Miranda Hemalatha still in the tempest

“A psych evaluation must be made mandatory in recruiting new teachers,” said educationist Miranda Hemalatha who is also an award winning dancer, actress, choreographer as well as a director of drama, in an interview with The Nation. “I recently read that about 70 percent of school children have some type of a mental disorder. If this is true, it is a segment of these students who get through to universities. A person who walks out as a teacher from a university might be a person from this group,” she noted, adding that this might result in more serious issues if overlooked now. “There isn’t a method to evaluate the mental state of people who receive appointments as teachers,” she said, reiterating the need for a psychological evaluation for teachers with the recent unfortunate incidents of corporal punishments and sexual abuse in the school environment.

Best known for her ballets productions, Miranda has been producing dance programs, with many new production, since 1957. Ranga Dahara, Nupura Rawaya, Nritya Prasadini, Narthana Rekha, Nrithya Pushpanjalee, Ranga Leela and Narthana Pooja are a few among them. She also contributed in dramas Kadawalalu, Rathnawalie, Mati Karaththaya, Janelaya and Liyathambara as an actress.

She is known for the experimental dance dramas she produced. Vasantha Thilaka, Thanha Asha, She, Deewari Geethayam Swarna Thilaka are among the most appreciated dance dramas. She said that she has always tried to depict the destruction taking place in society through her dramas, again trying to be a rebel on stage.

Starting her professional life as a teacher in Vanathamulla Central College, Miranda gradually made her way to becoming the first Directress of Aesthetic Education in Sri Lanka. She worked for the Education Ministry for 37 years, for the Teacher Education Department for 16 years. She was in administrative service for 15 years. Today, she is the Chairperson of Diri Daru Piyasa at Kindelpitiya; an institute for the Down Syndrome children who seek assistance to enter society as independent individuals; and Miranda Hemalatha Kala Ashramaya.

She was just five years old. It was a Thaipongal Day, she remembers, when she saw a wonderful dance by a small Tamil girl at Hettimulla tea estate where her father was working as a superintendent. “I was amazed by her steps and I still remember how I wanted to dance like her,” Hemalatha, now in her late 70s recalled what inspired her to learn dance. When she was young, dancing was belittled by people of high caste. Therefore, she did not receive the blessings of her family when she chose to study dance. “My parents were fond of singing; we used to sing playing Serpina in the evenings. But they didn’t consider dance as a respectable profession,” she said.

While receiving school education from Panadura Good Shepherd Convent, she applied for the dance course in College of Fine Arts (Rajaye Kalayathanaya). Out of the thousands of applications received, she was fortunate to be accepted as one of seven students who received admission in 1954. Some say that the university struggles commenced in 1961. Yet, Miranda claimed that the first university rebellion was in 1957 which resulted in the appointment of the Kularatne Commission.  

“As a student, I was annoyed at the corruption and how people took advantage of the troubles faced by students at the College of Fine Arts. We formed a group and went to the parliament to meet the Prime Minister. We sat on the staircase of the parliament and swore that we wouldn’t get up till we met him,” she reminisced how they were promised what they asked for; a commission of full authority over the Fine Arts College.

She also remembered the service rendered by the late Sri Lankan ballet master, Premakumara Epitawala and renowned musician Sunil Shantha. “Situation of our arts field would have been worse if not for people like them who committed themselves to their work,” she said.

Miranda was a rebellious character at the university, at work as well as an artiste. She fondly recalled the memories when she put herself in trouble trying to do the right thing. “I always say that I am Miranda in The Tempest, Shakespeare’s play. I’m always in a violent windy storm and I always will be. Miranda is still in the tempest,” she laughed.

Meanwhile she also took classes under veterans Shesha Palihakkara and Ganganatha Master to study Barata Natyam, Kathakali and Manipuri dance. “If we were to rebel we had to become strong and confident in the subjects we study. Therefore we all became committed to studying the subjects in depth,” she said. Going to India as the first Colombo Plan scholar in 1963, Miranda’s Arangetram in India had been organized by the leading Indian musician Maturai Krishnon.

She believes that the stigma of dancers in society lifted with the international recognition Sri Lankan dance received. Yet, she said that with the emergence of the television this established reputation started to deteriorate again. “Dance we see today on television is not meant for aesthetic sensations. It aims for something else,” she condemned the semi-nude costumes used by most dancers.

“We cannot blame the private TV channels. They are money oriented. Yet, the two national television channels can’t telecast everything without control. They depend on people’s money. They have to give what is best for the people, without following private media blindly,” she emphasized.

Miranda criticized the artistes who sided with political parties for their personal benefits. “Although I didn’t get on stage in any political party meetings, I believe that I have done my part for the country as an artiste,” she claimed. She believes priests and artistes should not get involved in party politics, they should always consider themselves beyond.

