Sri Lankan Culture & Films-Is
Sex The Only Attraction for a Box Office Hit?
By Ramani D.Wickramaratne
Our culture and literature was once famous for highlighting what was
truly beautiful and aesthetic in this country. Ancient poets, painters
and writers produced master pieces which to this day,are considered
marvels. We talk proudly of the ancient irrigation systems, the Dagobas,
the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, the Sandesaya Kavyas (Selalihini, Hansa,Kovul,Gira
etc) during the time of our ancient kings. All these have left behind
an indelible mark in the history of Sri Lanka & they truly exhibit
the absolute love for what was beautiful in this country.
Sadly we need to look back at our recent past of 50 years since gaining
independence from Britain when we took over the management of this country.
Since 1948 we have produced more pro-western leaders & politicians
than national or patriotic minded leaders. Through their leadership,
we as a nation have begun to ape the west and throw away what is ours-that
which could be treasured as national heritage. Unlike in India where
the leaders extol the virtues of what is Indian, ours have labeled national/
patriotic sentiment as “ as extremist” or “ultra-nationalist”
and dismissed such sentiments as dangerous!
Through the years, we have witnessed a gradual trend to destroy state
property, state treasures, and become “a nation of destructors”-
we have lost the fine art of appreciating what is beautiful, aesthetic,
and eloquent-we have lost the love to protect “what is ours.”
We have also lost the yearning to develop and enhance our artistic skills
& thereby turned into a dangerously perverted society which is indeed
sad. Our universities have become hot-beds of political activities and
not seats of higher learning. Today, we produce “ half-baked graduates”
who step out of universities as “graduates” after having spent
only 2 years or so on actual academic studies of the 4 years required
to obtain a basic BA or BSc Degree. The balance 2 years have been spent
on destroying education and the system by using the facilities within
universities for socialist political activities. When these students
realize their mistake, it is too late to rectify- they realize it only
after graduation when they attempt to look for employment!
The subsequent governments have not made any attempt to take our nation
towards higher plains of appreciation. Instead cheap, low quality, profit
making gallery hits/ box office hits have become the norm of the day
to convert us “into a nation of Lotus Eaters” who will not
aspire for better and higher standards. This makes governance so much
easier for the politicians. In the process, the Ministries of Culture
& Education have not made the effort to guide our children &
youth on a path of principles, moral values, discipline or moderation
through primary, secondary or higher education.
Today we see on Billboards a school child holding a mobile phone talking
to his /her mother-as a commercial stint! Every advertisement whether
it is on TV, Radio or the Print Media is “drooling” with sensuality,
greed and lust. Children have become commercial tools & parents
have become proud onlookers only– because the parents too have
become victims of global commercialism! In the west children are not
permitted to appear on commercial advertisements but in Sri Lanka- parents
consider it a fashion to let their children become commercial tools!
For children to become decent human beings, they need to have exemplary
parents in their homes. Home is where 70% of a child’s time is
spent. Children are encouraged/ lured into Internet Cafés to
watch pornography & parents have no knowledge of what their children
are upto. Perversion is accepted as a part of life and our children
are exposed without any State intervention or punishment. At the end
of all this, what products do we have? Perverted minds.
Our Film Industry is the latest target of the global commercial market.
Film Producers, TV Teledrama Producers as well as TV channels promote
low quality products catering to the perverted audiences only to become
box-office hits & profits. Cheap Indian films are shown almost 24
hours a day on MTV or Sirasa Channels. Cheap Sex films are imported
and shown islandwide in our cinemas. Naturally- the crime rate has increased
and perversion is rife. Who is to blame? Does the State have a responsibility
in this whole business- it is an emphatic “YES.”
We now have a film “ Letter of Fire (Akshara)” which has
been funded by France(Lohong) and produced by Handagama & Upul Shantha
Sannasgala. To say the least no matter whether it is aesthetically high
quality or not, the theme is utterly revolting. Producers do have a
moral duty towards our viewers, to show films that are educative &
artistic but not with the perversion as seen in this particular film.
To spend time, energy and money to produce films which will only promote
moral degeneration is a heinous crime & both Handagama and Sannasgala
have done just that. What are the morals that are promoted through this
film? Sexual misconduct between fathers & daughters, mothers &
sons!
The story of "Letter of Fire" is spun round a young man from
an aristocratic family background (portrayed by Ravidra Randeniya).
This young man rapes the female servant in his house and through this
union a daughter is born. Immediately after the incident the young man
goes abroad to study & returns to become a High Court Judge. During
the time he is overseas, the child born to his servant grows upto into
a beautiful girl(portrayed by Piyumi Samaraweera) and the District Court
Judge (who does not know that it is own daughter) rapes her. Through
this union is born a son. The son (when he is 12 years old) and mother
are shown totally nude in a bathroom together in one scene. The details
of the film are too vivid & includes scenes which hit out at our
family values, judiciary & our national history(museum) and promote
the destruction of everything that is decent and moral in our country.
One cannot imagine the magnanimity of the negative impact this kind
of film will have on our local audiences. To those who know Handagama
& Sannasgala, it is not surprising that they ventured to produce
a film of this nature with French funding!
Producing a film like “Letter of Fire” by the likes of Handagama
& Sannasgala is not surprising. What is most surprising, is that
The Censor Board of the Film Corporation which is there to ensure that
undue perversion is not shown through our cinemas actually approved
the screening of this film subject to a few edits here and there. If
a proper editing were to be done, there would be nothing noteworthy
to show in this film! On the Censor Board were individual like Dr. Somaratne
Balasuriya, Gamini Sumanasekera and Buddhadasa Galapathy who promoted
the screening of this film with edits to sexually prohibitive scenes
while the majority of the Board Members objected. The Hon. Minister
of Culture on hearing this had requested to view the film on 20th March
2006 and banned it after seeing the film. Fortunately we still have
some mentally balanced politicians & others who prevailed upon The
Hon.Minister to tak that decision. There is also a move to take legal
action under Child Protection Laws to ban the film on the grounds that
a 12 year old child should not be portrayed in films such as this. We
hail those who uphold decency and morality in this country. Their’s
is truly a Herculean task.
It is learnt that Handagama & Sannasgala are on a “ signature
campaign” trying to collect enough signatures to request the lifting
of the ban. It is also a publicity stunt of theirs. However, The Minister
of Culture still has the last word & we pray that he will withstand
all pressures and let sanity prevail!
What is sad though, is the fact that Upul Shantha Sannasgala is also
supposedly a Tuition Master by profession. The young students who study
under him will no doubt grow up with perverted minds just like their
teacher! He openly promoted the grand Valentine Day celebrations a couple
of years ago until The Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya(JSS) decided that
it was time to put a stop to this commercialism at the cost of our youth.
Sannasgala also wrote a book called “ Neranjane Snanaya” (
Bathing in the River Neranjana) where he depicted The Buddha as a being
with sensual desires! It seems to be that his mission in life, is to
destroy all moral & social inhibitions in our society. An Asian
culture such as ours has certain accepted norms which need to be fostered
to help our youth to lead lives of examples and morality. However, Sannasgala
/ Handagama combination obviously get a thrill out of watching the reactions
of decent adults in this country, are obviously on a “ paid mission”
of some anti-Sri Lankan elements, to ensure that Sri Lankan culture
has no future!
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