The comically camp Konkani Tarzan musical!

To put into context, Konkani Tiatr as both a (largely) coastal south-central Indian phenomenon and a diasporic phenomenon has inspirations not just in Portuguese Teatro plays but also in Tamil Kattaikkuttu plays, British Pantomimes, Parsi theatre plays, and mid-northern Indian Nautankis. 

People, wake up! The Goan Konkani Tarzan Musical is (in fact) a rather goofy Tiatr classic from Goa in southwestern India. More deserving of the dubious title than the short lived T.Zee project or even the slightly later, yet somehow more faithful Douglas Ballantine musical, it’s safe to say that such a Konkani Teatr classic is perhaps the first and oldest known significant musical take on the Tarzan character to date. 

It most likely debuted in the mid 1970s (I think 1974-75 are good choices, though not without shortcomings) and still has starred a load of actors (who are mainly known in the Goan diaspora) throughout the decades of its existence. Though still a fun revival in its own right, the 2011-12 run by Bobet De Quepem also has a little known home video release, which unfortunately was plastered with a plagiarised Disney’s Tarzan logo in order to attract audiences. 


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