Mike Mehta, intellectual giant of tiatr, dies at 78 | Goa News

Panaji: Much before Goemkarponn became a theme, Mike Mehta was obsessed with the idea of Goanness and used the tiatr stage to tell everyone what it really means to be a Goan.

Born Miguel Transfiguracao de Cristo Rodrigues in Borim, Mehta was among the first popular criminal lawyer from his native village in Ponda taluka and made news as advisor to ministers. But it was on the tiatr stage that he made himself known and explored issues that were at the core of Goemkarponn.With socio political plays such as Goenkaranchem Rogot, Goem Viklem Ghanttar, Politik, O Papagaiyo or Canta E Beira, Mehta brought Goan themes to the fore, highlighting issues close to the heart of many Goans, like identity, recognition for Konkani and its inclusion in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, political defections and the Emergency.The veteran tiatrist, writer-director, lawyer, and one of the most respected intellectual voices of the Goan tiatr stage, passed away on Saturday. He was 78 and confined to the house for the last few years.“Mike Mehta was a fearless thinker who used tiatr to question, challenge, and awaken society,” said senior tiatrist and writer Fausto V Da Costa. “His pen and stagecraft reflected courage, intellect, and an undying love for Konkani.”Having quit tiatrs in 2014 after a mild attack, little was heard of Mehta and it surprised many that he was never considered for the state award by the govt, despite recommendations.The Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG) later honoured him with the lifetime achievement award.In his early days, Mehta was known for his performances in English concerts and plays. It was only later that he switched to Konkani where he wrote, directed, scripted and acted in tiatrs.At a rough count, it is estimated that Mehta acted in over 550 shows, in a career that spanned more than 35 years. According to TAG records, he wrote, directed and produced 11 tiatrs and introduced several bold experiments.“He was a tiatrist with intensity and vision,” said writer- director Michael Gracias. “As an actor, he not only studied his role but also the character and was very intense. Being closely connected with politics, he had a great view and presented it on stage. In one of his tiatrs, he showed a builder as a comedian and politician as the real villains. Such a visionary.”Mehta acted in John Claro’s famous tiatr, Purtugez Kolvont (Portuguese Artist), which had over 200 performances in 1980, while two years later, Grant Road, a play with music by Chris Perry, grabbed plenty of attention. He also had a role in the Bollywood film Doli Saja Ke Rakhna.“Mike was an ardent Konkani mogi and always appreciated educated people taking to tiatrs. He was very critical about the low standards that creeped in, particularly the low-level comedy. He was very bitter about it and minced no words while expressing his displeasure,” said Gracias.An excellent speaker, Mehta also worked closely with former sports minister Francisco Monte Cruz and former chief minister Churchill Alemao, both representing Benaulim constituencies.“He was a pioneer, very helpful and went out of his way to provide legal assistance to anyone from the fraternity,” said Anthony Barbosa, president of the Tiatr Academy of Goa. “Mike had a big role to play in the language agitation too. One among the few directors who inspired others, his death is a big loss.”