-Brian Mendonca
This morning as I pick at my breakfast at an eatery on the outskirts of Margao, I am thinking how people would be gathering for the 8.15 Mass for comedian Selvy (48) in Velim.
It has only been a year since he suddenly called it a day and left the Goan stage bereft of one of its finest actors.
Matheus Selvy Correia had a born talent to amuse. His themes were wide, from the berating of a young boy working in a cycle repair shop and cajoling him to study instead, to the way he uses a doctor to drop his wife home, because she wants a lift.
What came across was his simplicity - and yes, his outrageous shirts. His celebration of Goan foibles delivered in rapid-fire saxtti Konkani endeared him to his fans.
His pungent observations without pandering to the profane made him a favourite for family viewing. 'His comedy was decent,' says Clareema Fernandes, a votary of tiatr and an actress on the Konkani stage herself. 'He loved children. He always used to carry sweets in his pocket for them. Selvy did action comedy. Even if he made a face, the audience would laugh. Many younger comedians have tried to copy his style, but it is not the same.'
'Selvy took up contemporary issues. The scripts used to be written in London by Agostinho and Selvy used to perform them here,' shares Clareema. This was a unique way to unite the Goan diaspora.
Now only a few videos on YouTube remain. A cultural form as vibrant as tiatr needs to be documented more fully. One hopes a volume on his work is on the anvil.
In his satire on the cheddva (girls) of today shared above, he comments on the way they dress, the way they ride their activa, and their penchant for mobile phones. The racy lyrics and his exaggerated mannerisms while emoting connect with the listener completely.
Selvy's life brings home the fact that several who make others smile are actually going through pain and suffering. Like Chaplin they put on a brave face because the show must go on. Though he brought the house down when he performed, his offscreen persona was of a quiet, reserved and polite person.
He was a producer, director, and actor, all rolled in one. His favorite comedian was Paresh Rawal. Though he had a job at MRF, he tossed it up to follow his calling as an actor. His mother and his wife supported him to the hilt.
Selvy (1974-2022) was born on Valentine's day. His son Myron has taken after him. May he uphold his father's name.
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In this video from a tiatr, Selvy describes the young women of today. Saxtti refers to the typical style of speaking in South Goa. Video courtesy JoeGoaUK. Upated 26/7/23.
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