She stressed the importance of nurturing a child’s personality and pointed out how the current education system disrupts the development of personality instead. “If a child’s personality is nurtured, he or she will grow up to be a youth with high self-esteem and self-respect and will have a strong backbone,” she said. “Unfortunately, their personalities are being destroyed from the beginning”.

Speaking further about the personality of the youth today she brought up a conversation among a group of university students, which she happened to overhear. They were having a discussion about new job appointments and they weren’t certain whether those who have maximum qualifications will get the jobs. “I heard one saying that this is their fate. I was shocked by this response, that they were ready to take up anything given to them by the authorities. Should this be the response from the youth?” she raised a question. “They don’t have the courage to fight for their rights. This is one of the reasons behind the downfall of our country,” she added.

She expressed her sorrow at the university and school education system. “University is a place where a student seeks knowledge with the guidance of lecturers. It is sad that today, there are university students who have never set foot in the library while being undergraduates,” she said adding that once the child’s personality is crippled through the school education system it cannot be reconstructed through university education.

She pointed out the weaknesses in the school curriculums, teachers’ manuals as well as the school based assignments and practical tests. “Some of the officials who write teachers’ manuals have third class degrees. How can you make people with third class degrees responsible for education?” She noted that reforming the education system in the country will not be an easy task. “I hope the new government will not repeat these mistakes,” she said.

Miranda reiterated the necessity of a control in selecting teachers for schools as mentioned earlier in the interview. She also said that practical training programs for teachers also play an important role in shaping a successful teacher. She remarked that it is important that the school examinations and administration are in responsible hands. “Without producing a generation of qualified teachers, it will be impossible to redevelop the education system of the country,” she stressed. 

Pic by Ravindra Dharmathilake 

Blurred brush strokes

Interview with veteran cartoonist Bandula  Harischandra

The main reason Sri Lankan artists, painters or cartoonists don’t get their due place in society is because they don’t stand together, opined veteran artist Bandula Harischandra, one of the pioneer cartoon storytellers in the country, in an interview with The Nation. “It’s a shame as well as a great disadvantage that artistes of our country are reluctant to stand together. If they do, the situation would have been very different,” he added.

Bandula Harischandra was born on May 24, 1940 in Keselwatta, Panadura. He received his early education at Sri Jana Dharmaduta Vidyalaya, Keselwatta. He said that no one, including himself, was aware of the fact that he had a hidden talent for sketching. “At the school art class, I wasn’t considered a good painter until one of my teachers saw a portrait I did,” he recalled. One day in his classroom he drew the portrait of his school manager, whose picture was hung in the new school building. Harischandra just copied the image he saw during a class, which was not painting, by the way. His subject teacher noticed the distracted boy and checked his notebook to see what kept him so preoccupied. The teacher was surprised by what she saw and immediately took him to the principal, who was highly impressed by the drawing too. “If I didn’t draw the picture of the school manager on that day, I would never have become a professional artist. I would be someone else,” he said adding that this drawing was the turning point of his life. Harischandra was just 12 years old then.

The impressed principal saw potential in this young boy and introduced him to National Arts Front (Jathika Kala Peramuna)Treasurer HBP Jayawardane. The official was an eminent art teacher as well as a painter and a highly skilled sculptor. “My friend Lionel was also a talented sculptor. Both of us were given a letter to go and meet Jayawardane Master. We didn’t know what waited us, but anyway we followed the principals’ orders,” Harischandra recalled. Under, the guidance of Jayawardane Master both Bandula and Lionel studied drawing, painting, pottery painting and sculpture.

“He helped me immensely to hone my skills. He was happy about my work and eventually offered me a class to teach, which I was very happy to take up,” Harischandra reminisced. He also mentioned how he held a successful art exhibition with his friend Lionel.

Day by day the number of students grew and eventually it was proposed that they move the class to Panadura Town, to a more spacious location. They moved the class to a building near the Panadura Hospital and formed the art institute, ‘Panadura Lalitha Kalayathanaya’, in 1959. “Music classes were conducted by Mudunkotuwa Master and dance classes by Ms. Miranda Hemalatha. It was a successful institute,” he said. Later, another art teacher joined him to conduct classes as the number of students was too much for him to handle by himself. This turned out to be Henry Tennakoon, who was the creator of Samaja Samayang, the famed cartoon strip published in Lankadeepa.

Tennakoon encouraged Harischandra to draw cartoon strips and coaxed him into joining Lake House. He introduced Harischandra to MA de Silva, then Dinamina Editor. This meeting resulted in Harischandra joining Lake House to do a series of picture stories based on Jathaka Stories. Later the stories he drew for Dinamina, Silumina, Navayugaya and Sathuta became extremely popular among the readers. So far he has created over 170 local and foreign picture story books including 12 stories created on his own. Bandula became the first artist to do picture stories in color. His story Nala Damayanthie published in Silumina is considered to be the first color printed cartoon story.

