Hari Apuru Dawasak:

Mirror showcasing social crisis

By Panchamee Hewavissenti

Chamika Hathlahawatte’s “Hari Apuru Dawasak” won the Best Stage Drama Award along with seven other awards at the State Drama Festival recently. Chamika is an old student of Isipathana and Ananda Colleges, Colombo and a graduate of the Kelaniya University who has completed a special degree in Drama and Theatre. He is currently pursuing studies for his M.phil. He is a teacher by profession at Lalith Athulathmudali Vidyalaya, Mt. Lavinia.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Did you make this drama aiming the ‘State Drama Festival?’

A: Yes.

Q: Who are the actors?

A: Dharmapriya Dias, Anuradha Perera, Sanjeewa Dissanayake, Indika Donald, Ruwan Malith, Madhushan Chathuranga, S. I. Samarakkodi, Sandamali Tennakoon, Harshani Wickramasinghe, Amanda Udani, Sandwani Rodrigo and Sachithra Nuwan.

Q: What are the other awards your drama received?

A: Best Drama -, Best Script - , Best Choreography - Chamika Hathlahawatte, Best Actress - Anuradha Perera, Best Costumes - Pradeep Chandrasiri, Best Lighting - Ranga Samarawickrama, Best Music - Theja Buddhika Rodrigo

Q: What’s ‘Hari Apuru Dawasak’ about?

A: It’s based on social, political and economic conflicts in the contemporary society. The portrayal of that crisis has not directly given to the audience. It is woven around a loving couple planning to spend one Sunday with only Rs. 171.50.

Since this couple only have a few money, they try to find money in various ways such as scraping lotteries, organising a musical show and planning to open their own coffee shop etc. Also with that small money, they try to fulfil their dreams.

They need to buy a house, rent out a room to spend their day, to visit Zoo, go to see a musical show.

But what happens at the end is, that they are unable to fulfil any of their dreams and become frustrated. They become depressed when they are confronted with social unjust. In order to eliminate that social unjust this couple is planning to organise a musical show to earn money from that kind to rise against social unjust.

At that point, they ask the audience to rise against social unjust. Audience represents the social class.

This drama is like a terse and serene poetry in which social crisis is scrutinely and indirectly depicted. At a glance one might think that it’s a romantic type of a drama since it’s woven around a loving couple. Different characters of the drama depict all types of people in society.

The important fact is that people encountered by the loving couple repeatedly emerged throughout the drama in various forms. For instance, the sweep ticket seller is also in the Zoo, and in the musical show in different forms.

The wisdom behind that is to emphasis that we are as social beings revolving around same type of people in society.

Q: Do you try to convey a message through the drama?

A: At the end, for the loving couple, everything happens in one day though for the people in society is four years. That means the couple is far behind the other people in society. Because the couple is unable to enter rat race. In comparison with fast moving society the couple is very slow.

When the society has changed, the couple remains unchanged. For instance the couple meets another couple at the beginning of the drama, but at the end of the drama, that means four years in society and one day for the loving couple, the aforementioned couple has a 4-year-old child.

Those who are slow in changing against the fast moving society are unable to survive in the society. They will often have to face repercussions of their slow motion and obsolete ideas.

The social crisis is such that with the adaptation to the constant change of society, the noble human qualities are dead. People are less concerned of religion, love and compassion. It’s depicted at the end of the drama, that the couple who has a child go in two different directions leaving behind the child.

It shows that their lives are void of love, care, commitment and intimacy. Whereas the loving couple who is though, slow in changing against the society still preserves the sublime human qualities.

The bottom line is that, those who are unable to adapt to the constant change of the society, are still lagging years behind.

Q: Do you agree with the fact that most of the stage dramas target only a selected crowd?

A: Yes, I do. We can scarcely see any stage drama is played outside Colombo. It’s an unjust for the outstation crowd who are interested in stage drama. All stage dramas are centralised on ‘Colombo crowd.’ I hope to eliminate this and take my drama around the country in future.

Q: That means outstation people also will be able to watch good stage dramas in future?

A: Yes. I hope to stage ‘Hari Apuru Dawasak,’ out of Colombo. I am planning to do it as an educational programme, especially for those who study ‘Drama and Theatre’ for O/Ls and A/Ls. I’m planning to educate students on choreography,lighting, music, make-up and decorations as well in different sessions before the drama is shown.

Q: Is ‘Hari Apuru Dawasak’ a translation?

A: It’s the translation of Akira Kurasowa’s ‘The Wonderful Sunday’. It was translated to Sinhala as Apuru Irida Dawasak by Ariya Rajakaruna. I extracted the essence from the original drama and created Hari Apuru Dawasak.

Q: Is Japanese influence seen in your drama?

A: It’s an interpretation of the original script. I altered the plot so as to match that with Sri Lankan society. The Japanese film script was based on the social depression resulted by the World War.

It’s woven around a soldier who returned home after world war, having no way to make living, trying to earn money through black marketing, whereas in Sinhala interpretation it’s about a guitarist who try to make living by entertaining people with talent. Ultimately the poor guitarist has to sell the guitar in order to pay his boarding fee.

Another difference between the original and the Sinhala interpretation is that appearing of some people in different forms throughout the drama. The last scene, the couple moving in two different directions leaving their child is also not in the original Japanese script.

Interaction between the actors and the audience are also not in the original script.

Q: Especialty in your drama is that the interaction between the audience and actors. Why did you want to involve audience in your drama?

A: In order to add a liveliness to the drama. I thought it’s a good idea to repel the boredom in audience when the actors interact with them. This type of drama is called ‘Forum Theatre’ which is often seeing in ‘Auguster Bowal’s plays. This also ensures that audience is actively involved with the drama. It’s a new experience to Sri Lankan audience.

Q: Did you receive the expected support from your audience?

A: Yes of course. When the actors asked the audience to rise against social unjust, audience reacted promptly. But there was a few who did not react because they still need to carry forward the traditional way. They are not receptive to stage dramas with innovative styles.

Q: Is this first award you receive?

A: This is the second one. The first award I received was the ‘Best Children’s Drama Award’ in 2003 at the ‘Childrens Drama Festival.’

Q: What is the reason why stage dramas often based on negative sides of life such as depression,stress, deprivation and disparity?

Bertolt Bresht has once told that the time that excellent dramas are produced during the time of upheaval. War and social problems are good themes for stage drams, unlike light hearted romance. We can convey a message through themes of social crisis.

Q: What are your future plans with regard to stage drama?

A: I am planning to produce another stage drama in another two years time. I am already writing the script for that. I need to find a producer because the production cost for ‘Hari Apuru Dawasak’ was Rs. 400,000.