Rajendra Talak | |
|---|---|
 Talak (right) in 2011 | |
| Born | Comba, Goa, India |
| Alma mater | Parvatibai Chowgule College (BSc) |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Known for | |
| Spouse | Priyanka Bidaye |
| Children | 3 |
Rajendra Talak is an Indian film director. He is best known for his award-winning Konkani films, such as Aleesha and O Maria . [1] [2]
Talak was born in Comba, Margao, Goa, India. He attended the Mahila Nutan and Popular High Schools in Margao and later joined Parvatibai Chowgule College, from which he graduated with a bachelors of science. He was a state-ranked table tennis player, and represented his college in table tennis and badminton competitions. [1]
In the 1970s, Talak was a member of tabla player Sushant Keshav Naik's music group, Mahesh Kumar & Party. The group later became part of the Gomant Vidya Niketan Kala Vibha and produced award-winning Marathi dramas. Talak gained experience in drama and theatre, which led to his interest in cinema. While composing the music for their play, Shitu, Talak concluded that the story had potential for a film and began working in filmmaking. [1]
Talak began his career with the tele-film Shitu in 1994, which was based on a child widow. Director Shyam Benegal, who was invited for the film's release, praised Talak's work. [1]
In 2002, Talak decided to make a film about the pollution caused by mining in Goa. After learning that Goa would host the International Film Festival of India in 2004, Talak expedited the filming and post-production of Aleesha. The film premiered at the 35th International Film Festival of India and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Konkani at the 52nd National Film Awards. [1] [3]
His next film was bilingual, titled Antarnad in Konkani and Savalee in Marathi, and premiered at the IFFI 2006. It won five national awards and seven state awards. He then made another bilingual film, Saavariyaa.com in 2009, about 'internet marriages' in Goa. [4] His 2010 film, O Maria, dealt with the loss of identity that Goa faced and was a commercial success in the state. [1] [2] [5] [6]
In 2014, Talak released the Marathi film A Rainy Day, which was about corruption. It was screened at the Jagran Film Festival in Mumbai in 2014. [3]
In 2016, Talak was appointed as the Vice-Chairman of Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) by the Government of Goa. [7] Entertainment Society of Goa co-hosts the International Film Festival of India. [8]
In 2019, Rajendra Talak directed the drama film Miranda House. [9]
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Shitu |
| 2004 | Aleesha |
| 2006 | Antarnad (Konkani) |
| 2007 | Savalee (Marathi) |
| 2009 | Saavariyaa.com |
| 2010 | O Maria |
| 2014 | A Rainy Day |
| 2019 | Miranda House |
Talak also runs a construction business named "Talak Constructions". He also co-founded the "Kalangan Centre for Performing Arts" in Margao, of which he has previously been the president. [1] Talak has planted trees under the Swachh Bharat Mission in his hometown of Margao. He helps in the landscaping of mini gardens in the city. [1]
Talak lives in Borda, Margao, with his wife, Priyanka Bidaye (who starred in Aleesha) and son Manas. [1]
Lorna Cordeiro, known mononymously as Lorna, is an Indian singer. Referred to as the "Nightingale of Goa", she performed with jazz trumpeter Chris Perry in the 1960s and 1970s. Her association with Perry ended in 1973, causing her to quit the music industry. She later came out of retirement in 1995, and still continues to perform.
"Channeache Rati" is a Goan Konkani song.
Aleesha is a Konkani film released in 2004 in Goa, India. It was directed by Rajendra Talak and featured Priyanka Bidaye and Rajeev Hede in the lead roles.
Paltadacho Munis or The Man Beyond the Bridge is an Indian film in Konkani directed by Laxmikant Shetgaonkar. Set in Goa, the film is about a recently widowed forest ranger in a dwindling forest, who strikes up an unlikely relationship with a woman he finds lost and alone in the woods. The film tries to destigmatise mental illness, often equated with being possessed by the devil in rural India.
Manohar Rai Sardesai was an Indian Konkani poet, writer and French translator. He received his Doctorat ès lettres françaises for his thesis "L'image de l'Inde en France" from the University of Sorbonne. He has been credited for an upsurge of modern Konkani poetry. Sardesai died in 2006.
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is an annual film festival currently held in Goa, on the western coast of India. The festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of the film art; contributing to the understanding and appreciation of film cultures of different nations in the context of their social and cultural ethos, and promoting friendship and cooperation among people of the world. The festival is conducted jointly by the National Film Development Corporation of India and the state Government of Goa.