Among his most popular picture stories are Nala Damayanthie, Rahas Hasna, Sinbad, Helen, Thani Tharuwa, Veediya Bandara, Dewasmitha, Pandukabaya and Sinhala Deshaya. Later he followed a two-year course in painting at the Sri Lanka Jathika Kalayathanaya (Hewood) and obtained an Advanced Diploma in Art. He has submitted many articles to various newspapers and published a book on art titled Deepa. He has also served as the chief artist and manager for Camillus Publications.

He is also reputed for his paintings for UNESCO posters, leaflets and books. The reputation he earned in creating book covers is also renowned. He has also contributed in creating a number of Sri Lankan stamps. He has worked with the Sri Lanka Philatelic Bureau for over 25 years. Harischandra is also an artist who contributes to painting Vesak lanterns. “I have also completed drawings in Kaluadamulla Viharaya in Ambalangoda and currently completing the drawings of Borella Sri Lankaramaya,” said Harischandra.

He pointed out that there were several reasons behind the downfall of Sri Lankan picture story industry. According to him, contrary to popular belief, emergence of the television is not the main reason. “Once these stories started becoming popular among the readers, people started establishing more picture story papers. Competition was high and some reputed artists kept switching from paper to paper following the highest bid for their work,” he said. Harischandra added that this led to confusions in the readers that they no longer knew which paper to read. “Some stories were halted in the middle; some were continued in other papers. Eventually the readers got frustrated,” he emphasized.

Harischandra expressed his grief saying that the National Art Gallery is abandoned without anyone reaping benefits. “When we were young there were many exhibitions at the Kalabawana. We used to go whenever there was an exhibition. Today it’s literally abandoned,” he lamented. “The art exhibitions currently held there don’t make sense to the ordinary people sometimes,” he said adding that modern art is not something everyone can enjoy at the same level.

“I’m not saying that modern art is hopeless. It is a good form of art. Yet, it fails to speak to the hearts of the local people. Not everyone enjoys a few brush strokes on a canvas,” he iterated. “If they can exhibit local paintings or traditional art once in a while, it would attract a larger audience,” he said.

He also said that enthusiasm for art and painting dropped because of lack of awareness. As he explained, authorities who are supposed to support artistes overlook the painters. “They only concentrate on performing arts like dance, music or acting. Painting is not given its due place. It is as if they don’t consider painting an art form,” he said.

He reiterated that this lack of importance bestowed on artists is a setback in tourism. “Although we don’t have a habit of buying paintings, it can be sold more easily than other forms of arts to foreigners,” Harischandra pointed out. “Yet no one is willing to promote this aspect of art,” he added.

As mentioned before, Harischandra believes that these drawbacks can also be reduced if the artists stood together. He explained that they tried to do just this once by forming the Lanka Kala Sangamaya. Exhibitions held and the programs conducted by this association were highly successful, he said. “Yet unfortunately, the enthusiasm could not be maintained,” he said. “If a program can be formed and maintained for the development of the artists, I believe that it will promote Sri Lankan art and artistes better,” he said.

Pics by Chandana Wijesinghe

Rodney Warnakula - Caught in a wave called comedy

 “There are dramatists who preserve their individual work. Yet, what we want is a collective system where all theater work will be preserved for the use of next generations,” Rodney Warnakula, one of the most celebrated Sinahala artistes who conquered the stage, television as well as the silver screen as an actor, producer and also as a singer said during an interview with The Nation. Warnakula made these comments when talking about the resolutions that should be brought for the betterment of the Sri Lankan arts field this year (2015). He pointed out that there is no fine method to preserve the stage dramas or stage drama songs in the country. According to him, even now it’s too late for some of the theater components to be preserved. “We at least get to see reproductions of stage plays. But what about the Teetar, Naadagam and Kolam?” he queried. “Those components too should be preserved so that it provides an example of how rich our old traditional art is,” he emphasized.

Warnakula is from Bopitiya, Ja-Ela. Receiving the primary education from Bopitiya Roman Catholic Boy’s School he entered Pamunugma Maha Vidyalaya for higher studies. His interest, while in school, was the stage because he was a much loved singer and skilled actor.   

In 1980, young Rodney received an opportunity to join the Tower Hall Theater Program. There he said that he received the greatest opportunity of meeting theater legends Anula Bulathsinhala and Lucien Bulathsinhala. “Meeting them was a turning point in my life. They invited me to act in Tharawo Igilethi in 1981. That was the first time I set my foot on the popular stage,” he recalled. Since then he has been working in the field for 33 years and has made contributions to more than 45 theater productions. These include Nari Bena, Vanisiye Welenda, Ananda Jawanika, Madura Jawanika, Guru Tharuwa, Mee Pura Wasiyo, Saranga Nawen Awith and Padada Asapuwa. Among these Saranga Nawen Awith was Warnakula’s debut stage play production.

