Florine Roche
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Aug 13: There are a number of people who have worked for the furtherance of Konkani in their own ways at a time when there was not much aura associated with the exponents of this language. Many of them worked without expecting anything in return out of their love for the language. It is true we have been able to recognize and honour the services of many who have rendered yeoman’s service to Konkani language, art, culture and music. Yet, there are a few who have failed to get due recognition they are worthy of for their pioneering work because they neither craved for any publicity nor do they feel they have done something great that deserves a pat on the back.
Peter Gonsalves, a leading photographer of his time in and around Mangalore and also the producer-director of the first Konkani movie “Tisri Cheet” (third letter) to be produced by Mangalorean Konkani speaking people under the banner Konkani Pictures, certainly deserves a better treatment than what has been accorded to him all these years. If not for anything, he merits appreciation and recognition for his fortitude in singlehandedly taking up the challenge of producing the first Konkani film by Konkani speaking Mangaloreans. Though it was the first film that went into production in early 1970’s another Konkani movie “Mog ani Maipas” written by late Wilfy Rebimbus, was released ahead of it, in the year 1978. Beset as it was with manifold problems, the much delayed Tisri Cheet was finally released in 1978 after Mog ani Maipas had hit the theatres.
Pioneering Efforts
Now, at 80, Peter Gonsalves, who has lost his eye sight with failing memory is not able to fully go down memory lane to recall all the events leading to his audacious efforts to get into producing the movie. But some incidents are clearly etched in his mind and he is quite keyed up to narrate them though he had burnt his fingers royally in this (mis)adventure. “I got the idea of producing films because I was doing documentaries out of my own interest on various issues in and around Mangalore. I had done four documentaries - on Bethany nuns, on Gomateshwara of Karkala, on Jesuit priests and on the activities of Fr Muller hospital. “I was passionate about what I was doing. It was this passion that brought me into movie production. Wilfy Rebimbus (late) gave me his play “Tisri Cheet” and after doing some modifications to the story I decided to make it into a movie”, he recalls.
However, off and on his face brightens up when I start talking about his movie “Tisri Cheet”. What made him to get into film production, that too, a Konkani film when no one ventured into this field, I ask him? “Mangalore had and has a sizeable number of Konkani speaking people and it bothered me that our community had not produced any movie in our language. So I took up the challenge and succeeded though the movie failed. On the personal front it was a big setback for me because I lost everything that I had and almost became a pauper”, he states.
Photography – A Childhood Passion
Peter Gonslaves developed a passion for photography when he was in his high school. He learnt the nuances of photography from one Narahari Kamath of Ideal Photo House in Udupi. After coming to Mangalore Peter worked at Maithri Studio in Maidan Road for about three years. Then Peter set up his own studio “The Photo Centre” in Milagres and emerged as the leading photographer of his time. He was also the official photographer for most of the functions at St Aloysius College.
Peter was man of courage and conviction, recalls music composer Rony Bondel. It was Peter who brought the first moving camera to Mangalore. A leading Konkani artiste, who knew Peter closely but does not want to be identified, recalls that Peter was daring and did not hesitate to shoulder risks. He says once Peter was shooting some anti-national activity that was going on in one of the then leading hotels of Mangalore. When the people involved realized this they came barging towards him and Peter had to jump from the first floor along with the camera to save from their clutches. "He fractured his leg in this incident but did not allow his camera to be damaged."
The going on was not easy for Peter Gonsalves after taking the bold initiative of producing a Konkani movie. The most challenging part was finding leading ladies to star in the film as heroines. "Finding actresses to star in the movie was a painstaking task because girls who agreed to act in the film were raw hands and had to be taught everything, which was quite a daunting task. Moreover the public perception about women acting in films was at its lowest and parents refused their daughters to act in films," Peter recalls.
