Udupi: 'Aami Nathlyaa Vellar' steals the show at Daiji Dubai 14th Anniversary
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (NM)
Udupi, Jan 27: It was an evening to remember as Daiji Dubai, a forum of Konkani writers in the UAE, celebrated its 14th anniversary with a grand ceremony and the stunning drama 'Aami Nathlyaa Vellar' that transported the packed audience to another world.
The event, organized outside the UAE for the first time in the history of Daiji Dubai, was held at Poorna Prajna auditorium, Udupi on Saturday January 26.
Addressing the gathering, NRE entrepreneur Ronald Colaco said that Daiji Dubai which was launched in 1999 has done a commendable work by choosing Udupi to host its 14th anniversary celebrations in honour of the newly-formed Udupi diocese. He thanked daijiworld.com editor-in-chief Walter Nandalike and Daiji Dubai founder-member Dayan D'Souza for the opportunity to be part of the celebrations.
"The decision to host the annual Daiji Dubai event was taken unanimously. It is the first step towards expressing solidarity with the new diocese. I am thankful to Daiji Dubai for this," he added.
"Earlier too there were Konkani associations, but they spoken in English. But after Daiji Dubai came into existence and with their activities related to Konkani, including music, dance, drama, and publications, and awards, there was a sort of Konkani revolution in the UAE with the 'let's in Konkani' movement. Konkani came to be given more importance as mother tongue due to their efforts," he said, adding, "All their works are praiseworthy."
"The credit for spreading Konkani also goes to the people of Udupi diocese. Out of the 41 Konkani associations formed in the UAE, 34 are based in Dubai alone. There are so many Konkani-related activities taking place in the UAE, now.
Lauding Daijiworld, he said, "People across the world are glued to daijiworld throughout the day. There are even readers' comments from countries we are not familiar with, which shows the website's popularity. Earlier, there were no media to cover the news of the community. But now daijiworld is providing us unbiased news."
He also urged the people to support and help Udupi diocese in every way they can. "There is a need to build a Bishop's House which is a symbolic institute. The bishop has plans to start medical, engineering and other professional colleges in Udupi. I request people to help the diocese financially in realizing these plans," he said.
Bishop Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo in his address said that he was happy to see Daiji Dubai choose Udupi for its anniversary celebrations. "This shows how much Udupi diocese is loved and honoured," he said.
He congratulated Daiji Dubai and also Dr Edward Nazareth who was conferred the Daiji Dubai Literary Award on the occasion. "It is because of associations like Daiji Dubai that there has been a revolution in Konkani in the UAE. There is a new interest in learning Konkani across the UAE," he said.
"I am happy that there has been good contribution towards Konkani from the people of Udupi. Out of the 41 associations in UAE, 34 are from Udupi. Just like Daiji Dubai, there should also be Daiji Udupi, so that a feeling of oneness is fostered among the people of this region, which will also give a boost to research in Konkani culture and language," the Bishop said.
"Udupi diocese has tremendous talent, which gives me contentment. However, though there has been a lot of contribution by the people of Udupi, it is not acknowledged properly," he added.
"The beauty of Konkani should be passed on to our next generation. Let its spirit never die," he proclaimed.
Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Jayaprakash Hegde began his address by wishing the gathering in Konkani, much to the delight of the audience who acknowledged with a rousing applause. He said that he has been a regular reader of daijiworld and that his election campaign had in fact begun through a news on the website about possible candidates. "Like so many others, I too am a beneficiary of Daiji Dubai," he added.
"Daijiworld has become a media for all communities. Through my interaction with youngsters I have realized that it is a favourite with many. Apart from watching NDTV, CNN-IBN and Times now, the young generation also loves to surf daijiworld," he said, "At the same time, Daijiworld Weekly has become a bridge between the Gulf and India."
"The contribution of Christian community in the fields of education, medicine, and economy is highly commendable. Through their efforts, the region is today known for its education. Those days there were no lucrative job sectors in these parts. People went abroad and worked there, which in turn brough development to their hometowns here," he said.
On the much-needed direct flight from Mangalore to Saudi Arabia, he said that he has already written to the ministry concerned and a positive result may be expected.
Konkani writer and activist Dr Edward Nazareth was conferred the annual Daiji Dubai Literary Award by the dignitaries on the dais. The award consisted of a memento, a citation and Rs 50,000 prize money.
Acknowledging the honour, Dr Nazareth thanked Daiji Dubai, his parents and a number of people who assisted him in the journey. "My parents were my inspiration. My father used to buy Konkani periodicals which boosted my interest in Konkani at a young age," he said.
"I also thank former Raknno editors Mark Valder, V V Menezes, and present editor Francis Rodrigues for their support in publishing my articles. I also thank publications like 'Kutam', 'Amcho Sandesh' and 'Sevak'," he said.
He recalled the support and encouragement rendered by Victor Rodrigues, Wilfy Remimbus and Josa Alvares and said that those days when recognition and success was hard to come by, they inspired and helped him. He also thanked his fans for reading and preserving his articles.
Co-convener of Daiji Dubai Ronald Nazareth read out the citation.
A collection of short stories by 14 Daiji Dubai Literary Award winners was released by Konkan Myna Meena Rebimbus on the occasion.
Master compere Leslie Rego charmed the audience with his usual wit and style and conducted the proceedings with elan.
Rohan Monteiro of Rohan Corporation, Daiji Dubai convenor Alwyn Pinto and president Stany Nirude shared the dais.
Sponsors were felicitated on the occasion. A lucky draw was also held.
'Aami Nathlyaa Vellar'
The most awaited part of the evening was the drama 'Aami Nathlyaa Vellar', which, as expected, took the audience through an emotional roller coaster. Brilliant performances by the amateur artistes coupled with witty dialogues captivated the imagination of the audience.
The gripping drama saw powerful performances by lead actors Walter Nandalike, who played the role of navy commander Herman Sequeira, Asha Correa who was stunning in her role of commander's wife Gloria Sequeira, Alphonse D'Souza as the menacing Sunil Kumar, young Reegan as adorable Bunty, Dayan D'Souza as the delightful and wise Maistri, Cynthia Pinto as Florine, Nanu Marol and Pradeep Barboza as the lawyers, Alwyn Pinto as judge, and Godwin Castelino and Lavina Fernandes who provided the comic relief.
The play was expertly directed by Dayan D'Souza, while Kethan and Arun provided the music and sound effects which gripped the attention of the audience throughout.
"Aami Nathlyaa Vellar', based on a true life story of navy commander Nanavati and his foreign-origin wife Sylvia, was translated by Richard Pereira, from Ramanada Choorya's Kannada play 'Naavilladaga'. The original play is in Marathi, written by Madhsudhan Kalelkar, based on a true story of a navy commandar and his wife during the 1960s.
The compelling play wound through three locations - the navy commander's house, the court, and Sunil Kumar's house. The third location was in the form of a film, the climax scene of about 14 minutes duration. Ashwath Samuel, a young and creative expert edited the scene which was screened on a giant screen during the play. The scene was highly appreciated by the audience.
The title song for the play was exclusively composed and sung by Melwin Peris, the popular Konkani composer-musician from Mangalore.
The play had become a huge hit when it was staged by the same troupe last April in Dubai. In Udupi too it became a super hit, with the audience giving a standing ovation at the end of the play. All the artistes and supporting crew were honoured by Ronald Colaco after the play.
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