He also spoke about his connections with the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. “I was a singer before I was an actor. Starting from school, I featured in many musical programs including amateur singer’s programs at SLBC,” he recalled. He was selected for both SLBC’s ‘Sarala Gee’ program and as a dubbing artiste. He reminisced the times he featured in the radio program Thaksalawa, mentioning how he was invited to make contributions in dubbed television programs.  He specifically mentioned that he believes that it was a blessing to work under the guidance of Athula Ransirilal in Inguru Paan Malliya,Kolikuttu Sahodarayo and Dangara waliga lapa wanara.

Warnakula’s stage roles are remembered for his remarkable voice. He is an icon in the Sri Lankan musical theater.    ‘Kumatada Sobaniye Kandulu Salanne…’ in Nari Bena,  ‘Yasa isuru pirunu thana, Siri dew du sitina thanaa ’ in Rathu Hattakari ‘Kadeta palayan Chun Chan…’ in Saranga Nawen Awith, ‘Hanika Warew Kollene..’ in Bera Handa and  ‘Sobawa de…’ in Tharawo igilethi with U Ariyawimal are some of the popular stage plays where one can hear his songs.  

He considers the opportunity he received to play the fox’s character in late veteran Dayananda Gunawardana’s Nari Bena as the greatest fortune in his career. He believes that destiny also played a role in him being selected for the character. He joined the Nari Bena crew in 1993, ten years after the play was first staged. Since then for 21 continuous years, he has played the role of the fox.

Few years into his stage career, Warnakula received the opportunity to enter the electronic media (television) and the silver screen. His first studio drama was Sutin and Martin. Gradually he received invitations to act in tele-dramas.  Among his most celebrated characters are the roles he played in Bodima, Nonawaruni Mahathwaruni, Ethuma, Sodona and Sayawana Patumaga. His character in Nana Kamaraya- a tele-drama mostly popularized through DVDs- is rated among the successful roles he played.

The debut film role he played was the character in Bahuboothayo (a Sinhala comedy). He mentioned that filming the second part of Bahuboothayo has now been completed – good news for fans who enjoyed the first part.  Sikuru Hathe is another in a series of popular films to which he has contributed with acting roles.

Although Warnakula plays many roles on the stage, he seems to be framed into similar type of characters when it comes to television and the film industry. Warnakula is one of the very few comedians with the ability to make people laugh without putting much effort. Yet this didn’t make it necessary to frame him to a set character, a funny servant or an office assistant. He acknowledged that he feels his talents are limited by set boundaries on television and the silver screen. “I keep on receiving similar roles in acting. When a character is successfully played and loved by the audience, producers tend to recreate similar roles. This stereotype characters bore the actors as well as the audience. “I have turned down many invitations to play such characters,” he stressed.

Warnakula along with his co-artiste Priyantha Seneviratne received the opportunity to continue the radio comedy Vinoda Samaya from its original presenters Annesley Dias, Berty Goonathilake and Samuel Rodrigo after several productions. “After these three superstars, Mr. Amarasoma Samarakkodi continued the program for a period. Eventually we also received an opportunity to perform,” he said. “Unfortunately, the SLBC didn’t want to continue with the program. Eventually we had to give up,” he said in a sad tone.

Commenting further on the contemporary comedy programs he said that it is essential that the comedy programs come along with visuals today because the audience demands visuals. “Dialogues solely can’t make people laugh today,” he noted. “Our audience relies too much on visuals today. They have been made to depend on visuals,” he said adding that this implies the fact that the creativity of the audience has declined. “Mindset of the people is shaped according to the speed rhythm media makes people follow. Sometimes it is confusing what people appreciate as art today.”  

He further said that the reason behind the lack of fine comedy programs could be the complexity of the today’s society. “People are suppressed by different problems. They are too stressed to think. Therefore sometimes people don’t understand satire,” he said. “It’s sad when the part including satire has to be pointed out for the audience,” he lamented. Warnakula further stressed that the lack of good satirical scripts is proof for the lack of well read artistes.

Warnakula launched his first music album ‘Ha ha lande’; a collection of stage drama songs in 2000. In 2011, he launched his second album ‘Sanda Eliya Wage’. His other songs don’t seem have grabbed attention of the radio program producers although his drama songs are played on radio channels from time to time. Warnakula said that he is not concerned about these songs not been played on radio channels that his intentions were not to sell his songs. However, speaking of his New Year resolutions he said that now it is time that he start another theater production, after Saranga Nawen Awith.