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.
Konkani cinema is an Indian film industry, where films are made in the Konkani language, which is spoken mainly in the Indian states of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka and to a smaller extent in Kerala. The films have been produced in Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala.
Damodar Mauzo is an Indian short story writer, novelist, critic, and screenwriter in Konkani. He was awarded the 57th Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honour, in 2022, Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for his novel Karmelin and the Vimala V. Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar award for his novel Tsunami Simon in 2011. His collection of short stories Teresa's Man and Other Stories from Goa was nominated for the Frank O'Connor International award in 2015. He has served as a member of the executive board, general council, as well as the finance committee of the Sahitya Akademi.
Goa is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the east and south, with the Arabian Sea in the west. It is India's smallest state by area and fourth-smallest by population. Goa has the highest GDP per capita among all Indian states, two and a half times as high as the GDP per capita of the country as a whole. The Eleventh Finance Commission of India named Goa the best-placed state because of its infrastructure, and India's National Commission on Population rated it as having the best quality of life in India. It is the second-highest ranking among Indian states in the human development index.
John Aguiar is an Indian Konkani poet, writer, songwriter and journalist whose songs have been broadcast over the All India Radio network, mainly in Goa and on CDs.
The 49th International Film Festival of India was a film festival held from 20 to 28 November 2018 in Goa. In the 49th event new sections such as "Sketch on Screen ", "A Retrospective of Masters" are inculcated. 212 films were being showcased during the event, with Israel being the country of focus.
Prashanti Talpankar is an Indian writer, translator, playwright, and actor. She is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize for her work in Konkani and is a cancer survivor.
Juze or Juje is a 2017 Indian film in Konkani, written and directed by Miransha Naik. The film is about the social injustice and exploitation faced by migrant labourers in Goa, and is set in the 1990s. It was co-produced by people from India, France and Netherlands under the banner of Goa Film Bazaar, with some of the editing done in Paris.
Amizade (transl. Friendship) is a 2018 Indian Konkani-language action film written and directed by Aniket Arun Naik, and produced by Sachin Verlekar's Om Creative Film Works, in partnership with Bymistake Motion Pictures. It stars Konkani actors John D'Silva and Rajiv Hede and is the debut film of Siddhant Kanekar, Gaurav Pokle, Chetan Upadhay, Dhruv Sincro and Vaishnavi Pilankar. The film is about love and the journey of four good friends and their friendship. The film's trailer was launched at the Goa Marathi Film Festival in 2018, and its poster was released at the 48th International Film Festival of India by the then Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar. The film was released on 7 December 2018.
Kantaar (transl. Song) is a 2019 Indian Konkani-language film written and directed by Nilesh Malkar and produced by Janet Noronha. It stars Jackie Shroff, Noel Sean and Ester Noronha. The film is about life in Goa, and finding purpose in life. After the award-winning Soul Curry, it is Malkar and Jackie's second Konkani film. The musical film features Lorna singing some jazz songs. It premiered at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, on 28 January 2019.
Tapan Acharya is an Indian actor, writer, producer, and director known for his work in Marathi and Konkani films. He is best known for the Konkani movies Martin and Aleesha. He also worked as a state youth icon for the Election Commission of India to increase voter awareness in Goa. Acharya was elected as president of Goa Roll Ball Association in 2023. He also serves as a president of the Roll Ball Federation of India since November 2023.
The 51st International Film Festival of India was held from 16 to 24 January 2021 in Goa. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the festival went hybrid, there was physical and virtual screening of 50 films out of 224 films across various categories. Bangladesh was country of focus in the festival with four films of the country included in 'country of focus' section.
The Ravindra Bhavan, Margao (RBM) is a cultural center situated in Fatorda, Goa, India. It is administered by the Directorate of Art and Culture, which is part of the Government of Goa. The center was founded in July 2008 and was inaugurated under the governance of the Congress party in Goa at the time. It serves as a venue for a diverse range of cultural activities and events, featuring programs and performances in languages such as Konkani, English, Hindi, and Marathi. In addition to hosting local cultural programming, the center serves as a prominent venue that hosts a variety of important national and international events. It functions as a central nexus for a wide range of cultural events and activities within the Salcete taluka district of South Goa.
Premanand Anand Lotlikar is an Indian insurance agent, businessman, former actor, theatre director, and playwright known for his work in Marathi nataks and tiatr (theatre) productions.
