly wrong even blood relations try to wriggle out of the problem and move away to a safe distance leaving others to fend for themselves. It projects how mother-in-laws finally relent their Hitler type behaviour, but, after a substantial damage has already been done.
Kal Aiz Faleam, is a running commentary on the three roles a girl plays in her life time, i.e. as a young lady, a mother and finally a mother-in-law. All the three are well presented on stage.
State Award winner Sabina plays the domineering role of the strict mother-in-law to the hilt, Rosy Alvares as the elder daughter in law and Joanna as the younger daughter-in-law are doing justice to their respective roles. It is Joanna however together with her husband comedian Sally who brings the house down with their electrifying performance in a comedy role. Mario Menezes plays a much subdued role of the son-in-law. The two child artist Rioma and the little boy (could not get his name) show tremendous talent and do justice to their roles.
Among the many songs in the play, solos by Joanna (a tribute to M. Boyer), Lawry Travasso, Xavier Gomes, Rioma, Francis de Tuem (On serial killer Mahanand), duets by Lawry Travaso and Mario Menezes (Adlim Festam), Rioma and Maythan, are really good. But the trio by Xavier Gomes, Francis de Tuem and Lawry Travasso impersonating the stalwarts of the Konkani stage late Kid-Young-Rod, is the pick of the lot and comes in the category of ‘worth going miles to see’. The solo sung by young Rioma on the subject of ‘music’ was rendered well and she keeps good timings, the lighting was also appealing, but the drum solo by the drummer failed to impress.
‘Kal Aiz Faleam’ is a show that is relevant to the present situations prevailing in Goan society and should not be missed specially by stubborn and dominating mother-in-laws as well as by the harassed daughter-in-laws.
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Daniel F. de Souza
Konknni Writer,Columnist & Freelance Journalist
July 19, 2009
G'BYE GOA:GOAN EMIGRATION by Valmiki Faleiro,
G’BYE GOA: GOAN EMIGRATION.
By Valmiki Faleiro.
Goan paradoxes will never cease to fascinate. If she got populated through a series of waves of in-migrations at different points of time in her history, beginning from about 4,000-3,000 BC, Goa also got depopulated through an almost equal and reverse process of out-migrations. The idea that emigration was largely forced and occurred only during the Portuguese era is, as I wrote last Sunday, entirely erroneous. Goan émigrés are almost as old as Goa herself.
Panna, a Goan Saraswat from Ambaulim-Quepem, migrated to Sopara, traded in things like sandalwood and areca,with as distant places as Mudguiri and Tibet, then turned into a disciple of Buddha,returned to Goa to spread the faith, and died at age 80 – all in the pre-Christian(forget Portuguese!) era. Panna is the first famous Goan expatriate. There could have been others before. Down history, Goans – Saraswats and Vanis in particular – moved outside Goa for better economic opportunity. Save during the Kadamba and Portuguese epochs, Goa witnessed political vicissitudes. New rulers or kingdoms generally brought with them new economic opportunity. And fresh waves of out-migration.
The Shenvis of Cortalim, rated intellectually the most ‘superior’ of Salcete Saraswats,were known across ages to have migrated to neighbouring kingdoms. They worked as teachers and accountants, may have depleted treasuries at their workplace, but dutifully returned to hearth-‘n’-home, built new temples or added to existing ones, or bought properties and bequeathed them to temples, to perpetuate their memory! All these, remember, were voluntary – not forced – emigrations. Down the wavers of history, finally arrived the Muslims. Many Goans fled during the invasions of Mallik Kafur and Ghazni Mohammed. Then came the Portuguese. And,soon, a mass Goan exodus. One arose from socio-religious bigotry. The other, from fresh economic opportunity outside Goa (and later, the lack of any within Goa.) The former was not restricted to Hindus alone, as wrongly believed, but covered Catholics as well – who, running the risk of being reported to the ‘Holy Office’ of the Inquisition, fled to coastal Karnataka and elsewhere.
New economic opportunities took Goans to places as afar as Cochin, San Thome(Chennai), Bassein (Vasai), Gujarat, and Chittagong/Ungolim (Hoogly) in Bengal. Many prospered – as did Sir Roger Faria, from Panjim, who dumped opium on Chinaby the shipload, from his bases in Calcutta, Bombay and Macau, but in latter times. Colonialism was a drain on the Goan economy. Locals were taxed to fund colonial wars with neighbouring kingdoms and missionary activities in India. Bulk of Goa’s land was owned by a few ‘ganvkars.’
For the common Goan, subsistence farming was the only way to keep body and soul together. In this grim scenario came the decline of the Portuguese in the East. Goa, by the last quarter of the 16th century, was engulfed in all round Portuguese profligacy, venality and corruption. Lassitude reigned supreme, and the Dutch struck. With their frequent naval blockades from 1603 to 1644, the Dutch starved an already languishing Goa. Economic decline led to the per force emigration. This time largely of Goan Catholics,by now the vast majority of Goa’s populace (then comprising of only the three Old Conquest talukas of Bardez, Tiswadi and Salcete.) This wave of ‘per force’ migration gradually began from the 17th century. It arose purely from economic realities, and survives to this day, encompassing the wider boundaries of modern Goa – despite the fact that we have held our destiny in our hands now close to fifty years.
