Konkani Cinema Day is celebrated on April 24th to mark the release of the first Konkani film, Mogacho Aunddo (Love’s Craving), which premiered on this day in 1950. Coinciding with the feast of Milagres Saibinn (Our Lady of Miracles) in Mapusa, the film became the talk of the town.

“Mogacho Aunddo” was the first full-length Konkani film, produced under the banner of ETICA Pictures (Exchange Talkies of India, China, and Africa). Released with great fanfare at Dashratha Cinema in Mapusa, the film was a romantic drama based on the book Mogachi Vhodd by Deoguinho D’Mello. The screenplay was adapted by Lewis M. Ratus, while the film was directed by Al Jerry Braganza (Antonio Lawrence Jerry Braganza), now celebrated as the Father of Konkani Cinema. A native of Mapusa, Braganza later moved to Bombay in his forties. He also played the lead role in the film, starring as Abel alongside Lena Fernandes from Siolim, who portrayed Maria. The supporting cast included Lewis M. Ratus, James Braganza, Irene Almeida, Jacob Fernandes, Elizabeth D’Abreo, Mary D’Souza, Joyce Fernandes, and Romeo Paul Pyres. It is important to note that none of the cast members were tiatrists.

The production work of ‘Mogacho Aunddo’ started in 1949. Al Jerry Braganza and the group of ETICA had come down to Goa. It was filmed at Campal, the lighthouse at Aguada, River Mandovi, Calangute beach, Altinho hill around the Liceu building and other places. Braganza later in his speech on All India Radio on 21st June 1966 recalled the days when shooting of ‘Mogacho Aunddo’ was in progress. He said “People looked at us in great surprise as if we were Aliens, people from another world! Yes they also cannot be blamed for this because it was none of their fault since they had never before seen a film shooting in progress”.

The music for the film was composed by Maestro Alfredo Almeida of Cuncolim, with musical arrangements by Joe Perry and Peter D’Mello. The songs were released on five different gramophone records under the ‘Young India’ label by the National Gramophone Record Mfg. Co. Ltd. The film’s soundtrack includes: ‘Dogui Amig’ sung by Jerry and James Braganza; the title track ‘Mogacho Aunddo’ performed by Jerry Braganza, Lena Fernandes, and chorus; ‘Avaz Ganttancho’ by Jerry Braganza; ‘Bicari’ also by Jerry Braganza; and ‘Mogall Bhai’ sung by Jerry Braganza and Lena Fernandes.”

The film was also screened for an enthusiastic Goan audience in Bombay, with shows at Rivoli Theatre in Matunga and Liberty Cinema in Marine Lines.

The second film to go into production in 1951 was C. Alvares’ Atancho Sounsar, which was left incomplete. G. M. B. Rodrigues’ Sukhi Konn was also in production around the same time. Another project, Kunbi Jaki by ETICA Pictures, was reportedly underway as well. Unfortunately, all these films were abandoned midway due to the closure of the ETICA company.

I compiled this information on ‘Mogacho Aunddo’ from three articles written by Andrew Greno Viegas, published in O Heraldo, The Navhind Times, and Gomantak Times in April 2000, to commemorate 50 years of Konkani cinema.

In 2015, what is believed to be the last surviving reel of the film was handed over to the Film Heritage Foundation. It was subsequently sent to a restoration lab in Italy. Since then, there has been little public update on its progress. A decade later, the film remains unavailable for viewing. For the curious, a few scene stills can be found online.

It took 13 years for the next Konkani film to be released. While the 1960s and 70s saw a steady flow of Konkani movies, the 1980s and 90s witnessed only a handful of releases. Fortunately, some of these films remain accessible today thanks to the dedication of a few individuals committed to preserving Goa’s cinematic heritage. Among them is Jerome Mendes, a Goan entrepreneur with roots in Verna, whose efforts led to the DVD release of four classic films, decades after their original debuts.

To mark 75 years of Konkani cinema, I’ve compiled a list of Konkani films and soundtracks from the 1960s and 70s, along with details on how to watch them. This compilation is the result of personal research. If you come across any additional information, I’d love to hear from you. If you’re from the National Film Archive of India and hold any Konkani films in your collection—please get in touch.

