Ardent tiatr lovers in the state may have to forgo watching their favourite tiatr at the Ravindra Bhavan in Margao in the monsoon. The management of Ravindra Bhavan has reportedly decided to shut the Pai Tiatrist hall for staging of tiatr shows in order to pave the way for the renovation and refurbishment of the amenities of the 2025 IFFI festival. Goans cannot be deprived of this popular form of entertainment for want of a hall. It is learnt that the roofing of the main auditorium will be changed to plug seepage of water during the rains. Incidentally, repair work has reportedly been carried out not only last year but over the past five years. Several crores are being spent on repairing the premiere cultural centre. The government could think of building a separate auditorium to be used exclusively to stage Konkani tiatr and screen Konkani movies. The Pai tiatrist hall which was built for staging tiatrs has now become a multi-purpose hall. South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes, has called for the recognition of tiatr by UNESCO as a cultural and heritage treasure. Having an auditorium dedicated for Konkani tiatr and Konkani films could be the first step towards this goal.
