O Maria | |
---|---|
Directed by | Rajendra Talak |
Screenplay by | Rajendra Talak Pratima Kulkarni |
Produced by | M.B Creations |
Starring | Shernaz Patel Meenacshi Martins Cory Goldberg |
Cinematography | Sunny Joseph |
Music by | Remo Fernandes |
Release dates |
(Premiered at IFFI 2010) |
Running time | 110 minutes |
Country | India |
Language | Konkani |
O Maria is a Konkani language film released in 2010 in Goa, India. It is the fourth film by Rajendra Talak after the National Award winning Aleesha in 2004, Antarnad in 2006 and Sawariya.com in 2008.
Maria is a single woman of forty plus, living alone with her mother, running a quiet business of putting up tourists in her house by the sea and a small restaurant. She has the good fortune of owning a land and a house in a prime spot by the sea which is eyed by developers.
The subject of sale of land in Goa and the outsider/insider issue has been plaguing the state for sometime and O Maria revolves around the same subject. In 2009 another Konkani film Zagor was also made on the same lines.
Maria (Shernaz Patel) is a middle aged single woman who lives with her ailing mother (Sulbha Arya) and has foreign tourists as paying guests at her beachside home while she also runs a small restaurant. While one of her brother's sons Kevin (Kevin D'Mello) looks upon her as a mother, the other Jack (Aryan Khedekar) teams up with his mother, Philomena (Meenacshi Martins) to sell their ancestral property which is at a prime location to a Gujarati property developer Jiten Shah 'Jitubhai' (Tiku Talsania). For this he needs Maria’s approval because her brother John (tiatrist Roseferns) has already signed an agreement to this effect.
Mike (Cory Goldberg), an American staying as a guest with Maria, also gets dragged into the issue. Cory Goldberg had earlier played the role of a tourist in the Incredible India ad campaign. [1] Ruzar (tiatrist John D'Silva) plays the sacristan who gets the villages together.
The director was praised for his mature handling of the theme and for his realistic portrayal of Goans involved in the tourism industry and also his depiction of the way of life of Goan Christians. [2]
Not only did the film become the first Konkani film to cross the 50-day and 100-day barriers, [3] [4] but it also completed 25 weeks at the Inox multiplex at Panjim on 3 June 2011. [5]
However, there has been criticism that the plot was over simplified and the significant role of corrupt Goan politicians in such land deals was not shown. Music director, Remo Fernandes, disappointed that the song 'Maka Naka Tuka Naka' against corruption was dropped from the movie for unknown reasons after its video was filmed, said that since the CD was released by the Chief Minister and the Chief Minister was thanked in the very first frame, the director probably found his hands tied up. [6]
The choice of Shernaz Patel for the lead role was also commented upon as being a non-Goan, her pronunciations of Konkani were not up to the mark, even though her acting efforts were appreciated.
Remo Fernandes has played every instrument on these tracks, sung all the male voices, and played the role of recording and pre-mixing engineer. The lyrics are by Saish Poi Palondikar.
Four tracks were released by M. B. Creations and music label Rock and Raaga: [6] [7]
The music of the movie has become very popular and has been critically acclaimed.
Music of Goa refers to music from the state of Goa, on the west coast of India. A wide variety of music genres are used in Goa ranging from Western art music to Indian classical music. Konkani music is also popular across this tiny state. Being a former territory of Portugal, Goa has a dominant western musical scene with the use of instrument such as the violin, drums, guitar, trumpet and piano. It has also produced a number of prominent musicians and singers for the world of Indian music. Portuguese Fado also has significance in Goa.
Goan Catholics are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians adhering to the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church from the Goa state, in the southern part of the Konkan region along the west coast of India. They are Konkani people and speak the Konkani language.
Luís Remo de Maria Bernardo Fernandes is an Indian-born Portuguese singer and musician. Known as a pioneer of Indian pop music, he performs pop/rock/Indian fusion and is also a film playback singer. His musical work is a fusion of many different cultures and styles that he has been exposed to as a child in Goa and in his later travels around the world. Such influences include Goan and Portuguese music, Sega music, African music, Latin music, the music of erstwhile European communist states, those of the dance halls from Jamaica and Soca.
