Winning at the game of words

Panaji: Ervell E Menezes loves the game of words. Married to the profession, this survivor of the ‘good old days’ has seen journalism in the proverbial best of times and worst. Having written about drama on the big screen and in the political arena, the 70 something scribe has more than a few anecdotes to share. He’s compiled all that and more in a candid recollection of his career in a book titled ‘My days in Journalism’ to be launched soon.
Working through the dark ages of the Emergency in India, Menezes recollects his time at one of the hotspots that bore the brunt of that period’s wrath— The Indian Express— where a government censor would vet news items and delay the edition. “I was to do an exclusive interview with George Fernandes, but it never came off as the socialist leader was forced to go underground. Those were frustrating days, but also some of the most exciting days to work during,” he says.
His stints in the field also gave him a taste of the international silver screen where he rubbed shoulders with the who’s who of international cinema including Richard Attenborough, Luigina Lollobrigida and Krystof Zanussi, but also where writing about film meant that he watch a minimum of 300 films a year. “I remember collapsing between marathon screenings,” he says.
Having witnessed premier film festivals including the popular festivals held at Cannes and Berlin first-hand, Menezes shares that he wasn’t in favour of Goa hosting Iffi. “With barely two and a half theatres then, Goa was not ready to host the festival. I remember former minister for information and broadcasting Ravi Shankar Prasad saying that there were beaches in Cannes and in Goa, as though that was reason enough to host the festival. The festival dates increased the pressure on the tourist season in the state,” says the former member of the Indian censor board.
Menezes, who has also interviewed personalities like Mother Theresa and controversial author Salman Rushdie, broke away at the age of 50 to freelance and to do what he’d rather do instead of what he had to do. “I could travel the length and breadth of the country as well as expose the corrupt rogues in Goa in my own little way. I don’t think I’ve done much, but there’s always hope. I know that Goans will wake up and take a stand against the nonsense,” says the idealist in him.
Even the beard he sports till today has a story. Trying to disguise himself against unwanted attention from a dangerous sort he had written about, Menezes grew a beard and never changed it. “It became too cosy,” he says with a smile.
Not one to hand out advice or live with nostalgia, the old hand known to encourage youngsters in the field, only stressed the importance of avoiding cynicism while on the job and ‘doing their homework’ before an interview.