Chandran Rutnam :

In his element

Love, as they say transcends all barriers, be it age, cast, race or creed. It is a common emotion experience by humanity. It can be romantic, it can be filial, it can be peaceful, challenging, and if you take into account Romeo and Juliet, quite tragic. It is the nuanced elements of love that make it the most cherished emotion and this is what Chandran Rutnam, one of the most prominent icons of the Sinhala Cinema, has tried to portray in his latest cinematic endeavour, 'Me wagey adarayak' (a love like this).

Being the master craftsman that he is, Rutnam, who has as reported in Wikipedia, had once been referred to as "Our most valued friend in the Far East," by Steven Spielberg, and has most famously worked with international film icons such as Sir David Lean, John Boorman, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Regis Wagnier, has made the maximum out of this universal theme to churn out a masterpiece of his own.

The premier of 'Me wagey adarayak' was held recently with the movie is now being shown via Dialogue TV.

A master filmmaker in his own right, with varied interests ranging from entrepreneurship to aviation, Rutnam had directed many international and local award winning films, including international releases such as 'The Road from Elephant Pass'' , 'A common man'' and 'Sri Siddhartha Gauthama'.

Productions

He has also been Line Producer and Production Supervisor on several international productions that include 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Doom', which was shot in Sri Lankan locations. In fact, Rutnam has reportedly hosted numerous Hollywood films for their location shoots in Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Currently the President and CEO of Asian Film Locations Services, Asian Aviation Centre, and the Chief Consultant at Selvasingham Consultants, the veteran film producer, director and screenwriter still talks about his film career as an exciting adventure. He seen no walls separating, and believes he will continue with film making with the same zeal as he did in the beginning when a rookie teen, as long as there is life left in his body.

As a 16-year-old school boy, Rutnam's entry into the celluloid world couldn't get humbler than his role as a stand-by prop man. But with his trademark determination and never-give-up-spirit, he advanced to art direction, production supervisor, scriptwriter and then on to producer and director. Today, that experience, has propelled him to the pinnacle, firmly establishing him amongst great masters of the cinematic medium.

Born to a Tamil father, Dr. James T. Rutnam, and a Sinhala mother, Evelyn Wijeratne, sister of Donald Wijeratne, founder of Donald's Studio, he had the advantage of being nurtured in the traditions of two great communities. It also gave him the yearning for freedom and adventure.

His love for Aviation began when he was filming a Vietnamese movie in Kandy. This led him to setting up am Aviation Centre with an American friend, which venture evolved into Lion Air. They had five aircraft and operated eighteen flights a day, which meant business was indeed booming.

Circumstances

However, changing circumstances meant Lion Air after its heydays evolved into Aerospace Engineering College, set up in affiliation with Kingston University, UK. Rutnam also has a flying school, which is flying high at the moment.

Looking back Rutnam views his college days at the University of Southern California and the San Fernando Valley College of Law as interesting experiences, that helped mould the man he is now. He lived in California for 38 years before deciding to return to Sri Lanka and settled down in Colombo.

Commenting on the movie industry, he says the failure of successive governments to help the film industry has damaged the creative film industry. Justifiably strong in his views on what's needed to make the industry viable, he says there's no need for a film corporation.

"The film corporation only obstructs. There should be a group of people who know about the industry, rather than a group of actors and actresses," he says, explaining that a film maker makes a lot of effort to show a good film, the director convinces the producer to spend the money and they make the film.

Further elaborating, he says, "The director happily takes the film to film festivals and wins many awards. By the time it is filmed, the poor producer is bankrupt, the subject matter of the film is outdated, and the momentum and the enthusiasm would have disappeared. So people would rather watch a film on a big screen at home rather than wasting their time in a Cinema Hall."

In Rutnam's case, all of his experiences are potential fodder for storytelling. He says he will switch genres, budget sizes, story lines, and do whatever it takes to keep on making films. But one thing for certain, he says he will makes sure he keeps his audience entertained for two hours. "BORING'' in his views is the most dangerous word that a spectator utter. He says he will never compromise on the hallmark of the quality of his creations under any circumstances.

Talking about , 'Me wagey adarayak' , he says it was initially made in English with African actors, for the African market, and more recently as a Sinhala movie for the Sinhala market. ''When people say it's not possible, that is when you can do that," he says explaining that the film is also going to be shown in Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa.

'Me wagey adarayak' is about love, romance and entertainment. Rutnam wanted to make a film that everyone would enjoy watching. It is a debut film for the art director, and the lead actor and actress. \

Difference

Rutnam's next film is to be titled 'According to Matthew' based on a crime story, which he is positive would make a difference in the field.

On a different note, Rutnam claims 'Ranmihitenna' was created based on an idea which he had, though it became a reality as someone else's idea. Reflecting on his career as a film director, producer, screen writer and an entrepreneur, he says all he has done has been to set himself up, and to start his career, enjoying it every step of the way.

He says, "Now only I'm starting. I don't consider my work, work at all. It's something I enjoy. When you make a film, the story is different, you meet different friends, and different experiences," and asks, "So how can you be bored?"

-Reported by Sureshni Pilapitiya

Pic : Vipula Amarasinghe