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1st November 1998

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Kala Korner

A pioneer writer of teledramas…

Teledramas, the most popular programme ever since the advent of TV 15 years ago, have virtually become synonymous with one name, that of Somawira Senanayake.

Somaweera SenanayakeMeeting him recently, I found that inspite of his resounding success as a script writer of teledramas for over a decade, he has hardly changed - either in his simplicity or the mild mannered ways, from the early sixties when we were colleagues at Lake House. Even his physique is what it was three decades ago.

Somawira is one of those rare journalists who was keen on an academic career.

From his first degree from Sri Jayawardenapura (then Vidyodaya) University, he moved on to do a diploma in creative writing and thereafter obtained his Master's degree. In the meantime, he gained recognition as a fiction writer when he was chosen the Best Novelist of the Year thrice. No sooner television came in, he was quick to grab the opportunity to write teledrama scripts. The success of his maiden attempt - Palingu Menike (directed by Dhamma Jagoda) - made him continue. He wrote scripts based on the three award winning novels written by him - Yashoravaya (directed by Parakrama Niriella), Mawakage Geetaya (Sugath Senaratne) and Menik Nadiya Gala Basi (Ananda Abeynayake). Somawira's record of teledramas todate is quite an achievement. He has 20 full length and 40 single episode teledramas to his credit. He was also responsible for the longest teledrama to date - the popular Doo Daruwo, which had 230 episodes. Nedeyo, the successor to Doo Daruwo (currently being screened) has 100 episodes. And he is right now writing a 52 episode teledrama. He has also done around 20 documentaries.

He is also the first script writer to write a Sinhala teledrama based on an English novel. He took up this challenge when Lester James Peries invited him to work on Punyakante Wijenaike's Giraya. Somawira's skill in building unforgettable characters makes him stand out among other script writers. Who will ever forget Weerasekera, the government pensioner (G W Surendra) and his wife Sudu Hamine (Iranganie Serasinghe) or their dutiful son Baladeva (Lucky Dias) in "Yashoravaya?" He is also clever in developing different types of characters. Surasena, the showman (Sriyantha Mendis), Paul Mahattaya ("I know the law"),- Hemasiri Liyanage), Kandegedera Bala Mahattaya (Rohana Beddage) and George, the stubborn proprietary planter (Henry Jayasena) are just a few examples. His description of how he finds the material to develop the varying types of characters is fascinating. But that's another story.

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