FATIMA D’SOUZA.
Suddenly the other day, my curiosity
aroused to know the where about of our
yesteryears, the senior Tiatrists and what they are doing in their retired
life. Some of them are seen occasionally
not on the Stage but elsewhere while others are totally eclipsed and still
others are spending their time in recollecting their earlier glorious days. In order to go deeper into their current life,
I met some of our senior Tiatrists recently who are very much responsible to
promote and to protect our great art of Tiatro which was initiated by Lucazinho Ribeiro from
Asagao, Bardez, Goa over a century back exactlexactly in 1892 not in Goa but
incidentally in Bombay which was the citadel of Tiatro for many years.
In this connection, I met first
one of the then beauteous and youthful spot of Konkani Stage and a Goa State
Awardee Bai Fatima D’Souza born and brought up in Bombay at LISBOA HOUSE. She needs no more introduction as she is very
well known Konkani Stage Artiste since
last so many years who ascended on to the
Konkani Stage when she was very young
School going child. It so happened being
the younger sister of the renowned Konkani Stage artiste Bai Antonette Mendes,
Fatima by accompanying her elder sister went for the Tiatro staged by the great
J.P. Souzalin where due to some emergency, the need of one Child artiste was
felt. Since Bai Fatima
was readily available and Fatima having some knowledge of Tiatro since
sometimes rehearsals of the Tiatros were also held at her place, she
immediately volunteered to play her role
and meantime Shalini also encouraged her and in fact she played her role
excellently not only to the satisfaction of J.P. Souzalin but also to the astonishment of everyone especially
those who were aware that it was her
maiden appearance on the Konkani Stage.
Then step by step she was introduced to other well
known Directors in their Tiatros not only to play the roles of young girl but
also to sing solos. By nature she is gifted with a beautiful and very
attractive voice and when she sings her songs with her beautiful Voice, her songs get extra
melodious and more attractive. Her specialty lies in her being an all round
artiste performing any role of any type and it is on record that she even performed
during her earlier stages the role of comedian too along with the then topmost
comedians Mendes Bros., Jacinto Vaz, M.Boyer, Joe Rose, Wilson Mazarello, Robin
Vaz and later on Prince Jacob & Humbert. One more role of her with Comedian
Domnick, Luis Bachan and Johana in the Drama “Pedro Portguez” was admired by the audience. She also
participated in the Tiatro “Jesu Christ” by Fr. Planton Faria where she played the role of Mother Mary. It was during
her participation in Tiaros that she came in contact with her husband Anil
Kumar who was an excellent actor, script writer and director.
When
questioned her about her impression as a professional artiste, she said she is
very happy in this profession because of
which she got so many laurels and facilities and above all the recognition in society. She earned she said much respect and
adoration in the community in particular and society in general because of her entry into Tiatro field. Further
she said she was very grateful to Prem Kumar for moulding her to what she is renowned now describing him as the best director, a perfectionist in
every aspect of the Tiatro. Besides she
is grateful to Rosario Rodrigues for
writing best of scripts and Cantos for her in his Non-Stop Shows thus getting
her a big booster in his plays. She is
still getting offers from different directors to perform in their Tiatros and
even Films including that in Malyalam Films. She acted in countless Tiatros of
different directors including all the top directors and acted with all the
heavyweight artistes, males and females.
She is called an English Madam of Konkani Stage in Tiatro circle because
of her excellent role she played as English Madam in the Tiatro written and
directed by John Claro under the same name i.e. English Madame. Her latest
film Bhumiputra is creating lot of impact these days. Her one more film “Ordhem Chador” already got
her best Artiste Award. She also has high regards for Prince Jacob for the nice
scripts for his Dramas and for being very systematic. Above all, she said she
admires him for his patience and kind heartedness towards others especially the
needy.
Though the Shares of the
artistes were not very high then yet
what they were getting during those days gave them satisfaction. However, what
Shares the seniors getting were low but we must know that during those days the
purchasing power of the Rupee was high and not like now. As a child artiste
she was even given Chocolates as her Share in her performances conducted in
Goan Clubs (Kudd) where she was often invited to sing in the Shows organised
there.
Tiatristpon is in her blood
since her father was also a well-known Tiatrist then, Mr. A.K. D’Souza who had
unique distinction in staging the first ever Tiatro “Aum To Tarvotti” at
Southamton Union Hall in England with all but Miss Mohana participants were the
crew members from the Ships along with Mr. A.K. D’souza. About her mother whose
name Inocencia Alves, she was a very
good singer having a melodious voice.
About her visits to Goa along
with the Bombay troupe was one of the enjoyable features of her life. Said she “What an excellent time haven’t we
spent? The residential places were we
stayed in Salcette were just thrillers in every way, the Goan food prepared by
the Goans was fantastic, the people around us were fantastic and the treatment
we were given was the most great. I
don’t think I will get such a treatment again anywhere”.
About her message to the
Tiatros – Tiatro artistes and – the audience, she said nothing to worry, Tiatros
are stable and they will survive. It is
already a part of the Goan life and Goan
audience is doing very well in patronizing this art very fabulously and further
requesting them to move ahead in furthering its patronage and the show must go
on. While concluding she said – Viva Tiatro – Viva Tiatrists and Viva everyone
involved in the staging and promoting of our Tiatros.
A.Veronica Fernandes.
