It is with deep sorrow I write these few lines on the death of my late friend Ophelia Cabral, in Mumbai yesterday.
Ophelia was one of the best female Tiatrists among the galaxy of yesteryears artistes. I saw her acting first time somewhere in 1958 when she came to Goa with C. Alvares’ troupe to act in his Tiatro “AXEA” which was a masterpiece of Alvares’s mighty pen where Ophelia played a masterpiece role of a young fiancée of Alvares. In fact during that time she was not even twenty as I was told but having beautician’s body frame and attractive looks. That time she was acting in the company of other female Bombay based artistes namely Cecilia Machado, Philomena Braz and Violet. It was a very critical time during that period as the enmity between India and Portuguese India was at its peak and to travel between Bombay and Goa was very complicated yet Alvares managed.
One of the resons for C. Alvares’s Tiatro becoming instant hits was the introduction in his Tiatros some of the best beauties of that era whose presence on the Stage mesmerized the audience and Ophelia Cabral easily fitted in that segment.
My friendship with her became strong when we from Kuwait brought her and her artiste daughter Babli to participate in the show "Ghor Bhandlem - Ghorabo Moddlo' which we organized in Kuwait and it was scripted and directed by the renown playwright the late Rosary Ferns. At that time she resided at my place in Kuwait City along with her daughter and during this time I noticed in her something extra ordinary discipline in all respects. She would never inconvenience me in my house for anything, she maintained her needs to the bare minimum, she would very rigidly maintain her regular schedule of getting up from her bed at 3.00 AM and go into deep prayer which was her strong solace.
In that Show in Kuwait she played a very good role and rendered a very good Portuguese song which gave her lot of admiration from the full house audience majority coming only to see her. When she entered the Stage for the first entry, she was given such a rousing reception by the audience that it was turned out to be the most exciting standing ovation lasting about 6-7 minutes. Seeing this she broke down into tears unable to control and the audience was also not stopping from clapping and screaming in her name saying “Ophelia we love you”. That was the most historical moment I witnessed. I don’t think such a mighty standing ovation was received by any other Tiatrist.
During her stay at my place, it was great to see her innumerable fans queuing up at my door to see and meet her in appreciation of her role she played in raising the standard of Konkani Tiatro. During that visit we at “Konkani Heritage Kuwait”, honoured her in one of the City Hotels in the midst of Goans and other Konkani speaking people residing in Kuwait.
She was very good in tragic roles and precisely because of this the Editor of Goa Times Dr. Simon Fernandes named her Tragedy Queen. Her tragic role of "Kuddem Anita" in Alvares' Tiatro and the sorrowful Canto "Anita" was the most memorable song she rendered. In Boyer's "Besaum" she was on her zenith and again in Alvares'"Patki Nhoi Ghatki" her performance as wife of Alvares was most exciting. These are only a few instances of her genius.
In her death Konkani Stage has lost a great artiste of whose type we will not easily get again. May her soul rest in peace and may the heavenly father give courage to her only daughter Babli, son-in-law and the grand child to bear this colossal loss.
A.Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel:7507394349.