Tiatr is a type of musical theatre that is popular in the state of Goa on the west coast of India, as well as in Mumbai and among expatriate communities in the Middle East, United Kingdom, and other cities with a significant presence of Konkani speakers. The plays are primarily performed in the Romi Konkani dialects and incorporate elements such as music, dance, and singing. Individuals who perform in tiatr are referred to as tiatrists.
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Enemy? is a 2015 Indian mystery film produced by A. Durga Prasad and directed by Dinesh P. Bhonsle who has previously directed Hindi-movie Calapor. The music was composed by Schubert Cotta. The film won the Best Konkani film Award in 63rd National Film Awards, Vigyan Bhawan New Delhi. It was officially selected to be screen at the 21st Kolkata International Film Festival 2015, Goa Marathi Film Festival 2016 and London Indian Film Festival 2016. Enemy was selected for the Indiwood Panorama Competition section at the 2nd edition of Indiwood Carnival 2016 in Hyderabad.
Mario Piedade Menezes, popularly known by his sobriquet Tragedy King, was an Indian theatre director, playwright, and actor who primarily worked on the Konkani stage. He was the vice president of the Tiatr Academy Goa.
John Claro Fernandes was an Indian writer, theatre director, playwright, and actor known for his work in tiatr productions. Throughout his extensive career, he has made crucial contributions to the development and advancement of Goan tiatr. His noted research on the history of tiatr led to the discovery that the inaugural tiatr production, titled Italian Bhurgo, took place on 17 April 1892, at the New Alfred Theatre in Bombay, presently occupied by the Police Commissioner headquarters.
Ophelia Cabral e D'Souza, popularly known as Ophelia Cabral, was an Indian actress, singer, playwright, and director known for her work in Konkani films and tiatr productions. One of the multifaceted performers of her time, she is referred to as the "Tragedy Queen of the Konkani stage" and was known for her roles in Konkani films such as Amchem Noxib, Nirmon, Boglantt, Bhuierantlo Munis, and Faxi Mogachi.
João Agostinho Fernandes, popularly known as Pai Tiatrist, was a Goan playwright, theatre actor, and former chemist, known for his contribution to staging the first teatro Italian Bhurgo, on 17 April 1892 in Bombay at the New Alfred Theatre, along with playwright Lucasinho Ribeiro, Caitaninho Fernandes, and Agostinho Mascarenhas. Referred to as the "Father of Konkani tiatr", Fernandes continued the tiatr tradition when his mentor Ribeiro quit being part of the Konkani stage during the early 20th century. Over a span of more than fifty years, he created 30 plays, with the majority being original works crafted by him, totaling 26, while the remaining four were adaptations from external sources.
Wilson Vincent Mazarello, also known as Wilmix, is an Indian singer, writer, playwright, and politician known for his work in Konkani films, and tiatr productions.
Regina Fernandes was a Goan theatre actress known as the first lady of the Konkani stage. The wife of Goan playwright João Agostinho Fernandes, she first took to the stage at the age of 24 in her husband's theatro Batcara, which was staged at Gaiety Theatre in Bombay on 22 November 1904.
Maria Vital Fernandes, known professionally as Betty Ferns, is an Indian actress and singer known for her work in Konkani films and tiatr productions.
Eusebia Feliciana "Sabina" Fernandes is an Indian actress, singer, theatrical producer, and theatre director known for her work in Konkani films and tiatr productions.
Ambrose Carlisto Piedade Fernandes known professionally as A. M. B. Rose, was an Indian theatre actor, singer, theatre director, and playwright who worked on the Konkani stage. One of the early character actors of the Konkani tiatr stage, he gained fame during the golden phase of tiatr from the 1930s to 1970s. The patriarch of the 'Rose family', his son Alfred Rose followed in his footsteps to become a Konkani singer. Fernandes's family talents extended to his daughter-in-law Rita Rose, who made similar contributions to the Konkani stage like her husband Alfred, which inturn helped their children to become Konkani singers.
Osvi Sebastião Cruz Lourdes Viegas is an Indian singer, composer, theatre actor, playwright, and theatre director who works on the Konkani stage.
Ubaldina "Diana" Fernandes, also known mononymously as Diana, is an Indian actress and singer known for her work in Konkani films and tiatr productions.
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