Nita Fernando

Returns to cinema after a sojourn

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Pointing at remarks made in the Nisala Gira review in the Sunday Observer with regard to the use of brand new instruments in the prison in an evening meeting, it has been observed that prisons have undergone a lot of changes during the past decades and that a Suhada Hamuwa (a friendly meeting) with a chief jailor is being held every evening and the inmates play with brand new instruments.

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Speaking on the character Radha in Nisala Gira, Nita states that she loves portraying characters of diverse hue such as a mother (Pauru Walalu) and disturbed Radha in Nisala Gira. Radha's character demands different roles as an obedient wife, innocent, mentally disturbed woman and an inmate of a prison.

Though she does not believe in traditional classification such as artistic or commercial films, Nita believes that artistic films have appealing stories with a different modes of presentation while commercials have superficial stories with a lot of dance and song appealing to a certain segments of the audience.

She reflects that a good story whether in a commercial film or an artistic film constitutes the flesh and blood of it and she likes serious storyline.

Unlike a cheap suspense thriller Parasathu Mal as an artistic film offers a serious storyline exploiting the inner most human feeling such as loneliness and longing, for companionship. Lester James Peiris' 'Nidhanaya' and D.B. Nihalsingha's 'Welikatara' are some of the artistic films she watched before she left Canada.

Commenting on the problems faced by film makers in Sri Lanka, she said that her main concern as a producer was the issues associated with releasing films in Sri Lanka such as not-up-to standard theatres.

For instance, releasing the Nisala Gira was a problem as it was made with Dolby Sounds and for the wide screen. However, very few theatres in Sri Lanka have been equipped with playing Dolby Sounds with wide screen.

Bridging two eras: acting with the exponents of genuine and original art.

Certain technical constrains not only increase production cost but also lead to wasting of foreign exchange. For instance, still there are no proper film laboratories in Sri Lanka compelling Sri Lankan producers to obtain services from neighbouring India.

There are some instances where cameras have been hired from India. She is of the opinion that the Government should interfere into establishing these facilities in Sri Lanka.

She's reminiscent with nostalgia, the days she spent in theatre before graduating to cinema. She had the chance of sharpening her talents in several theatre productions such as the second round of Gunasena Galappaththi's 'Sanda Kinduru' which was staged at Royal College in a festival, a Japanese drama with Wickrema Bogoda and Mercy Edirisinghe and abstract drama 'Nidikumba'.

Observing Sri Lankan audience, Nita opines that Sri Lankan audience is intelligent though they still need a story. For instance English dialogues in the first part of Nisala Gira are well received especially by the younger audience. For Sri Lankans liberally use English and Sinhala.

It is unfortunate, however, that some reviewer who had mistaken flash back on piano training session for the son, for the beginning of the film and the remarks such as ringing of cellular phones are quite unnecessary for a critique on Nisala Gira. Another remark, definitely, emerging from the poor understanding of the medium is that the film was made for a foreign audience.

Some of the materials in the original script such as injecting drugs and certain scenes such as use of condoms for drug trafficking and the judge's pronouncement of sentence on Radha have been either omitted or diluted as the response from Sri Lankan audience is unpredictable.

From the era of Art studies to the artistic films, Nita Fernando's career in Sri Lankan mainstream cinema is inherently linked with that of its fascinating history and evolution.

From her maiden film 'Landaka Mahima' to the award winning 'Pauru Walalu', Nita captured the imagination of thousands of Sri Lankan filmgoers.

It is apparent she lost a number of opportunities on Silver screen due to her 'self exile' in Canada though it, subsequently, offered her the strength to emerge as a successful producer with the support of her husband.

Reminiscent of the era of art studio films where the entire film was shot within the confines of the studios, Nita states that she acted for few of Art studio films including 'Ruhunu Kumari', 'Layata Laya' and 'Pick Pocket'.

She also had the opportunity to act for out-door-shot films under diverse directors such as K.A.W. Perera, Titus Totawatte, Vijaya Dharmasri and Wilfred Silva. It was in the 1970s when she launched her rather stunning career in cinema and era, perhaps, can be termed out as the hay-days of Sri Lankan cinema was dominated by commercial films.

So she acted for commercial as well as for artistic films until she left for Canada in 1974. It was rather a hectic and busy life Nita had to spend in Canada and simply there was little room for acting and as a result she lost opportunities of acting for films.

One of the milestones in her career was 'Duhulu Malak' which marked her name in Sri Lankan cinema as an accomplished actress and inquiries were made by the fans as well as by directors as to why she does not come back from 'exile' and commence her career in Sri Lanka.

Perhaps, it was for this very reason her husband decided to form a production outfit named 'Padma productions' providing an ideal launching pad for Nita to re-commence her career.

The maiden film produced by 'Padma Productions, was 'Suriya Kantha' (Sun Flower) where Nita acted together with Vijaya Kumaratunga, Henry Jayasena and Sriyani Amerasena. It was directed by Vijaya Dharmasri.

Her second production was 'Pauru Walalu'. Prasanna Vithanage's 'Pauru Walalu' brought her back to fame with Nita being judged as the best actress at the 11th Singapore Film Festival and many awards at diverse international festivals.

For 'Pauru Walalu' Nita also won many Sri Lankan awards including Presidential awards and together with Prasanna Vithanage Nita won the coveted 'Vishva Kirthi' award for marking Sri Lanka in the international film arena.

After a lapse of five years from her husband's death, Yolanda, a family friend, persuaded her to come out of the closet. This led to the production of 'Nisala Gira' (Silent Honour). She is of the view that commercial films with an appealing story such as 'Duhulu Malak', Titus Thotawatte's 'Mangala' and K.A.W Silva's 'Lansada' where she acted as Mangala and Lansada.

In flash back on her career and life Nita expressed satisfaction and experiences she had in Canada and came back to her motherland Sri Lanka to kick start her career.

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On banning works of art

She is of the view that the audience should have the right to watch or refuse a work of art rather than subjecting it to authoritative dictates. She could not accept displaying nudity even in work of art.

However, if the work of art demands nudity can be used with a purpose. For instance when complex issues are discussed within a work of art, sexually explicit scenes have to be used catering especially to the adult audience.

The idea that such a work of art would cause damages to the moral stands is quite naive and hypocritical. It also insults intelligent audience taking them for an amateurish bunch of idiots.

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