His mere presence on the tiatr stage would easily tickle the funny bone of the audience. His flexibility and body language said it all when it came to producing a laughter riot among his fans.
He was the favourite of all, the young and the old, including the children and youth. His magical and comical smile attracted anyone and everyone in the auditorium, wherever his presence was felt in any of the tiatrs.
The famous comedian of the Konkani stage, comedian Selvy, succumbed to his illness at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim on July 25, 2022. He had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for diabetes and hemoglobin.
As the doctors at the hospital knew this tiatr personality, they had taken extra care to provide him the best of treatments. And, the doctors and nurses had managed to control his diabetes, but couldn’t stabilize his hemoglobin.
When the emergency alarm rang, comedian Selvy’s friends and fans, far and wide, volunteered to assist him. They rushed to donate blood in order to save him from the clutches of death.
But, God’s plans are different from man’s. And, when the divine call comes, nobody can refuse, but welcomes it gracefully.
TIATR & MORE
Matheus Correia, alias comedian Selvy, was born on February 21, 1974 in Velim. This village in Salcete taluka has produced several tiatrists in the past.
Comedian Selvy was noted for his comic acts on the Konkani stage. He knew the art of producing a laugh riot among the tiatr viewers and children, and the youth would simply love to see him on stage.
On account of his popularity on stage, many tiatr directors roped him in their new productions and those tiatrs were always instant hits. His comical dialogues and body language were enough to take away all the worries and tensions of the spectators.
Initially, comedian Selvy started acting in khell tiatrs, and when Tony Park noted his skills in comedy, welcomed him in one of his non-stop tiatrs. Thereafter, it was no turning back, but accepting offers which poured in from noted directors like John D’Silva, Roseferns, Mario Menezes, comedian Sally, C D’Silva, Pascoal Rodrigues, Milagres de Chandor and many others.
Comedian Selvy’s longer stints came about when he joined comedian John D’Silva’s troupe, and thereafter, comedian Agostinho’s group. He acted in the latter’s 23 tiatrs, beginning from the tiatr, Sir, and signing off in tiatr, Pai.
After gaining much knowledge in acting and singing, comedian Selvy decided to become a tiatr director and staged only two tiatrs during his career on stage, namely, Raza Jeita Kombo Choita and 8 Dis. Both the tiatrs were instant hits and the latter crossed the silver jubilee mark.
Being an actor and singer, comedian Selvy featured in almost 200 VCDs and he produced 5 VCDs, namely Bekar Louddi, Second Hand, Garbage and Wrong Number. As a comedian, he has also rendered songs in around 25 CDs.
As an accomplished comedian on the tiatr stage, comedian Selvy had the golden opportunity of touring across the globe and visited the UK, Paris, the Middle East, and never missed any opportunity to enthrall his audience. His humble and gentle approach won him many hearts, both, in Goa and abroad.
Comedian Selvy’s untimely demise is a big loss to tiatr and the tiatr fraternity. And, although many artistes may bloom on the Konkani stage and become better comedians than this famed comedian, there will never be another ‘comedian Selvy’ on the tiatr stage for years to come.