74th birth anniversary:

Gamini: Larger than Life!

by Prasad Pujitha GUNAWARDENE

As I ready myself to bid goodbye to the historic 'Ancestral Home of Journalism - Lake House', I write this tribute dedicated to a great personality of our times. And, this could well be the final contribution from my pen to the publications of this oldest newspaper institution in this country as tomorrow is not mine.

I am more delighted as this final contribution of mine is devoted to the legend of the Silver Screen, actor turned politician, the late Gamini Fonseka, who was also my uncle. I feel privileged as this episode is published in the prestigious 'Sunday Observer' weekly, edited by my longstanding colleague Dinesh Weerawansa, a publication I worked with dedication before moving to the Government Information Department, a few months ago on secondment to head the state official website as Consultant Editor. I returned to Lake House as the sun emerged on January 27,the day after the presidential election. On my return I took position at the 'Daily News' for a very short stint. I will now lay my pen to rest in ten days time, to conclude a hectic thirty seven year career with national newspapers. Be that as it may, today is film legend Gamini Fonseka's 74th birth anniversary. Gamini was larger than life - larger than the screen he loved. Though Gamini is gone, we still do remember him. In him we saw somebody, a glamorous figure, who in his time took the country by storm.

And, the poignant nature of his silent death is even more carved in our hearts. It was in such a backdrop Gamini Fonseka earned his well deserved rest.

Gamini Fonseka is widely accepted as a progenitor of the popular Sinhala silver screen. He earned many accolades as a pointer to that fact during his lifetime. It was Gamini's inborn talent and contributions that advanced and expanded the Sinhala film industry. That was the stream he represented most colourfully. Films directed by Gamini Fonseka in the Sri Lankan theme touched many fans to emerge into a national consciousness. Gamini was entirely self - taught in acting.

On the screen and outside, Gamini was a giant among the first generation of actors in this country. Gamini Fonseka possessed a man within himself, who did not lose faith in his creed, when everything around him tumbled down and lesser men fled the scene. Unrepentant to the last, he was ready to face challenges to uplift the film industry, the profession he loved more than his wife, as once described by him. The passing away of this great actor was another sad epiphany to the film industry.

The sad epiphany that arose with the death of Gamini drove us to sense that the film industry and the country at large, lost a man with a quality of leadership that could never be replaced. As a politician, Gamini placed public good over personal considerations. He demonstrated that public office should be held on trust and it was an obligation to be discharged by the people. And not a bounty to be freely enjoyed by individuals.

The apotheosis of Gamini Fonseka certainly merits a chapter not only in the film and political annals of Sri Lanka but also in the socio-cultural saga.

He, in his lifetime covered himself with glory and dismissed fantasy.Gamini embraced the national bosom of all communities to become a fitting folk hero and a national icon. His film - Sarungale was ample testimony, in which he played the lead role as Nadaraja Mahattaya, a story based on a country tragically flawed by a self induced communal problem.

Through his versatile film creations, Gamini drove us sense that he belonged to a just minded generation that stormed the citadels and bastions of the established elitist order. He revealed and demonstrated the monopoly and the corrupt minds of the old established elitist. That was the challenge he threw from his creation - "Sagarayak Meda". From that film, it was displayed that elitist hold was irremediably broken. And today people from all walks of life have found freedom in every congenial sphere.

Gamini became an emblem of the oppressed class and smaller communities in his country. Through his creations, Gamini looked a unifier at sight in a country desperately trying to heal the wounds inflicted by a fratricidal strife. His final creation - Nomiyena Minissu in which incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa played the role of a 'General', demonstrated that Gamini's heart was in the right place of authentic patriotism, a period of time, when so much of the fake and counterfeit was the order of the day by merchants of the political black market, who fought a war without proper political leadership and direction.

This great actor's love and commitment towards reality was a greater dream of this man. His 'General' in Nomiyena Minissu turned to be the President and Commander-in-Chief of the country, just a year after Gamini's death. President Rajapaksa gave the correct political leadership to crush a three decade long terrorist war to establish peace. Sadly, Gamini Fonseka was not alive to witness that glorious achievement and historic moment of his 'General' in Nomiyena Minissu who turned Gamini's greater dream into a reality.

The phenomenon of this great actor in politics was passion and idealism. He was not a politician who came out of assembly lines, well-shaved and groomed, trained by PR agents and 'witch doctors' of the Western backed media, to smile at nonsense and crack words to please the 'white cobbler' breed. He never gave offence to any in politics.

But, spoke the truth and never took away the passion out of national debate. He wanted the people to watch a vigorous political debate and not a "Punch and Judy" show.

Gamini knew that there were 'Spin Doctors' not only in the Western backed media but also in the Western film industry, who thought there was 'cheap labour' in the Asian film market. Once a German film director visited Gamini in Colombo, and invited Gamini to play the lead role in a German sponsored English film that was to be shot in Germany. This German had earlier viewed Gamini's English film -"Rampage" in which Gamini played the lead role with British actress Mary Tamm. Their discussion came to decide on figures, and Gamini placed his figure on the table.

The visibly shocked German confessed, "This figure is even higher than that of Marlon Brando".

"It should be, because Sri Lanka's Gamini Fonseka could well do much better than Marlon Brando and Sri Lankan actors are not cheap as those in the west", shot back Gamini.

A dejected German took the next available flight back to his country. It was Gamini Fonseka who introduced 'Method Acting" to Asia, a method later followed by some in the West.

He never believed to copy or to depend on fashion images that ended up in bromides. Nor did he ever want to play the role of a 'Blair' to look and sound like 'Clinton'. In flash and light, he never wanted to be a great dandy.

Gamini was a serious actor. That was why his adventures in films formed a saga of its own, as he progressed into more complex textures.

That was the colour and glamour in the characteristics of legendary Gamini Fonseka.

As a nephew who very closely associated him, Gamini Fonseka was a man who gave courage, guidance and strength to me. He always told me to stand up with the head held high to face challenges. "Never let injustices grow taller than justice before you", was what he told me repeatedly. I have to date stood up to his great advice despite being victimized at regular intervals.

Whenever I was wrong, he made me right. That's what made me believe that Gamini Fonseka was larger than life.

I thank him in a different way because he spent his time to keep me alert and alive to all and everything. His quality was tasteful from all corners to the centre stage. When I met him the week before his untimely death, he gazed at the sky and said, "There's somebody waiting up there for me, I think my time is over". I dismissed his statement and asked him not to be hypothetical. He shot back quoting Pluto on Socrates to recall - "I respect Socrates, yet I respect the truth more"- and added, "When the call comes I must go". He was a wonderful nature's creation.

May you be reborn as my uncle in every life of mine, beyond the present. I miss you much till then. Your silent death brought the curtain down on an era, an era of true innocence.