The man who pioneered the art of tele-serial in South Asia by directing ‘Dimuthu Muthu’, Dr. D. B. Nihalsinghe was bold enough to call a spade a spade and announce the pathetic plight the country’s teledrama has fallen into at a most appropriate occasion on last Tuesday.
The front row of the Muhurath ceremony for Sudath Rohana’s newest teledrama ‘Girikula’ was occupied by five senior ministers including the Minister of Culture and Arts, T. B. Ekanayake had played in several teledramas and who plays a role in ‘Girikula’ as well and former Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
Bandara Eheliyagoda who compeered the event posed a question to D. B., a veteran filmmaker and expert in the television medium to explain the difference between the teledrama at the time he was directing and at present and the answer was too hard to hear for some of those in the audience.
The veteran director who cleared his voice started by saying “What I am going to say would not be liked by some of those who are here. But I have to say this,” .
“During the days we were doing teledramas, we had the opportunity to show our production for full 23 minutes and the advertisements were at the end of the drama. But today we watch five minutes of teledrama and eight minutes of advertisement and three minutes of teledrma and five minutes of advertisement,” Nihalsinghe said. He said even during the teledrama advertisement displayed all around the screen disturbing and distracting the viewers.
“Meka Wili Lejja nethi Wedak” (This is a disgraceful act). He further charged that the state-run Independent Television Network (ITN) with being part of this and queried as to why it could not think of art at a time it earnned billion of rupees.
D.B was bold enough to raise his prophetic voice in the very presence of ITN chairman Rosmond Senaratne. |
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