Tumchim Mona Bodlat: Worth giving change a try

BENAULIM: As you would expect, Ligorio Fernandes’s Lenten tiatr -- Tumchim Mona Bodlat -- has a familiar happy ending but in between, for the length of the tiatr, he spares nobody.
The ‘pious’ man who organizes retreats and seminars all to mint money in the name of God, the ‘religious’ wife who turns to the “other God” to solve her problem or the young girl who has several other things on her mind when attending an hour-long Sunday Mass could be found next door, or even among us.And it is this striking resemblance with those characters on stage that seems to find favour with the audience.
“I wanted to make this a hard-hitting tiatr. You can only change when you feel the pain,” said Ligorio after his showing at TOI’s Lenten Tiatr Festival in Benaulim won acclaim.
For the general audience -- and there were plenty in the St John the Baptist Church compound -- what happens on stage could be happening in their own lives too. And it is here that Ligorio is at its best, shattering plenty of myths along the way.
Whether its the widow who is expected to wear black, break her bangles and throw away her earrings once her husband passes away, or the customary three-day Carnival fiesta that is now a fad for merriment prior to lent, Tumchim Mona Bodlat explains -- with telling examples from the Bible -- how all of this is gratuitous.
“These are old practices that have found no mention in the Bible,” the parish priest tells his gathering in the tiatr. The parish priest -- Fr Clay -- enacted by Mariano Almeida is a convincing performance and he effortlessly carries the tiatr on his shoulders.
It helps that you can really identify his looks with your own parish priest. Slightly old, radiating look, Mariano does not even need a little bit of make-up to make him look the part. His dialogue delivery coupled with Ligorio’s own commentary holds the tiatr in good stead.
The other characters, too, do not need prodding. The tiatr is into its third season now and it’s no surprise that everything falls into place without much of an effort. Jose Fernandes as head of the family, Evone Fernandes as the mother, Regina Pereira (daughter), Baptista Crasto (as Perry) and Sinette D’Souza (Perry’s sister and later as nun) fit into their roles like an old glove.
Then there is Jose de Loutolim as the tiatrist who has written a tiatr calling for a change, only to be told by the priest that those living in glass houses should not undress: they really get exposed. Ali Correia is convincing in his roles as John the Baptist, first, and later the head of the family’s brother, while Ivan Fernandes shows up intermittently as Satan, with a striking ‘S’ written on his vest.
The most believable character -- if you can call that -- is John Miranda as Jesus. The final part depicting Passion of Christ grabs your attention and it is Jesus on the cross that you just cannot take your eyes off. That John has no other role in the tiatr is proof he was handpicked for this scene alone.
Ligorio’s serious message could have got lost among the crowd if not for comedian Michael D’Souza. His role as Gaddi baba, in particular, remains refreshing and helps in providing comic relief. The cluster of nuns occupying the front seats and even one judge could not control their laughter.
Michael was assisted by two others, Pittush D’Costa and Seby Rebello. From among the songs, Jose and Ivan’s duet on St Joseph Vaz got the biggest applause. Not a surprise if you consider that Goa’s first saint hails from Benaulim, the village where the tiatr was staged Sinnette’s catching voice in a duet with Michael must have also won her plenty of admirers.
Tumchim Mona Bodlat calls for a change, and even though change is never easy, like Fr Clay says in the tiatr, “just give it a try”.