John D’Silva
John D’Silva
The first Goan artiste to receive the first Yuva Srujan Puraskar Award from Art and Culture, Government of Goa for his immense contribution in the tiatr field.
- by Gasper Crasto
John D’Silva is the first Goan artiste to receive the first Yuva Srujan Puraskar Award from Art and Culture, Government of Goa for his immense contribution in the tiatr field. As his Tiatrs are always written with thought provoking dialogues, powerful moral and message, the script of his Tiatr ‘Bovall’ was selected by Goa Konkani Academy to publish in a book form.This versatile tiatrist hailing from Sao Jose de Areal is indeed The Emperor of Goan and Konkani Stage being a well-known writer, director, actor and one of the best comedians at present.
Coming to his background, this Science under-graduate from S.P. Chowgule College, Margao, did not take up the usual pattern taken by most of the well-known tiatrists of today. In lieu, he went to the Gulf in 1984 and worked in Doha Qatar as a security guard for a Qatar Building Company for 3 years before his return to Goa.
Back home, he took the opportunity to discover his innate talent. His debut acting in Lino’s tiatr called ‘Dhorm’ was amazing while he gave another telling performance in ‘Kantteantlem Ful Bavoilem’. But his expedition on the stage had come to a standstill by then, as he made it to Doha Qatar once again after spending 3 years in Goa. For a second time he served as a security guard, this time for Dahaitsur Company, but returned home in 9 months.
Back in Goa, he found his calling and started his own production house. His debut venture ‘Chuklele Roste’ (1991) which he wrote and directed, was well received. Subsequently, he came out with ‘Chitarlolo Fator’ (1992), Jith (1993), Liplele Rupkar (1993), Puja (1994), a video film ‘Xinn’ (1995) and thereafter, under the banner of S.B Art he wrote and directed over 30 Tiatrs each of which the title has a double alphabet in it. The most acclaimed John D’Silva dramas are: Vell, Dennem, Ekvott, Vatt, Umannem, Sokallim, Menn, Avessor (Chapter), Bott (Finger), Somzonni, Magnnem, Bovall, Kirnnam, Porddo, Suknnim, Ugddas, Konn?, Vann, Vaitt, Jinn, Dhull, Xidkavnni, Voddem, Nattok, Devull, Kal,Kuttumb, etc.
John has staged his dramas in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Malwan, Karnataka, New Delhi, etc. Outside the country, he has travelled with his troupe to Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai, Muscat, London, etc.
John D'Silva in Video Films
Tiatrs apart, John has acted, produced and directed numerous Video films. The most prominent ones are Duddvankar, Fugddi, Jinn, Lofdde, Gondoll, etc.
When he made his debut on the Konkani stage, he did serious roles like ‘villains’ and other characters with negative shades, but in the year 1999 when he was not having a comedian in his troupe, he switched to main stream comedy in his Tiatr ‘Umannem’, which was a huge hit. Today, he is regarded as one of the top most comedians and one of the best script writers of Konkani stage.
John is the first one to enact triple role in his VCD film ‘Fugddi’ and a double role in VCD film ‘Lofdde’.
He is the first Goan director to release his Tiatr ‘Nattok’ in London and Germany which was later staged throughout Goa.It is not just his own dramas that John has acted in, but several times he has been to Kuwait to act in dramas directed by renowned directors such as Rosary Ferns, Jose Rod, etc. He has also been to London with the troupe of Fr. Lucas Diniz. Recently, he toured London and USA with Sammy Tavares’ troupe of ‘Tim Thikam Sandlelim’.
John D'Silva was bestowed the Title ‘ Emperor of Konkani Stage’ by the magazine ‘Hello Margao, Hello Panjim’, for his immense contribution in the field of Konkani Tiatrs.
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