The Konkani taitr stage although dominated by
members of the minority community, of and on, artistes like Anil V. Pednekar
come along and blaze a trail. And guess which of his many roles is his
favourite? Playing a catholic priest in Fr. Planton Faria’s religious tiatro
“Kantteanche Mukutt” “Till date that is my favourite role,” says this
promising actor who hails from Quitula, Aldona.
Exposure to acting acme at a very tender age, he said in the form of roles in village ‘ nattacks’ Anil’s was first introduced to the professional Konkani stage by a tiatrist Jerome de Mapusa in Govai Nam written and directed by Rocky Dias of Arlem, Raia. Anil did a negative role in that tiatr which was widely appreciated. Incidentally, both Jerome and Rocky had acted earlier in Anil’s own production entitled “Rukh” in 1990-91.
“I had not only written and directed Rukh but personally handled the technical part of the play” he said. After Govai Nam, Anil took a break and concentrated on his family business and returned in Bernard Fernandes’ Beddi in 1995. He stayed on with Bernard’s troupe and did “Bodlo” , “Amche Chear Dis”, Chukleli Vatt”, and participated in Kala Academy’s tiatr competition almost every year, where out of 8 tiatros he won the best actor’s award twice and merit certificate four times.
Then he acted in Milagres de Chandor’s “Moskorio”, Pascoal Rodrigues’ “Atam Mhaka Disti Poddta”, comedian Dominic’s “Tum Passun”, Willmix-Sharon’s “Devachem utor Hem” (again a religious play).
Presently Anil is attached to Roseferns troupe having acted in “ Nixanni”, “Somasak Lai Uzo”, Lharam” and “Zo Hath Painnem Deloita”. Right now he is acting in Peter de Macasana’s “Tichea Mornam Uprant”.
Anil also did one more religious tiatro of Fr. Planton Faria entitled “Nis Fuddari” . Here he laughingly recalls how he came to play not one but five different characters. “You see, I had come to watch the performance of this tiatr in preparation for substituting the main character for the next performance and while I was sitting among the audience, I was frantically called in to replace the comedian who had not turned up for the show. So, without even seeking that role, I stepped in an did the comedy there and then and made people laugh. Thereafter I was called in to substitute for four other characters in the same play but at different places,” laughs Anil.
Besides tiatros, Anil has done streets
plays or “Khells” during the Carnival season for directors like Salvador
Alphonso and Peter de Macasana. “ How did you find the experience?” I ask
him. “I learnt a lot because it is different from the stage shows. There are
no light effects there and we act with very close proximity to the audience.
Getting back to his first love acting, Anil says he has done comedy skits for
Goa Doordarshan many times. He has acted in two episodes of the TV serial
‘Nayak’ beamed on Alpha Marathi channel. Recently he played five
different characters in the documentary “Swatantra Sangam” for Ramesh
Deo Production. Anil is a fairly good singer too having sung soles on audio
cassettes “Mogache Tyag”, “Kazaracho Ratri” and “Mog”.
Comfortable in jeans and a shirt, talented Anil Pednekar exudes confidence to
handle any role be it on stage, on the streets, on TV or in films. “ I owe my
success to my uncles Umakant Raut and Raghunath Raul for believing in me,
encouraging and supporting me to reach where I am today,” he smiles
fondly.