By the early 1700s, Portuguese historian Vitorino Magalhaes Godinho estimated that Bengal alone had between 20,000 to 34,000 Goan emigrants. Things got worse locally with Portugal’s new found interest in sugarcane-rich Brazil. Vitorino summed it succinctly: the Luso Empire thrived on West African gold in the 15th century, on Oriental pepper in the 16th and on Brazilian sugar in the 17th century. By the 18th century, helpless Goans had to fend for themselves – beyond Goa.
PS: Internet trivia: the total solar eclipse July 22, at 6.26-6.30am, will be the last in our lifetime. It’ll next occur over India on June 3, 2114! (ENDS.)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly.
By Valmiki Faleiro.
Goan paradoxes will never cease to fascinate. If she got populated through a series of waves of in-migrations at different points of time in her history, beginning from about 4,000-3,000 BC, Goa also got depopulated through an almost equal and reverse process of out-migrations. The idea that emigration was largely forced and occurred only during the Portuguese era is, as I wrote last Sunday, entirely erroneous. Goan émigrés are almost as old as Goa herself.
Panna, a Goan Saraswat from Ambaulim-Quepem, migrated to Sopara, traded in things like sandalwood and areca,with as distant places as Mudguiri and Tibet, then turned into a disciple of Buddha,returned to Goa to spread the faith, and died at age 80 – all in the pre-Christian(forget Portuguese!) era. Panna is the first famous Goan expatriate. There could have been others before. Down history, Goans – Saraswats and Vanis in particular – moved outside Goa for better economic opportunity. Save during the Kadamba and Portuguese epochs, Goa witnessed political vicissitudes. New rulers or kingdoms generally brought with them new economic opportunity. And fresh waves of out-migration.
The Shenvis of Cortalim, rated intellectually the most ‘superior’ of Salcete Saraswats,were known across ages to have migrated to neighbouring kingdoms. They worked as teachers and accountants, may have depleted treasuries at their workplace, but dutifully returned to hearth-‘n’-home, built new temples or added to existing ones, or bought properties and bequeathed them to temples, to perpetuate their memory! All these, remember, were voluntary – not forced – emigrations. Down the wavers of history, finally arrived the Muslims. Many Goans fled during the invasions of Mallik Kafur and Ghazni Mohammed. Then came the Portuguese. And,soon, a mass Goan exodus. One arose from socio-religious bigotry. The other, from fresh economic opportunity outside Goa (and later, the lack of any within Goa.) The former was not restricted to Hindus alone, as wrongly believed, but covered Catholics as well – who, running the risk of being reported to the ‘Holy Office’ of the Inquisition, fled to coastal Karnataka and elsewhere.
New economic opportunities took Goans to places as afar as Cochin, San Thome(Chennai), Bassein (Vasai), Gujarat, and Chittagong/Ungolim (Hoogly) in Bengal. Many prospered – as did Sir Roger Faria, from Panjim, who dumped opium on Chinaby the shipload, from his bases in Calcutta, Bombay and Macau, but in latter times. Colonialism was a drain on the Goan economy. Locals were taxed to fund colonial wars with neighbouring kingdoms and missionary activities in India. Bulk of Goa’s land was owned by a few ‘ganvkars.’
For the common Goan, subsistence farming was the only way to keep body and soul together. In this grim scenario came the decline of the Portuguese in the East. Goa, by the last quarter of the 16th century, was engulfed in all round Portuguese profligacy, venality and corruption. Lassitude reigned supreme, and the Dutch struck. With their frequent naval blockades from 1603 to 1644, the Dutch starved an already languishing Goa. Economic decline led to the per force emigration. This time largely of Goan Catholics,by now the vast majority of Goa’s populace (then comprising of only the three Old Conquest talukas of Bardez, Tiswadi and Salcete.) This wave of ‘per force’ migration gradually began from the 17th century. It arose purely from economic realities, and survives to this day, encompassing the wider boundaries of modern Goa – despite the fact that we have held our destiny in our hands now close to fifty years.
By the early 1700s, Portuguese historian Vitorino Magalhaes Godinho estimated that Bengal alone had between 20,000 to 34,000 Goan emigrants. Things got worse locally with Portugal’s new found interest in sugarcane-rich Brazil. Vitorino summed it succinctly: the Luso Empire thrived on West African gold in the 15th century, on Oriental pepper in the 16th and on Brazilian sugar in the 17th century. By the 18th century, helpless Goans had to fend for themselves – beyond Goa.
PS: Internet trivia: the total solar eclipse July 22, at 6.26-6.30am, will be the last in our lifetime. It’ll next occur over India on June 3, 2114! (ENDS.)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly.
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