Father Prashant Madtha sj has just retired as Principal of St. Aloysius College, Mangalore.  Here is a close-view profile with a candid interview, exclusively for daijiworld.com by Richie Lasrado

Bio-sketch

Born: September 16th, 1946 at Sullia 
Parents: Alexis Madtha (of Vittal, Puttur origin) & Magdalene (nee Mendonca of Darbe, Puttur)
Education: St. Brigid's Primary School, Sullia , Board Higher Secondary School (now Government Junior College), Sullia.  PUC in St Aloysius College. Graduation in Kannada & Sanskrit from Government College, now known as the University College, at Mangalore.

Vocation: Joined the Society of Jesus in 1967.  Had  initial training for three years.  Two-year Philosophy studies in De Nobili College, Pune up to 1975.  Completed MA in Kannada from the Bangalore University & won three gold medals for distinction.  Taught Kannada for a year in St Joseph's College, Bangalore.  Pursued three-year Theology studies in De Nobili College, Pune.  Sacerdotal Ordination in 1981 by the late Bishop Basil D'Souza.  Joined St Aloysius College, Mangalore as lecturer in Kannada to serve there for long 22 years until this year, an unbroken tenure except for a leave period of a year in 1989 to pursue doctoral studies.  In 1994, appointed Principal of the College.

During his time as the principal of St Aloysius College, it would have been difficult for anyone to get hold of him for more than five minutes.  But now, Father Prashant Madtha, looked much a relaxed person.  He readily agreed to speak on himself and his works and a variety of other subjects.

Well, to begin with, a brief on his works may help.  Father Prashant is a highly creative writer, extemporaneous orator & an ebullient conversationalist.  Perhaps only his responsibilities as Principal happened to check his writing output.  Bright sparks of creativity were present in him even during his high school days, when he had written a few detective novelettes, which, most obviously owing to lack of resources forty years ago, remained unpublished.  He recalls that one of his initial works, Charandiyalli Shava ("Corpse in the Gutter"), was the most popular among his classmates and contemporaries.  He was 12 then.

During his Theology studies Father Prashant translated "The Imitation of Christ" into Kannada under the title Kristana Anukarane.  Published by the Christ College, Bangalore, it was a total sell-out and is currently out of print.  During graduation, he wrote a Kannada booklet, Vira Virakta ("The Brave Ascetic"), on the life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga.  While teaching, he wrote a book in Kannada on child labour called Savira Hoogalu Aralali ("May a Thousand Flowers Bloom"), which was so popular that it later came to be translated into Hindi & published.

Although, until then, he had tried his hand only in Kannada writing, the then editor of Raknno, Father Mark Valder, realized Fr Prashant's potential & urged him to experiment in Konkani too.  So, in 1982, came the most popular column of his Kitall ("The Spark") which at times raked up controversies al