Menino de Bandar embarks on a journey through fate

Having earned the sobriquet of ‘Triple Century King’ for his last tiatr, ‘Socorrina’, that completed 301 shows, Benaulim-based tiatrist Menino de Bandar is elated that his 50th tiatr, ‘Khuris Tujea Noxibacho’ (Cross of Your Fate), has been well-received by audiences.
Although the narrative of ‘Khuris Tujea Noxibacho’ is tilted more towards that of a Lenten tiatrspecially the ‘miraculous’ scene of Jesus emerging from a splitting rockthe tiatr is a family saga that emphasizes the need to be prepared to the vagaries of life as they come.
‘Khuris Tujea Noxibacho’ sports innovative stage sets, great comedy scenes, mesmerizing lighting effects by Lawrence Gracias, and meaningful Konkani cantts (songs), with the director himself singing the drama’s opening chorus.
Creating awareness about reasons behind infertility and impotency, ‘Khuris Tujea Noxibacho’ is a tale that revolves around a joint family comprising a widowed, Teresa (Angela Morais), and her two adult sons, Aliston (Satyavan Tari) and PI Metron (Maxcy Pereira), who are married to Veronica (Janice) and Melanie (Ophelia), respectively.
Although both are arranged marriages, the elder couple, Aliston and Veronica, are childless. As a result, Veronica is subjected to frequent taunts from her husband and mother-in-law that she quietly bears. The younger coupleMetron and Melaniehowever, are blessed with a daughter, Judith (Avila).
A hardworking and honest police officer, PI Metron is a major disappointment to his wife as her plans for an outing are frequently cancelled due to his busy schedule. The frequent quarrels that occur between the two couples are always arbitrated by the matriarch, Teresa, who is quick to support her sons, irrespective of the situation. The goings-on create a disturbing environment for the young Judith, although she often proves to be the home’s conscience keeper and acts as the figurative mirror that highlights the adults’ faults.
Veronica, in sharp contrast to the other daughter-in-law Melanie, is unable to face domestic harassment and tries to commit suicide. She is deterred by the timely intervention of her brother-in-law, Metron. A priest (Evaristo) even tries to counsel the family members and unite the estranged couples. How the tiatr unfolds, thereafter, is a treat to watch.
The talented child artiste, Avila, bagged a couple of cash awards from the audience along with another child artiste, Baba Rosewald. Comedienne Lavina received recognition, too. Baba Rosewald, who participates in the comedy acts alongside Lavina, Aston, Agnelo and Pitush, is delightful, particularly because of his confidence and innocent expressions.
An innovative comedy solo by Edward performing as a ‘half-man, half-woman’ was quite interesting, as was the political satire solo by comedian Aston that received encores from the audience. The musical troupe, led by Cruz de Sanvordem, with himself and Angelo playing the trumpets, Francis on the drums, Joe on the bass guitar and Jolan on the keyboards provided an entertaining musical score.
On the whole, ‘Khuris Tujea Noxibacho’ has plenty to convey to its audience, such as the need to respect and admire the dedication of a sincere police officer, the evils of alcoholism, the domestic abuse women suffer and the need for their empowerment.