Though there have been new comedians on the Konkani stage, very few come close
to Jacinto Vaz. He did imitate Charlie Chaplian and the sobriquet, Charlie
Chaplian of the Konkani stage, stuck to me.
Off stage too, Jacinto was funny. It was often a pleasure to hear him recount
incidents where he was either the victim or the originator.
He would tell interesting tales and I was often an vivid listener during
meetings at Mumbai's Kyani restaurant, a favourite haunt of tiatrists. I was
part of the group that included the late Orlando Gomes, who worked in the
advertising department of the Times of India and one who promoted tiatrs in the
English-language dailies. Many times M. Boyer was part of the group.
Jacinto was arrested at the airport for bringing some bullets from his trip to
East Africa. It was a tough battle for him to convince the customs that they
were gifts for him by Goans there and that he was unaware that they were banned
items. The bullets were for his gun, probably killig pigs and other wild life
in Goa.
I could not help laugh at the way he narrated this story, action and all. His
tone and sounds made it really interesting and funny.
Once while passing through Mandur I saw him playing carrom at a grocery store
or a common place, I think. I asked my "pilot" to stop and I got off the bike
and went to greet him and exchange some words.
He was shocked to see me.
As much as he liked hunting, he loved riding a bike. There's an unauthenticated
story that once while riding home with wife Mary on the pillion seat from a
late tiatr, Jacinto shockingly realized that his wife was no longer on the bike.
He turned his bike around and raced back, only to find his wife sitting
miserably on the side of the road. One can imagine Mary's reaction, lashing out
at the husband in a tone and language that obviously was far from being funny.
His role in Amchem Noxib will remain immortal. The song, Benkidta Pai, will
remain forever etched in my memory as perhaps in the memories of many. Even as
he aged, he tickled the Goan funny bone as no other actor.
I will always cherish the memories of knowing him and spending countless hours
in his company during my brief spell as a critic of Konkani tiatrs for the Free
Press Bulletin, an eveninger from the Free Press Journal group, now defunct.
Eugene Correia
