Goa-born Tagore Almeida (45) grew up in lovely Goa itself and, when 15, travelled abroad. He spent nine years in the United Kingdom studying Computer Studies. Simultaneously, he also did various courses in filmmaking, over the weekends, at the Filmmakers Co-op, in Camden Town, London. More recently, Tagore collated 50 of his poems into a book, printed 100 copies of it, and couriered it to a hundred people worldwide. People who had inspired him or entertained him as he grew up. Right from Japanese composer Kitaro to Steven Spielberg and a few individuals from India.
Some wrote back, some called to thank home, while some never bothered. Since then Tagore has been writing poetry, street verses, as he prefers to call them. His work ranges from rebelling against the system, to his humanitarian cry, to love ballads and, last but not least, reflecting his immense sense of spirituality and relationship with the creator. Besides poetry, Tagore writes scripts for films, one of which has been made into a commercial Telugu film. At the peak of his carrier, Tagore decided to chuck it all in and write his first film. Living with his folks in Goa, Tagore would write daily from around 10pm to 7am and he did this for around three months. Script in hand and with absolutely no idea on how to sell it, or contact in Bollywood, Tagore set of to Mumbai (Bombay) and started knocking on doors. Strangely, the day he landed in the commercial capital, Tagore did not have a single address of any film director or producer. Several false leads later, Tagore tied up with someone he only refers to as "the-offbeat-producer" Pravesh Sippy. Months of re-writes (read as "let's take your original film concept and Bollywood-ize it"), the film was sold. One of the leading film and TV houses in India, Nimbus Communications purchased the film, translated it into Telugu, the regional language of Andhra Pradesh. It got directed by none other than Suresh Krishna, one of South India's most respected and well renowned film directors. Finally, Tagore has 10 books of poems available via the Net. Should anyone want to use one of these poems, all they need to do is contact Tagore. He also runs a website for The Uncultured Company, through which he hopes to promote his message of secularism in the world. He has also recently launched a quarterly online magazine to further spread the message of humanity and becoming one with the universe. Excerpts from a tete-a-tete with Remediana (Remy) Dias: RD: Tell us something about you yourself --------------------------------------------------------- I was born in lovely Goa -- Mapuca to be precise -- and was raised in peace and loving Calangute. Atleast that it how it was when I was a kid. Soon after school, I left for London to pursue college and what a shock to note that the rest of the world wasn't like good ol' Calangute. I mean in the rest of the world people were fighting in the names of religions, colour and races. What a shame I thought to myself, if only the world could come and see how peaceful the world can be by just visiting Calangute. I couldn't do anything at my life in those days except write verse that rhymed well, not that I ever had a reason to write prior to that -- except perhaps to impress a girl or two. But when I got exposed to the world, I began to write, and boy did I write! I wrote verses just about humanity, spirituality, peace, love and tolerance and of course some stuff to impress more women. Wrote loads of verses, watched the world ever more -- living in London I watched and learnt about people, cultures and beliefs from all over the world. All of that through the eyes of my Goan soul. It was during that time, that I also became aware of India and a proud Indian. BTW, I am a no religion and *all* faith, and my faith is mine, my business; if some people take something good out of it then yaaay, otherwise it is not up for debate. RD: What sets you apart from others? Tell us about your professional life? --------------------------------------------------------- Nothing I hope. I say that with all sincerity. Infact I think that everyone around me is more practical about the times we live in. They have learnt how to accept change and then gone out to make a difference in ways that work. I'm the dreamer, still looking for footprints of great dudes like Mahatma Gandhi, John Lennon, Bob Marley and Mother Teresa in the world today. Professionally I am a nerd, a hardcore technologist who unknowingly sold my techie soul to the corporate world a few years ago when I embraced a VP role for a MNC here in Dubai. But then again, thank God for my Goan roots I try to holistically re-visit the Calangute days, and do what is right, morally not corporately. RD: What are your hobbies? What do you do in your spare time? --------------------------------------------------------- Don't know if it's a hobby or a passion. But yes it's all about my little world -- my family, my friends and ofcourse the desire to make the world a better place. Am passionate about films, as I have seen it as being the most powerful medium to spread my message to the world. It's tough, expensive and one rarely finds people who want to make movies for the love of mankind -- it's just another job to many. No issues with that, but would be nice to find another individual who wants to do it just to make the world a better place. Music is the next -- again because I can write verses quicker than a few others, I would love to meet someone who just wants to compose the music for it put it out there to the world, again because it would be a message of humanity or spirituality. Obviously then wrapped around these two passions is technology, without which I would never have been able to achieve the little that I have RD: Are you a member of any association? What is your role in it? --------------------------------------------------------- Actually no, come to think of it, and perhaps I must have felt that I'm not really qualified perhaps to be part of any group. I do believe that I'm just a beach bum. Really, and I have a dream of seeing the world live as one. However when I was still a student in London I started a group called 'The Uncultured Company' whose caption is 'One World, One Faith, One Race, One Colour, just a different face'. I've been travelling to business networking events, students' conventions, anywhere anyone will have me and talking about a world centered around that caption. RD: What is the secret of your success? --------------------------------------------------------- Very hard work, never played dirty to get what I have achieved, a mom who fanatically prays for me, a dad who is my hero to look up to, a younger sis who is a lot more mature than I will ever be, her brilliant husband and their two kids who love me endless. My beautiful wife, who lets me be me, who has created a world that I am very fortunate to come to every day, my two year old daughter who has taught me that all that is mine is hers! Of course my faith is the glue around all of this and last but not least I am fortunate of the people that I have as friends, mentors, guides in my world. RD: What does Goa mean to you? --------------------------------------------------------- Oh, love it. Still speak fluent Konkani even though there aren't many around me to speak with. So I started teaching all my Indian and Western friends all the important words in Konkani, words that I shouldn't repeat here. But yes whenever I come across a Goan, I love to speak it. It's shame that in recent times, I haven't come across many Goan filmmakers that I have seen their work and said "wow" except for Paltadacho Munis by Laxmikant Shetgaonkar. Take from the tiatrist spirit that we have, we really are so well equipped to make good strong content films, if only we invest in technical know-how, but am sure that's coming soon. RD: About your family? --------------------------------------------------------- Coolest father on the planet, infact a konkani author too -- Romeo Almeida. Then my fanatically worried about me always mom, My sis, her husband and their kids. My adorable wife is Alia, who is a Pakistani national but was born and raised in Dubai. My daughter is Tania, 21 months of life and decades of experience in making me dance to her tunes. RD: Awards received? --------------------------------------------------------- I got the best short film award in South Africa in 2009 for my film The Messenger. Besides that I have never won even a last prize in raffle. However I do have a letter from Mother Teresa addressed to me thanking me for a poem I sent her a long time back. I have a letter from THE Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Anyways I've just done my 4th short film as a writer, director. It's called 'A God of Sinners' and it's such a strong film that the youth from over the world have loved it. It's about what is happening in the world today, it's nasty, it's rude and most of all it hold a mirror to your face to say "this is where we are!" I am hoping to showcase it at the IFFI if I can. I just showed it at an AIESEC event in Jo'burg a few weeks back to some of the best students from all the universities in Johanesburg. That was amazing. Followed that with a talk on peace and tolerance. Am hoping to do the same at student unions in the UK soon. Contact Tagore Almedia: tagorealme...@gmail.com Contact Remediana Dias: rodrigr...@yahoo.com