Tiatr Academy Goa (TAG) will organise its monthly programme ‘Kolakorak Bhett’ (Meet the Artiste) on October 28, 2011 at 4.45 p.m. at TAG’s Conference Hall, Campal Trade Centre, Campal Panaji. Kamlakant Chari, designer of stage sets will be the featured artiste for the month.
Kamalakant Chari is in the field of tiatr for the last 40 years. During this long period of time, Kamalakant Chari has created innovative stage sets for dramas as well as tiatrs. In the beginning, Kamalakant Chari did not have stage sets as well as curtains of his own. He used to borrow the required stage setting from a stage production house in Mapusa. There were times when Kamalakant Chari brought all the curtains on a cycle from Mapusa to Panjim and returned them back on cycle only the next day after the programme was over. His hard work and sincerity paid him rich dividends later in life. By providing stage setting, he did not make much money but he managed to create a niche for himself as an innovative stage set designer. Kamlakant Chari served as a panch in the village Panchayat of Merces for one full term in 1979 – 83.
On the commercial stage of tiatr he provided stage set for the first time for the tiatr written and directed by one of the greatest comedian of tiatr stage, late Jacint Vaz. In this tiatr, his beautiful stage set was noticed by many other tiatr greats, namely M Boyer, Prem Kumar, C Alvares, Bab Peter, Mike Mehta, John Claro Fernandes, Rosario Rodrigues, Roseferns, Prince Jacob, Pascoal, Mario Menezes, John D’Silva, Agostinho, Comedian Domnic, Peter Roshan, Fr Freddy J Da Costa and others who requested him to prepare stage sets for their tiatrs. He has also provided innovative stage sets to Chris Perry’s musical show in the 1970s. In the annual competitions of Kala Academy, he has provided stage sets to prize winning tiatrs.
On the Marathi stage too, Kamalakant Chari has done remarkable work in stage setting. He has won awards at the national level for stage setting. His national level set designing and execution productions included ‘Kalokh Det Hunkar’, ‘Junction Bharatpur’, ‘Themb Themb Abhal’, ‘Swapnavasavdatta’, ‘Pratima’, ‘Demaiz’, ‘Waiting Room’, ‘Natasamrat’, ‘Sandhya Chaya’, ‘Kulavadhu’ and ‘Naganand’.
He has received many prizes for stage setting at state level competitions. He represented Goa in the theatre festival ‘Bharat Rang Mahotsav’ organised by the National School of Drama and for National Theatre Festival. He has participated in state level theatre festivals at Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Kolhapur, etc. All tiatr lovers are requested to attend the programme.
