Ghorkar: Plight of a widow
By Daniel F. de Souza 

THE unexpectedly large number of tiatr performances, slated for the season, gives the reassuring feeling that the traditional Konkani tiatr, which was being written off earlier, has witnessed some sort of a revival. 

In "Ghorkar", which I witnessed recently at the Kala Akademy, Jr. Nelson's storyline, with a dash of suspense, flows quite smoothly throughout the play. The sufficiently lucid and pleasant script is brought alive by the formidable cast of Chitra, Jr. Nelson, Sylvester, Irene, Samuel Carvalho, not fcometting comedians Agostinho and Humbert. 

"Ghorkar" tilts heavily on the importance of the husband in a woman's married life. Without him, widowhood spells suffering, dishonour, victimisation, humility and rejection. That a widow can be viewed easily with utter suspicion, which can ruin her future, is what the playwright attempts to depict. So too, a widow's close association with a man, whatever be the motive or reason, is often looked at with malice. 

The story portrays that a happily married couple's life can reach the threshold of a split. Years of marital harmony can also be shattered by suspicion and doubt due to the man's involvement with another woman. Delicately treated too is a woman's possessiveness of her husband and the love that binds them together. The entry of the second woman on the scene stirs waves of uneasiness. These are some of the delicate issues which "Ghorkar" deals with admirably. Thrown in for good effect is an ungrateful and merciless brother to worsen the sad plight of his widowed sister. The plot thickens. The determination and fight for dignity and honour by a victimised widow come out forcefully. 

Sylvester and Irene act out their respective, challenging roles marvelously. Irene too shows a lot of grit and maturity in her role as a wife while in the stellar role Sylvester does a tight rope walk between his wife and the widow he is circumstantially involved with. The motive behind his deep involvement weaves a web of suspense which stretches till the end of the play. 

Samuel Carvalho shows that the role of a drunkard and merciless brother fits him like a glove. Chitra plays the suffering widow with finesse. Jr. Nelson in the role of a brother is natural and supportive to the main characters. Comedians Agostinho and Humbert unleash an uncontrollable laugh riot throughout. 

Flynn, Jr. Nelson's 10 year old son makes a debut as a child artiste showing ample evidence that his father's talents have certainly brushed on him in sufficient measure. Marcelino de Betim, Ave, Tony and Jr. Rod come out well in the supporting roles. 

The assortment of songs, solos, duets, trios and quartets besides cantos enhance the play's vitality, giving the true feel of a traditional tiatr. The solo Madd by Jr. Nelson stands out for its composition and soulful rendition. Similarly, the songs by M. Boyer, Jr. Rod, two trios and the political bombs by William de Curtorim are well received by the audience. Marcelino de Betim combines well with veteran M. Boyer to give a lively comedy number, the type of which is seen rarely on the stage nowadays.  

"Ghorkar" is a complete tiatr in all respects and has all the rich ingredients it needs to entice the tiatr audience. The comeback of tiatr needs to be fully endorsed and adequately complimented by the tiatr lovers, by packing the auditoriums in large numbers. Should the present enthusiasm shown by some courageous directors falter even a bit, the comeback will be stillborn and wane automatically. 

Scenes from the tiatr
KANTTE 

Written by Socorro and directed by Aniceto, Socorro and Mathew, the tiatr Kantte offers quite a bit of entertainment, as was seen at a performance at the Hanuman Theatre, Mapusa, on October 14. 

The joint effort by Socorro, Aniceto and Mathew presents a poignant facet of the social scene as it prevails today. Gone are the days when neighbouring families lived in harmony and ran to the rescue of each other in the hour of need. There were no compound walls to segregate the houses of immediate neighbours. Today, things have taken a different turn, for the worse, and the path of amity and co-operation has been hedged by masonry walls. 

Neighbours now also view each other with envy and suspicion, and indulge in one upmanship, which leads to frequent brawls. The woman from one house is more preoccupied with her religious devotion than her responsibility to her family. She presents a picture of a devout Christian in the society at large. But when it comes to her behaviour with the neighbour, her ego knows no bounds. 

Among the cast, Socorro (bhattkar), Mathew (disabled father), Estrelita (envious neighbour) and Jessie (Estrelita's counterpart) handle the stellar roles adequately. Mathew and Jessie shoulder the tough task of giving the narrative the right amount of stability. 

There are quite a few kids, who along with their matka-obsessed funny father--character-actor C D'Silva-send the audience in splits. 

There is a powerful line-up of efficient singers in Junior Rod, William de Curtorim, Socorro, Aniceto, Bab Andrew, C D'Silva, Albert Cabral, Jessie, Martha, Judy, Sonia and Justu, who sing some pleasing songs to the accompaniment of Agnel's band. Prianka , the 7-year-old daughter of singer Socorro, too impresses in her debut on stage. 

By the end of October, Kantte will complete a round of seven performances, which appears to be quite a feat for a first-time production.