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TV Times

Lucky Dias speaks candidly about the screen
By Susitha R. Fernando
Lucky Dias in his career as an actor had so far played very different roles. On the silver screen, he has been successful not only in doing artistic and commercial roles but has proved himself to be master at comedy too.

Playing in Parakrama Niriella's classic movie "Sirimedura", Lucky acted the role of a lawyer, who is battered with family problems and in the trade union activities. While playing in the films 'Ahinsa' and "Paradisaya' which were screened on the commercial circuit, there were roles awaiting him in the films like "Nava Gilunath Bandchun" which were labelled as comedies.

Beside the cinema Luckys has met with success in the small screen doing roles like 'Baladeva' in "Yasho Ravaya" and "Oscar" in "Himi Ahimi". For these performances he won awards for the popular actor in the years 1985 and 1986 consecutively in addition to the Best actor award in 1986 at Wijaya Tele Award ceremony held to honour talents on mini screen then.

Making his debut on the small screen with the teledrama "Nirupamala" in 1984, he won another popular actor award showing how talented he was in acting.

Lucky's next step was the big cinema and the credit of introducing the newcomer goes to Sunil Ariyaratne, who was gratefully remembered by the actor for offering him a role in "Vajira".

However, this talented artiste has taken yet another step forward as a teledrama maker. The two teledramas "Sanasili Suwanda" and "Suwanda Obai Amme" which were telecast on the Rupavahini and Swarnavahini channels are considered by the critics as being two successful efforts of Lucky.

"Compared to acting, directing is a 500% difficult task. In acting you are playing only one role but as a director you have to be active in all the stages. Script writing, shooting, making the musical score and up to the very last stage of telecasting. It is a job involving more stress and tension," said Lucky distinguishing between the two roles of an actor and director.

"However this is a fortunate job. Even though there is tension involved there is always enjoyment," he said.

Lucky also says that he does not impose rules and regulations while at work for which he has been blamed by his own cast and crew.

"Worrying too much over anything is useless. After all life is something to enjoy and we do everything to live," said Lucky who has developed a liking for his new job.

Speaking further on the small screen he says almost all the issues in today's teledramas are almost identical and they are made around middle class family themes. "This started with "Yashoravaya" and now is stale. There are other subtle issues which our directors have not touched and what we have tried is to go into these areas" Lucky said.

"Even in my present direction I have tried to achieve this and both the audience and TV stations have identified this and there is also a positive response from them," he explained.

However Lucky did not forget to mention about the difficulties teledrama makers had to face today.

"Main problem is to find sponsors for the telecasting. There are certain policies imposed by some of the TV stations which discourage the sponsors of TV dramas," he complained.

He claimed that those TV stations had made advertising policies which enable them to insert their own advertisements within the teledrama belt bought by the respective sponsors. He complained that it was very unfair on both the teledrama makers and the sponsors.

In addition Lucky also complained about the quality of today's teledramas. According to him one of the main reasons for this was the lack of experience among the people in the field today.

"People who had not gone to a studio have now get into the art and this poses a threat to the future of teledramas", Lucky warned.

"These signs were there prior to the downfall of cinema and we warned about it then," he added.

He also complained about the lack of proper guidance.

"I learnt a lot from the film makers like Lester James Peiris and actors like Gamini Fonseka who were helpful to us always. They taught us in a way that we were unaware that we were in the process of education. We owe a lot to them," the actor said.

Meanwhile Lucky also complained about the lack of appreciation for those experienced artistes in cinema like Lester James Peiris, Joe Abeywickrema, Gamini Fonseka and Cyril Wickremage.

Quoting a recent incident he charged that when Mr. Peiris returned having been honoured at the Cannes film festival there was no government representatives to welcome him. "This would have been different in any other country," Lucky moaned.

Questioned as to whether he has any idea to return to the cinema he argued that there was no proper background for quality cinema.

"However our final target is the cinema and what I am trying presently on the mini screen is what we cannot do in the cinema" Lucky concluded.

Dawn of a new era
'Cinecity Cinema Complex' close to the Elphinstone theatre in Maradana was opened last week ceremonially with the participation of distinguished personalities.

All cinema halls were equipped with Dolby SR and DTS Digital sound systems, wide screens, providing a novel experience to film goers.

'IRASMA' directed by Ariyaratna Vithana and 'NALA DAMAYANTHI' directed by Kamala Hasan are being screened these days at the complex. In the picture are film director Lester James Peiris, actor Joe Abeywickrema with Cinecity Chairman Buddhi Keerthisena and managing director Vishvanath Buddhika Keerthisena (Boodie).

All's Fair in Love & War

'All's Fair in Love & War' an action, romantic and stunning gangster movie now runs to packed audiences at RIO Cinema Colombo.

Movie critics say that the film is a fine blend of 'The God Father and Basic Instinct'.

'All's Fair in Love & War' is an energetic crime thriller in the classic tradition. It is one of the most entertaining films that hit the screen this year.

The film is well paced and has an energy that makes it seem much shorter than its 119 minutes.

All's Fair has numerous twists and lots of pleasant surprises and constantly gives the audiences more than they expect.

The film stars Julian (Sartaj Khan) as a young ambitious mob boss who claims half of Los Ange les from Vinnie Mastrantonio (Bill Trillo) the head of an established rival crime family. While Vinnie would like to put a halt to Julian's advances, two businessmen (Tom Gumpper and William Night) attempt to double-cross both bosses. Julian plans to get his target by romancing his attractive love interest Isabel (Miki O'Brien), but she has an agenda of her own and is the most lethal of them all.

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