TV Times

TV Times

Sanath’s long march draws kudos
By Susitha R. Fernando
“Viragayen Pasu Sanath”- a film festival to felicitate talented actor Sanath Gunathilake would be held at the Art Gallery, Peradeniya University from February 9 to 13.

The festival will have two daily shows at 5.30 and 7.30pm. Prasanna Vithanage’s ‘Sisila Gini Gani’ will be the first to be screened and would be followed by Udayakantha Warnasuriya’s ‘Rajya Sevaya Pinisai’. On 11th it will be H. D. Premaratne’s ‘Palama Yata’ followed by Sudath Rohana’s ‘Sudu Sevaneli’ next day and Tissa Abeysekara’s ‘Viragaya’ will be the crowing item of the festival.

The film directors of the respective films (except Sudu Sewaneli and Viragaya) would deliver a talk before each show. Lal Wickremarachchi the cinematographer of ‘Sudu Kaluwara’ would deliver a talk on 12th while film critic Gamini Weragama would speak before the screening of Viragaya on 13th.

Speaking on the selection of Sanath as the subject of a film festival, one of the organisers at the Science Education Department of Faculty of Science, Peradeniya University, Senaka Yatigammana said it is high time that this gifted actor who had been neglected for far too long was felicitated.

“Actually this should have been held a long time before but due to certain reasons including his involvement in politics prevented it”, continuing his views Mr. Yatigammana said.

“His performance in Tissa Abeysekara’s evergreen classic Viragaya is something that we could hardly expect from any other actor in Sri Lankan film scene,” he said further defending the selection of Sanath as the subject of the film festival. This film festival is also a part of a fund raising project for the Welfare Society of Science Education Department.

Veteran filmmaker Tissa Abeysekera who selected Sanath for the memorable role of ‘Aravinda’ in Viragaya said “personally I feel that Sanath is one of the finest actors I have met for he gave his best to me in my film,”.

“My selection proved correct with the response he received from the Sri Lankan film audience playing in ‘Viragaya’,” the experienced filmmaker said about his awarding the role to this actor.

Questioned as to whether the film industry had neglected him without giving him due recognition, Tissa Abeysekara said “ it is not the industry but he had neglected himself for the past ten years”.

“He should have concentrated more on acting than he has actually done”, he added. Sanath Gunathilaka was the only actor to have won the award at all the Film Festivals- Sarasavi, Presidential, and Swarna Sanka for the Best Actor in the same year since the two veterans, Joe Abeywickrema and Gamini Fonseka. He won this for his roles in ‘Viragaya’ in 1987 and in 1991 in ‘Palama Yata’. In addition he won the Best Supporting actor award for his performance in Wasantha Obesekera’s “Kedapathaka Chaya”.

Though Sanath’s long trek in films started with ‘Situ Kumariya’ the first movie to be released was Sumithra Peries’ ‘Ganga Addara’. In this long march he has notched up a century of films. Asked about the allegation that he has neglected his career as an actor Sanath said “there is a point in that. This was mainly the period that I worked as President’s Media Consultant and I took up this in the hope of serving Sri Lankan cinema”.

“Even though I was criticised and tried to stop me doing certain things I still feel that I did something for the medium I loved,” Sanath added. However, Sanath said he was happy that he was selected by the Peradeniya University to be felicitated with a festival of his films said at last “Anyway now I have decided to concentrate more on acting and recently I was able to do some good roles”.

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