Reporter
Director: Francis de Tuem
If a picture spoke a 1000 words, imagine the impact of a full fledged tiatr exposing ulterior designs of the political class in Francis de Tuem’s tiatr aptly named, ‘Reporter.’ Akin to a popular Francis de Tuem solo, guaranteed with encores due to rational rebuttles to the wayward ways of the people in powers, a people’s verdict of this tiatr is also clear after over 100 performances already, mostly housefull.
“Issues highlighted are only after due research from all that appears in the media and is already in the public domain,” Francis’ disclaimer during this tiatr not only clarifies on slander, but also restricts audiences only to entertainment from his promising cast and crew. Adopting a rational approach to humour extreme ideologies that made headlines from the recent past nonetheless had the audience successfully lap up everything with claps and cheers.
The tiatr overall portrays the spirit of the reporter in exposing the truth inspite of ulterior ploys by those in power. True to the critic’s word however, this tiatr has no mention of any politician or bureaucrat’s name in the script; except where Minister Sudhin Dhavalikar himself was interviewed by the reporter. So was CM Laxmikant Parsekar. Albeit a humourous mimicry by the talented Manohar Bhingi, it was definitely a show stopper among other uncomfortable questions thrown to this family of politicians featuring in this tiatr that got the appreciation of the audiences roaring with laughter.
The tiatr begins with a typical political attempt to divide people after a plot of two religious structures being desecrated, gets hatched by the reporter.The use of highhandedness to get out of such sting operations however also brings to fore votebank politics. Although initiated by dividing opinions and thus people based on religion and made up fanatical ideologies, the power aspiring family depicted shows only a smiling innocent face to the public. Given that this sword of Democalese borne by the bosses over subordinates exists everywhere, the reporter too is shown silenced by her own higher ups regarding sting operations and exposes after receiving their ‘packet’. The interval curtains come down on an intense scene with a murder on our hands and enough suspense to finally reveal all only in the last scene.
The story of this household under distress due to their individual greed for power becomes more profound in the final message with the plot taking a surprise twist revealing the most unsuspecting family member as the mastermind. Interestingly, all characters in the cast were called by their real names.
A trio cantar of Marcus Vaz and Xavier Gomes unsuccessfully trying to convince Francis to stop singing songs of critique and getting them into trouble with those in power received much appreciation and encore. So did the political quartet with Lawry Travasso bringing the four most popular and busiest singers of tiatr together.
The cantarams seldom had an added gimmick, going a step further from just delivering the song “ a praiseworthy creative added. For instance, just as Xavier Gomes and Marcus Vaz walk in through the flanks with a microphone in hand as if to deliver a solo each, they only return back after acknowledging their own voice “ as mimicked by Sheikh Amir singing their solos instead.
A song on the life of drinking habits of veteran tiatrist Master Vaz added yet another glamour feature when Master Vaz himself walks on stage to complete the coda of this song at its end sung by his son, Marcus Vaz. Like the political tiatr, this song too is a statement made, but on alcohol abuse by tiatrists.
