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| Sunday, 8 December 2002 |
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Ira-Handa Pamula on Christmas day : Banker-turned-teledrama producer by E. Weerapperuma IRA-HANDA PAMULA, a teledrama very much in line with the happy tidings of the season will be telecast by Sri Lanka Rupahavini Corporation on Christmas Day, December 25, from 3.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. It is a SNT Production which speaks about a young couple longing for a child. The story is set in the background of the turbulent times in the city of Colombo where the bombs explored killing the innocent people and destroying the buildings. The state department where the young woman was working, had come under attack of the terrorists and news went round to say that the entire building was raised to ground killing all in it. The young husband was worried and he returns home with no news of his wife. He had gone to the hospital, to the mortuary but no trace of her, he could find. Baffled with the outcome of the situation he lingers to hear something about her and smile returns when he saw her coming. She had gone to see the doctor at the time of the bomb blast and it was providence that had saved her life and the life of the child, she according to the doctor she had conceived. It was an answer to prayer. Sarath Namalgama producer of this teledrama is a man who always try to please his audience. Although the number of teledramas he has so far produced are a few, they are mass appealing and have won the admiration of the audience. Ukusso, Siridev Wimana and Sandawathaka Waruna are three teledramas nearing completion and Sarath hopes that someday he would be able to bring out the "Ginisiluwa" a film about which a case is pending before courts. The film Rosa Patikki now shown in the country was his first, he co-produced with Dinali Roshantha Senarathne. Rosa Kusuma Mage is one other film now being shot. Sarath a former banking officer turned producer of teledramas does not regret having to leave Banking career for he says, his heart is with the 'stage and screen'. "Within three months of leaving school I got a job in the banking trade. But I could not work in happy surroundings, because the trade unions in the banking sector was hostile to people like me. Knowing well that I was a man who spend my free time for tele dramas, the bank claiming to be supportive of the artistes, was a hell for me. Instead of responding favourably to appeals, those who had powers to turn the tables saw to it, that I found it very difficult to work in the bank. Once I got a transfer miles away from my home. I refused to go and I stayed back. I had taken loans and I was without money. The bank decided to auction my house and recover loans taken by me. I had to sell my house which was worth Rs. 3.5 million to 1.8 million. But with all that I did not give up my desire to serve in the field I have chosen", he told the Sunday Observer. Speaking about himself and how he became a 'star' in the small-screen, Sarath said that "the need of the hour" made him an actor. The chosen actor in the teledrama "Poornima" had failed to turn up at the time of the filming and Kusumchandra Gamage, the director of that tele-drama wanted Sarath to try acting the main role. He was the co-producer of this tele-drama. Since then he had acted in seven to eight tele-dramas and playing the lead-role in five of them. In most of these he was either a producer or co-producer, and play the lead role. "Kethumathi" and "Kedelle Kurullo" were some of the tele-dramas he acted. You also see him now in "Piyageta Pela" directed by Chandraratne Mapitigama and soon you will see him in "Siri Dev Wimana" directed by Sudath Senaratne. Sarath does not have a lineage to claim that he is the son of this actor or that actress. In his family only he has taken to acting. He is the only male in a family of four children. He has one sister elder to him and two younger sisters. He acted in R. R. Samarakoon's "Ahasin Wetunu Minissu," a Sinhala stage drama. Born in the heart of Colombo-Belmont Street, he studied at the Carey College and at the Isipatana Maha Vidyalaya. Out from school he joined the People's Bank and after serving some years, he found that he could not continue with his job for his heart longed for the stage. Sarath while in school had learnt dancing and he had been very good at it. For one year was a student at the Chitrasena-Vajira Kalayathanaya. He was not meant for the dancing floor but came on stage as an actor and then moved on to tele-drama bringing out his inborn talent for acting. Sarath runs his own business SNT Production which he found in 1992 and early this year he expanded his business by adding advertising firm SNT Advertising Emporium for teledrama and films. He is also the Assistant Secretary of the Vehicle Importers Association of Sri Lanka. |
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