DEATH OF TIATRIST PREM KUMARIt is with deep regret and sorrow I received the news of the sudden and untimely death of the renowned Konkani Tiatrist, Prem Kumar, in Mumbai, on Friday 12th of this month. Joel D’Souza from Assagao Bardez was quick enough to flash this news thru cyber. While reading the news of his death I was refusing to admit it but facts are facts and one has to admit them and finally I admitted. Immediately today 13th I passed this news to many of my colleagues and friends especially those from Kuwait Konknni Kendr, Konkani Heritage Kuwait, Kuwait Tiatrists circle and Konkani Stage lovers who along with me joined together immediately to condole the death of Prem Kumar. Everyone was very sad to know of this death. May his soul rest in peace.
Konkani Stage since its inception produced great stalwarts and gigantic figures and because of their majestic roles on Konkani stage we are fortunate to have the Konkani stage survived till now. One of the very gigantic figures of Konkani stage who helped the promotion of Tiatro to raise its standard was none other than Prem Kumar. In fact what Prem Kumar has done for Konkani Stage no other Tiatrist has done. He was not only an ordinary script writer but a great playwright and director. I can rightly call him the Goan Shakespeare of Konkani Stage. I am very fortunate to watch most of his Tiatros in Goa and in Bombay. The story of his Tiatros touched great ideological topics like ‘MORTIKAR’ where a revolutionary man to bring economic equality in society robs the rich and helps the poor. “PELEACHE VOSTUCHI AXEA KORINAYE” was another Tiatro of his which touches deeply the conscience of the people truly in a Christian principle. Jessie Dias plays a very good role in this Tiatro. “MARIA MAGDALENA’ his another hit was well accepted by the Tiatro goers. “ABDUL NARAIN DESOUZA” is yet another masterpiece in which “Cantos” are very beautiful, so too the story where Prem Kumar dazzles like a shining star in hero's role. Along with Prem, Conception also played a magnificent role of a strict disciplinarian father. In fact all his Tiatros became total hit only because Prem Kumar himself played the main and important roles.
Not only was Prem Kumar fluent in his actions but very fluent in his expressions which he knew very well without relying on the prompting. The power and command of Konkani language in his Tiatros was also very good. ‘KONNANK MUNNONK MAIM” his another masterpiece would easily melt the hearts of the audience. Yet another excellent Tiatro of his “VAVRADDI” gives total different outlook of his mighty pen where he tells the educated persons not to feel shy in working in the fields. The scenes of the paddy field and that of the “Paddeanchem Zoth” ploughing the field look very genuine. Light effects and other cinema type of methods used magnify the scenic beauty of this Tiatro. In Mortikar he shows genuine running Motorcyle where Prem himself shown riding it. Here again light effects created the whole magic. He converted Konkani Stage into a Cinema by applying his knowledge which he learnt in the Hindi Film industry.
He was not a good singer and never excelled in singing but surely excelled beautifully in composing beautiful “Cantos”. The beauty of his Tiatros concentrated in a Shakespearean style purely on beautiful Dialogues, Proverbs and ideologically high statements. For example in Mortikar Tiatro which I consider the best among all his Tiatros there is a beautiful dialogue which goes thus: “Antonette when she comes to know that her brother Prem was arrested because he robbed somebody to fulfill the monetary demands of his girlfriend, Antonette informs this to his brother’s girlfriend. When the girlfriend ignores, Antonette calls her as “SUNNEM”. Listening to this, Rico Rod, Antonette’s uncle standing next to her sobbingly tells Antonette thus - Bai taka Sunnem munnonakai. Taka Sunnem munnon tum Sunneank okman kortai. Sunnem sodanch Visvaxi ani nhoi ghatki tujea bavachea girlfriendaporim” All his Tiatros were full of such beautiful dialogues. Prem Kumar was named as “Pai Dialogancho – Pain Scenicho” as C. Alvares named as “Pai Duettancho”. Along with J. P. Souzalin, Prem Kumar beautified Konkani Tiatros with beautiful scenes. However, between the two, Prem stands taller.He was good in performing any type of role but the best role I liked him doing was that of an elderly man. In talking like an old man was his excellence. My contact with him started when he first time came to Goa to stage his two Tiatros in mid sixties. These Tiatros were staged all over Goa by the Candolim based contractor Pe. Alvito Vaz in aid of the construction of St. Theresa’s High School Candolim, my village. As a young school going boy I was helping Pe. Alvito in supporting his ventures for the cause of Village School. Both these Tiatros were big budgeted because the Stage was the biggest ever in length and breadth. Light effects were very expensive and cast was also huge. Prem relied too much on his script and scenes to attract the audience and less on artistes popularity. For this reason he many times suffered losses. He had strong sense of defiance and he liked challenges. He also had a tinge of feudality in him expecting reverence from other Tiatrists which finally led him to create enemies amongst Tiatrists. Then later on when I went to Bombay as a member of Sesa Soccer Team in the Rovers Cup, he everyday used to come to meet me in our hotel rooms where we further fortified our friendship very well. He was a great supporter of our Team in particular because of me and all the Goan teams in general.
He came to Kuwait twice, once before the invasion with his troupe staging his own Tiatro and second time after the liberation of Kuwait to participate in M. Boyer’s Tiatro. During his second trip to Kuwait he spent one whole night in my house where we spent the whole night only in talking and discussing many topics. He was a very good listener and listened a lot from my mouth and even promised me to pen down some of my ideas which I put in front of him, in his future Tiatro. Four years back he sent me a letter saying he is going to stage his new Tiatro based on Drugs menace and solicited from me some advertisements for the Souvenir to be released during this new Tiatro. I collected worth Rs. 30 thousands advertisement from my colleagues in KKK, KHK and other sources and called him from Bombay when I went on leave. When he asked me how much money I have collected, I told him 30 thousand rupees. For this he bluntly told me “it is too little”. For this I promptly answered him thus, “Prem, this is only my capacity, you either accept or else I will return it”. He said he has postponed his new Tiatro indefinitely. Then I said, I will give you that money only when you announce the new date of your Tiatro. Then I brought back the money and returned to those who gave me. Financially he was not well settled. Once speaking to me over phone from Bombay he cried bitterly saying “Veronica mojea bhava, hi Konkani mae passun kiteak re moje churchure korina anvem Konkani mae passot itlem kelam astana?” Thru Tiatros only few Tiatrists made money especially amongst the seniors. Prem Kumar was one who did not make money out of Tiatros and that was his regret during his last days.
Prem Kumar was very instrumental in encouraging new artistes to bloom on Konkani stage. He gave in this direction lot of helping hand for the new comers. He cared less for money but more for the art and to display it adroitly he spent money lavishly. He spent lot of money on his dresses especially when he was doing the role of a hero. It was not that he did not earn from staging his tiatros but he spent also more after tiatros and tiatrists. Money making out of tiatros was not his good art but showing good tiatros with good scenes was his very good art. Such an excellent artiste I don’t think Konkani stage has produced before and in future I have my doubt if we can get another Prem Kumar as Tiatrist. Such a Tiatrist come to this world once in centuries. Will we get another Prem Kumar in this century? Time alone will tell.A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