At the same time he has a word of appreciation for these actors all of whom agreed to work without seeking any remuneration. Added to his cup of woes is the fact that after completing nearly ¼ of the shooting in 16 mm he came to know that he would not get any subsidy or that he will be able to show the film in schools, colleges and churches, only if it is shot in 35 mm. So he had to abandon ¼ of the shooting done in 16 mm and had to shoot in 35 mm from scratch. “I had to go in for 35 mm by abandoning ¼ of the shooting because it was a do or die situation for me. Either way I would have suffered loss so I thought it prudent to switch over the 35 mm. I had to go for bank loan to bear the additional cost due to this change. At the end I had to pledge my land and house and also pawn my wife’s jewelry”, he avers.
No Regrets
On hindsight, he says it was a good decision because the movie got a subsidy of Rs. one lakh after its release and it helped Peter Gonsalves to settle his bank loan thus reducing his burden so some extent. While Peter dabbled in film production it was his wife Sofia, who was a teacher at St Gerosa High School, kept the home fires burning taking care of their five children. Peter’s eldest son Nelson Gonsalves, who is now settled in England, had essayed a small role in the movie. “I was hardly 11 at the time and I remember how the actors used to hit me to make me really cry to give credence to my crying scene in the movie”, he says. Similarly, his youngest daughter Elveena Gonsalves Moras who was a baby then had also starred in the movie.
Peter was helped by one Suresh in directing the movie. Umesh Kulkarni, a leading name in the Kannada film industry then was roped in as the editor. The movie was shot in some of the excellent locations capturing the pristine and shimmering beauty of Mangalore in and around the city. Peter remembers the jolt he received when the music director of the film Henry T D Souza died in a hit and run accident when he was out for dinner in Attavar near the present Jeeth Bar. Henry breathed his last the next day and even after so many years there is a mystery surrounding his death and even the vehicle which hit him has not been identified. “The recording of the songs was to be held within a week and his sudden death was a big shock and a great setback for us”, Peter says. Following his untimely death there were rumors agog about the conspiracy theory to eliminate Henry out of jealousy.
After recovering from the untimely blow the songs were recorded at Fathima Retreat House under the guidance of Cyril D Souza, who was also a musician. Ronald D'Souza (Rony Bondel) who was quite popular those days had composed all the six songs of the movie recalls “recording was held at Fathima Retreat House at night to avoid vehicle noise. We closed all the windows and recorded the songs the entire night”.
Undue Delay Proved its Undoing
The movie was dubbed in Chamundeshwari studio and edited Umesh Kulkarni and Suresh Urs. Finally the movie was released long after it went into production only to elicit lukewarm response. It had 27 shows in Prabhath Talkies in Mangalore and it ran for three days in Bangalore. Leo Bonaventure D'Souza, who essayed a role in the movie points out that though the movie was shot excellently and songs were also good, the dialogues could not be heard properly leading to its failure.
Scene from 'Tisri Cheet'Moreover it was released after Mog ani Maipas which had songs picturised in colour and this being a black and white movie it failed to make any impact. Later a producer one V A Sathyaranayana came to Peter and took away film and today the family does not even has a photograph of the movie or even the songs. Peter’s children get misty eyed as they regret having lost a legacy of their father. Somehow, one song of the movie has been retrieved from the spool tape which singer Rony Bondel had preserved all these years.
After the movie was released Peter paid his bank loans and went abroad leaving the studio in the hands of his friend. He worked there for two years and settled all the outstanding dues and loans. Here he also learnt advanced techniques in photography. After he came back he once again concentrated his energies to rebuild his business. Today his youngest son Samson Gonsalves is looking after the studio “Photo Centre” and is one of the leading photographers in Mangalore. Two of his children are settled in England and one daughter is in the gulf. Another son is working for a leading multinational in Bangalore and youngest son Samson is continuing what his father had begun. Samson and his family are taking care of Peter Gonsalves attending to all his needs.
Though Peter regrets burning his fingers badly he is not apologetic about his audacious efforts. "I would have been a winner even if one member of each Konkani speaking family had watched my film. That is the only grouse I have. I came forward to produce even when well known and rich Mangaloreans dithered. But then I have the satisfaction of being a trailblazer," he says as a parting riposte.