Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (RD/CN)
Mangalore, Aug 7: Karavali Konkans Mangalore, established in 1994, has decided to support and promote Konkani theatre activities in and around Mangalore by instituting the ‘Karavali Konkan Kala Award’.
The Award will be conferred every year on veteran artistes who have made significant contributions to Konkani theatre.
The association led by ace compere Leslie Rego has already taken a positive step in this regard. To begin with, the association will confer the ‘Karavali Konkan Kala Award’ to noted veteran dramatist J B D'Souza with a cash prize of Rs 50,000, a memento and citation.
The association will not only honour the artiste, but also stage his play 'Ragthachi Kannik'.
"This is a small effort from us to keep Konkani theatre alive in the region. There are many Konkani dramatists here, but due to lack of support and encouragement, they have been sidelined, and their work has not come to light. We will pick senior dramatists who deserve recognition every year, honour them, support them financially and stage their work," said Leslie Rego, speaking to Daijiworld.
About J B Dsouza:
John Baptist D’Souza, well-known in the Konkani literary world as J B D’Souza Cordel, is a parishioner of Holy Cross parish, Cordel. He is the playwright of many Konkani dramas and skits. His Konkani play ‘Devachey Upades’ that was aired by All India Radio (AIR) was a hit, and was staged not only in the city but in Mysore, Bangalore, Mumbai, and other cities. It has celebrated its diamond jubilee and is one of his many hit plays.
Excellence in Hobby:
It’s very difficult to ascertain the excellence of a dramatist or playwright as there are no set standards to determine it. If one goes by the popularity of his dramas, most of John’s dramas are a hit indeed. It’s a fact that his total dedication to his hobby makes him a top-notch dramatist. During 1970 to 1990, his dramas were staged at annual day celebrations in various parishes across Mangalore diocese, ICYM annual day or drama competitions. He would volunteer to direct the plays in case dramas of other playwrights were being staged. John’s dramas bagged many prizes from Kala Sampat and Konkani Natak Sabha, which have felicitated him for his distinguished contributions to Konkani theater.
He sought happiness in his hobby as playwright, directing and acting for the past forty years. He used to fast for three days ahead of staging his play, in order to enthral audiences during a three-hour show.
The late playwright and dramatist Cha Pra is motivation:
His plays have no issues of social background, politics, economic condition, caste and corruption. John writes his dramas based on the daily incidents of the common man, giving life to the characters in his own style.
“Cha Pra is my inspiration, I have learned a lot from him,” says John. “The plays in Marathi and its playwright influenced Cha Pra which can be seen in his plays. The plays by Cha Pra are difficult to understand for the common audience. Even the artistes would find it difficult to learn the dialogues. Therefore, I have opted for being a playwright who entertains the common man and have received much appreciation for this,” said John.
His wife, Josephine Mary, who shares his passion for theatre, says, “I knew him before we married. Since he had studied only up to Class IV, he would give me the script for correction. He would take me along for prompting also. As h¬e had given me small roles in plays, I was attracted to the theatre,” she says.
Josephine was working as an artiste in AIR and supported his passion for theater. “I would feel lonely when he would stay out late for the practice sessions, but I would be happy and proud once the play was staged,” she adds.
Born in Family of Dramatists:
John is one of the four sons of Raymond and Asess, residing at Niddel in Cordel parish. He was born on June 10,1950. John and Josephine have two daughters. The eldest daughter Jane is married, while the second daughter Jyoti is a lecturer at Sharada Pre-University College, here. Both Jane and Jyoti are proud of their dramatist father. Jane says, “Both father and mother were busy at all times in the theater. I used to go to view the drama along with my grandmother!”
She has acted in many dramas since her high school days. “My father used to be serious during practice sessions. He would not tolerate wasting time. The discipline of artistes was important to him,” she said.
When Daijiworld asked Jane whether John neglected family duties due to his pre-occupation with theatre, she said, “He took care of his family within his means. He made it a practice to complete household chores before going out. He had taken equal care of artistes. He was particular that the artistes are not inconvenienced during the show and later.”
Meanwhile, Jyoti has regrets that she did not get chance to act in his plays. “Although I did not get the chance to act in his plays, I have witnessed his plays when theyw ere staged,” she says.
Paralysis Shortened Dramatic Career:
Paralysis has immobilised him and brought his drama career near an end. His memory is also frail, but he isenthusiastic when talking about Konkani theater.
“He is a very simple person, always far from publicity. He was not enthusiastic even when Karaval Konkans came forward to felicitate him. He was enthusiastic when someone was interested in staging his play and he wanted to view it always. The scripts are everything to him. He gazes at the copies whenever they are given to others,” says Josephine.
