BY DANIEL F DE SOUZA

AGNELO FERNANDES, a young and enterprising video film producer from Consua in Cortalim in the South, is slowly but surely gaining popularity through his creative works. Earlier, in the year 2007, he had produced a VCD film, Axirvadd Devacho, revolving round family values, which received a good response from viewers. Once again, Agnelo is back in the news with his second VCD film, ‘Amcheach Hatant Asa’. The short film is well scripted and directed and is worth watching for its hard hitting message for every Goan. The film depicts, in clarity, the manner in which Goa is fast losing ground, with the blessings of politicians.

Taking a very critical view of the present scenario, Agnelo Fernandes has weaved an interesting tale bringing forth reality, which is bitter and shocking. Amcheach Hatant Asa mirrors the greed and avarice of a Goan politician who is out to amass wealth at the cost of Goa and Goans by selling their ancestral land to land sharks, builders, hoteliers and industrialists. What he gets in return is crores of rupees and free all inclusive world trips for him and his family.

PLOT

FIGHTING against all this is a young Goan village youth who is a voice in the wilderness trying to reach out to his people and make them aware about the ill effects of mega housing projects and the ruin such projects can bring to Goa and Goans. The first frame of the film gives the viewer a fairly good idea of what to expect as the VCD film progresses along. The back drop of the story is set in a Goan village.

While the politician is all out to sell the land to developers to convert our fields and open spaces into five star hotels, golf courses, stadiums and swimming pools, it is a single village youth who brings about awareness among the sleepy villagers and awakens the other youth and the masses to the grim reality. Sadly, this young man pays a heavy price by sacrificing his life to the muscle power of politicians and his cold blooded murder is registered as an accidental death.

But his death is not in vain; he brings the youth of Goa together and this band of young educated men and women surge ahead to change the face of Goa with unity and single minded purpose.

Agnelo has taken pains to emphasise communal harmony and unity among Goans if we are to protect our motherland from greedy present day politicians. Amcheach Hatant asa pays attention to minute details and brings forth a story that is appealing and interesting from the point of view of a true Goan who loves his land and its people. The dialogues are short and to the point, and so are the lyrics which are very educative and meaningful.

LOUD N CLEAR

THE writer-director has also taken pains to insert subtitles in English so that the message is conveyed loud and clear to Goans, who are not fully conversant with their mother tongue. The film depicts the reality of how corruption has set in at the grassroots panchayat level in our Goan villages where licenses for small business enterprises are sold for money and approvals for mega housing projects are given in exchange for millions of rupees, which is then shared among the other members of the governing body.

Amcheach Hatant Asa is a beautiful Konkani film, which is a voice against corruption and corrupt politicians selling Goan land to builders and outsiders; it’s a call to defeat corrupt politicians who win elections by distributing ill-gotten wealth among equally greedy voters. It is a sincere effort to awaken the Goan youth to the present day reality in our land which, if now ignored, will be beyond redemption.

The film has an excellent star cast with Anil Kumar (as the greedy politician), Dr Kiran (playing a convincing role of a Goan Muslim youth), Antonette de Maina, Pascoal Rodrigues, Baptist, Elvis, C D’ Silva, Menino de Bandar, Fr Eusico, Anthony San, Felcy, Aplon, Nelson, comedians Sheikh Amir, Janette, Philip Almeida, Marcus, Pitush, Rumaldo, besides the producer Agnelo himself. Photographer Allwyn Vaz and Carlos have done a good job behind the camera. Music by Fr Glen and Frank Carvalho is also good. James Vaz has provided the background music.

Agnelo is presently screening the film in Goan towns and villages on a big screen through parishes and clubs. This is an innovatinve way to get larger viewer ship since the message conveyed in the film is relevant to our times. In my opinion, more parishes in Goa should come forward to screen this beautiful film through the auspices of the parish youth associations. Local clubs and institutions must also come forward to screen this film, for it has the potential to ignite a flame in our youth to come out and protect our land from being sold for a song to outsiders, as well as to give corrupt politicians early retirement from politics.