Panaji: The Carmel Cine Club, in collaboration with the Department of English at Carmel College of Arts, Science and Commerce for Women, organised the Play A Character inter–Higher Secondary competition, drawing strong participation from institutions across Goa.
Held on January 9, 2026, the event saw 46 participants competing in solo and group categories. The competition was judged by Sajani D’Costa, Vishwapratap Pawar and Arantxa Fernandes.
The programme opened with a welcome address by Principal Dr Sr Aldina Braganza e Gomes, who underlined the role of creative expression and performance in holistic education. This was followed by an address by Head of the English Department Dr Glenis Mendonca, who praised the confidence, creativity and enthusiasm of the participants.
In the solo category, students portrayed a wide range of characters from cinema and popular culture, including Pennywise, Queen Padmavati, Kaashibai, Gangubai, Baburao, Dayaben, Meenamma, the Godfather, Jhilmil Chatterjee and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Group performances followed, while special prizes were also given to Carmel College students who participated in costume.
The solo first prize went to Deepali Jamuni of Damodar Higher Secondary School, Quepem, for her portrayal of Chhatrapati Shivaji from Chhaava. Trishani Mondal of Fr Agnel Multipurpose Higher Secondary School, Verna, won second prize for playing Dayaben, while Riddhi Gadekar of Mallikarjun Higher Secondary School, Canacona, secured third place as Jhilmil Chatterjee. In the group category, King’s School won first place, followed by St Cruz Higher Secondary School and Manovikas Higher Secondary School.
The programme was coordinated by Ashwini Kumar, with a vote of thanks proposed by Dr Brian Mendonca. Spot-prize activities were conducted by Sibyl Fernandes, adding to audience engagement.
