TAG meet says play clean, play fair; Conception, Francis in attendance
the goan I network
MARGAO
The TAG emergency meeting attended by over 300 Konkani artists was unanimous in its condemnation of assault on tiatrists. It also condemned directors and writers for writing tiatr or songs directed personally at tiatrists and politicians.
Addressing the media after the meeting, TAG President Agostinho Themudo said that there was unanimity among directors, writers and singers that there ought to be self-regulation of tiatr. “It has been decided to cast responsibility on the director to go through the script and find out anything objectionable in any song or script. We have all agreed that personal attacks on politicians or anybody, including tiatrists, should not be entertained,” he said.
Roseferns said that while political songs in tiatr will continue, it was by and large agreed that these should not hit out at politicians or tiatrists below the belt.
TAG Vice president William Fernandes said that the meeting also adopted a resolution against vulgarity on stage, especially during comedy and songs directed at women. “The directors have promised self regulation on this aspect,” he said, adding that the director will scan the script of the tiatr or song or comedy eight days before the show.
The meeting also resolved not allow songs laced with communal overtones and directed at a particular religion. “All the directors have agreed that they will not sing songs directed at any religion. Our whole intention is to showcase clean and good tiatrs,” he said.
When asked whether TAG has decided to set up a mechanism to enforce the resolutions, Agostinho said the academy will depute an observer to verify complaints of any violation by any director or tiatrists.
Asked how TAG will take an erring director to task in case of any violation, Mario Menezes pointed out that the tiatr fraternity will cross the bridge when it comes to it. “We are hopeful that all the directors and tiatrists will adhere to the resolutions,” Menezes said. He added “there’s no hard and fast rule, but we have all requested them to bring tiatr on the right track. We are hopeful because for the first time around 300-400 tiatrists, singers, writers came together to evolve a solution post-Saturday incident. But, if they don’t agree than we will have to work out some other mechanism. Today, the meeting was attended by both Francis de Tuem and Conception de Tuem.”
Asked whether those artists who violate the resolutions can be banned by the directors, Menezes said “we have requested the artists, comedians to take a call. We cannot enforce anything legally. Let us wait and see since we have all accepted the self-regulation”.
Agostinho replied in the negative when asked whether TAG has taken the initiative of convening the meeting upon pressure or threats from the government to fall in line or face censorship. “There is no such thing. I convened the meeting because what was happening was not in the interest of tiatr. The intention was to rid tiatr of the rot that has set in,”Agostinho said.
If fact, Rosefers said the tiatr fraternity no longer fears censorship, adding “what we fear now is the public leaving this rich form of art. That is our biggest fear. If people leave us, then it will spell doom for us.”
TAG President Agostinho warned that tiatr has not survived because of artists or directors, but due to the unstinted support extended by tiatr lovers over the years. “If any tiatr lover or artist has any grievance, he or she can approach the director or singer after the show. No one can attack the singer or tiatrist on stage,” Agostinho said.
Francis apologises for incident
MARGAO: Tiatr Director Francis de Tuem on Wednesday apologized for Saturday’s ugly incident involving his wife Jenny during the staging of Conception de Tuem’s Tiatr, Answer, at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao.
He, however, clarified that the assailants, who attacked Conception on stage, were not sent by him,
while demanding that the police bring the guilty to book and bring out the truth before the Goan people.
Addressing the media, Francis said he has been victimized in the incident when his name was dragged by vested interests when he had no knowledge of the incident, while condemning the assault on Conception. “My wife had gone for the tiatr after my son drew her attention that he was being teased by students because of the tiatr. I fully agree that my wife shouldn’t have gone on the stage. Instead, she should have questioned Conception after the show,” he said.
“My image is being unnecessarily tarnished by accusing me of sending the miscreants to attack the director. Let the police investigate as the question of politicians being involved in the attack cannot be ruled out,” he said.
“My wife is not an artist, but a housewife. She should not have gone on stage. It appears to be her spontaneous reaction,” he said.
Meanwhile, tiatr director Tausif de Navelim has claimed that the script of Answer was first given to him two years ago by a person from Benaulim with a request to stage the tiatr under the title Carmona to Tuem. “That person had even told me that the tiatr if staged by me will be funded by two MLAs. He claimed that a conspiracy was hatched to tarnish the image of Francis and his wife Jenny and link his relationship with a comedian actress.”