With this list, I hope to make Konkani cinema and its accompanying soundtracks more accessible to everyone.

Year	Films	Source	Soundtrack
1950	Mogacho Aunddo	Under Restoration	Shellac
1963	Amchem Noxib	DVD and YouTube	Spotify
1966	Nirmonn	DVD and YouTube	Spotify
1967	Sukhachem Sopon	Not available	Spotify
1969	Mhoji Ghorkan	Not available	Vinyl
1970	Cortubancho Sounsar	YouTube	Cassette
1971	Jivit Amchem Oxem	YouTube	Vinyl
1975	Boglantt	DVD and YouTube	Spotify
1977	Mog Ani Moipas	DVD and scenes on YouTube	Spotify
1977	Bhuierantlo Munis	DVD and trailer on YouTube	YouTube*

From 1977 onwards, Konkani films were produced in colour. All films made prior to that were in black and white.

1950: Mogacho Aunddo – Reel sent for restoration

1963: Amchem Noxib* – DVD and YouTube + music on Spotify

1966: Nirmonn* – DVD and YouTube + music on Spotify

1967: Sukhachem Sopon* – Film not available + music on Spotify

*These three films were possessed and screened by Department of Information and Publicity, Govt. of Goa (earlier by Dept. of Tourism) in rural and urban
areas of Goa till 1989-90.

1969: Mhoji Ghorkan – Film not available + music available on HMV vinyl – hard to track down.

1970: Cortubancho Sounsar – YouTube + music available on cassette – hard to track down.

1971: Jivit Amchem Oxem – Film not available + music available on HMV vinyl – hard to track down.

1975: Boglantt – DVD and YouTube + music on Spotify

1977: Mog Ani Moipas – DVD and few scenes on YouTube + music on Spotify. The entire movie was on YouTube but has since been taken down.

1977: Bhuierantlo Munis – DVD and trailer on YouTube + music on *Youtube (Chup Chup Chup, Nokre, Bhuierantlo Munis)

From 2004 onwards, the number of Konkani film releases steadily increased. Among the ones I’ve had the chance to watch, two films stand out as particularly noteworthy: Bardroy Barretto’s Nachom-ia Kumpasar (2015) and Laxmikant Shetgaonkar’s Paltadacho Munis (2009).

Nachom-ia Kumpasar is frequently screened across Goa and, in my opinion, is one of the finest Konkani films produced in decades. The trailer is available on YouTube. It was once available for pay-per-view streaming on goaflix.com, but that platform is no longer active.

Paltadacho Munis (The Man Beyond the Bridge) received critical acclaim and won several awards, even earning a spot on the list of the world’s best films of 2009. Unfortunately, it’s hard to access these days, with no regular screenings. It was previously available on Amazon Prime. You can still watch the trailer on YouTube.

Two short films currently available on YouTube are Joe Rose’s Don Utram and Brijesh Kakodker’s Tiffin Box. A simple search on YouTube will also lead you to a wide selection of other Konkani short films.

C. Alvares’ Faxi Mogachi (1990) was recently uploaded to YouTube as well.

A few other recent Konkani films I’ve watched and would recommend include:

• Mariola (2012) by Joe Rose
• Pedru Poder (2020), directed by Jojo D’Souza and starring comedian John D’Silva
• Aiz Maka Falea Tuka (2023), directed by Sreejith Karanavar – beautifully shot with an excellent score
• Nimnni Chitt (2024)

Lastly, there are a few films I’ve been eager to watch but haven’t had much luck finding:

• Aleesha (2004)
• O Maria (2010)
• Juze (2017)

For those interested in exploring Konkani cinema in greater depth, there are a few valuable resources available. Konknni Cholchitram, a book by Isidore Dantas, serves as a comprehensive guide and can be found in bookstores across Goa. JoeGoaUK, known for his archival work, has also compiled a list of Konkani VCDs released since 2003, which is available on his blog. Another excellent resource is the magazine 50 Years of Konkani Cinema, published by Andrew Greno Viegas and can be found at the Goa State Central Library in Patto, Panjim.

Which film will you watch first? My recommendation is Amchem Noxib. The film opens with scenes set in Heritage Panjim and beautifully captures a time when the city was the Princess of the Mandovi.