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| Sunday, 14 March 2004 |
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A workaholic to the core by Farah Macan Markar When I first met Kumar de Silva I was a toddler of about six, preparing for "Brush Marks" my first (and only) art exhibition with my fellow painting compatriots of Latifa Ismail's art school. Kumar who was in his twenties at the time was interviewing me for his "Bonsoir" programme on ITN and although I cannot remember the details, my mum says "He made a quiet and shy girl come out and speak with confidence".
Kumar de Silva today is an enterprising guy, still in the public eye hosting "Dhamma in Daily Life" a Buddhist discussion programme in English telecast on ITN every poya night and presenting and producing "Bonsoir" in ITN. He's been doing "Dhamma in Daily Life" since May 1993 and has been at Bonsoir, which he considers to be the foundation of his TV career, since 1986. A record of eighteen unbroken years. Kumar is also the interviewer for "Business Matters" telecast on Rupavahini's Channel EYE and has his own event designing, public relations and media consultancy company "Adahas". A television presenter, compere and businessman, with a fluency in five languages, English, French, Sinhala, German and Tamil, Kumar's early success he says has a lot to do, in having parents who let him choose what he wanted. Studying in Wesley College, Colombo, Kumar had the freedom to choose his A Level subjects at a time when parents generally decided on their sons becoming doctors and lawyers (an issue I still believe to be in existence today). Adolescent Kumar ended up doing English Literature, French, German and Econ, Art subjects he would later further specialised in and which would help him in his career. A far thinking guy, having sent his application much earlier he began his first job, the very next day after his last A'Level exam, as a sub editor in the Daily News. It was in that year 1980/1981 editing and writing, Kumar gained his insight about the country, politics, society and culture, plus developed his skills in language and writing. "Lake House has given me an experience I'll never forget" says Kumar "I was seventeen plus at the time and everything seemed pretty intimidating at the beginning. However I stayed on the year through until university started, writing for the Daily News and Observer, specially for the then Observer Sat Mag. In Lake House there was something new to be learnt everyday and it was there I learnt all about Media, Journalism and Public Relations". Going to the University of Kelaniya, getting an (Hons) degree in English, while his second subject was French, Kumar went on to lecture in the Department of English, for two years. Having done a Diploma in French Language at Alliance Francaise, he became the audio visual officer for the Embassy of France in 1986 while parallely producing and presenting "Bonsoir". It was in 1986 too that Kumar first went to Paris and got to see and learn about the country and people of the language he had come to love and had his initial training as a TV presenter. As he made his mark as a TV Presenter, de Silva has hosted "Business.Com" a business talk show on TNL, co-hosted "Celluloid Lokaya" a bi-lingual chat show with Sinhala film stars on TNL and hosted "Meeting Point" a talk show in ITN. He has been voted most popular TV Presenter in "Island Show Vision" Readers Poll for several years as well as being the Winner of the Sunday Observer Golden Clef Award for Music Presenter of the Year (TV) in 1994. Kumar has had a stint at news reading for ITN, a job he quit as he felt he was not that good in it. "I believe you should always try something. If you're good at it, go on, if not try a hand at something else". De Silva also feels one should know when to get off the bus, specially as one grows older. Having hosted "Fan Club" for ITN for a record of fourteen unbroken years, Kumar decided it was time for him to step down in May 2002 as he reached his fortieth year. "At forty I was no longer the young fan club image. I don't believe in hanging along to something for the sake of it, specially when you're wearied out. Do what you do well and when the time comes that you are not doing it as well, get out of it". In June 2000 de Silva formed "Adahas" together with his wife Tharindra. A media and communication oriented business, Kumar has put all his training and work experience as a journalist and TV presenter into it. "I first thought of calling it 'Ideas' but I later decided the Sinhala translation of it 'Adahas' was more exotic" he says. An eighteen hours per day workaholic up from six in the morn, at work till twelve midnight, Kumar also does compering for corporate events. "I used to compere for dance shows for about 10-15 years, but I found corporate events more challenging and constructive, which is why I do more of it today" says de Silva. Television, according to Kumar is all about talking with images. It's about looking good, sounding good and coming out larger than life. "TV makes you go into another world. You learn to interact with various people, gain self confidence and get out of your shell. It's an experience which makes you come out verbally and visually" says the ever jabbering man, who describes his childhood as being quiet and shy! A seven year old son Rahul and a three year old daughter Anarkali, Kumar has two big influences in his life, his parents whom he says gave his brother and himself a sound upbringing and his wife. De Silva used to do a lot of reading those days, but not having the time at present resorts to a less time consuming hobby, maintaining his Cactus! He also enjoys listening to music while he's at work, watching movies whenever he finds time to, reading the newspapers and observing human behaviour. Finally the most important aspects in life for Kumar is being honest, sincere and courteous. "It's the little things we were taught as children like saying 'please' and 'thank you' which go far". |
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Today, fourteen years down the lane, I can hardly recollect a picture
from my short childhood career as an artist, with the exception of
"The Balloon Picture" which I distinctly remember as being my
favourite. The quiet and shy six year olds been transformed into a loud
and boisterous twenty year old, and as for Kumar himself, ah how the
tables of life have turned. The then in the "twenties"
interviewer has become and in the "forties" interviewee. This
time, I'm doing the interviewing while he's at the other end of the pen, a
matter he describes as "Wow...how time goes by".
