Goa Information Blog

Tiatrs and Dramas goa

A tiatr is a form of entertainment unique to Goa. Not exactly a drama or a musical drama, it consists of 6 or 7 acts, each of roughly 15 minutes’ duration, called podd’dde, which are interspersed by 2 or 3 songs, solo, duo or duet, trio, quarter or group song. The songs are unrelated to the play but based on social, political or religious themes. This mix of songs and plays makes tiatr popular among the masses. The character of tiatr changed after the independence. While family quarrels, heavily laced with Portuguese language and influence, formed the story of tiatr in the pre-liberation era, social, religious and political themes crept in the post-liberation period. Khell Tiatr, a derivative of tiatr, performed in villages during the Carnival, Intruz and Easter in the open ground, differs from tiatr in that its songs are relevant to the main play.

Some of the other popular folk drama forms are Dashavatari, Goulankala, Kala, Lalit, Kalo, Ranmale, and Rathkala.