Tissa Abeysekera Redux

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Redux : brought back - used postpositively

(Dictionary definition)

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Display of gratitude is always heart-warming, whatever may be the level at which this sentiment manifests itself.

Sri Lankan culture has exalted "gratitude" to a spiritual stature. That development is determined by the supreme example of the Buddha, who, for one whole week gazed gratefully upon the tree, that provided him shelter, when he waged intense inner struggle. Grateful masses in ancient Sri Lanka deified those benevolent rulers who built stupas and tanks, ensuring their spiritual and material well-being.

But, in recent times, we have observed with a tinge of regret, the saddening erosion of this sense of gratitude. We have to admit though, that an occasional memorial oration is held to express gratitude to those exceptional personalities, whose service to man, in their chosen fields, has been impressive, noteworthy and distinctly outstanding. In most instances, those singled out for this honour are high professionals in the legal or medical disciplines. Some politicians and statesmen too are accorded this recognition. One cannot help but observe, that gratitude to artists and men of letters does not seem to be that readily offered by the contemporary Sri Lankan society.

A special reference has to be made here, to the 13th memorial oration, held recently in honour of Prof. Nandadasa Kodagoda, in whose eclectic personality, such contrasting disciplines as Art, Literature, medicine and law, co-existed in cosy comfort. And, the oration itself delivered by the globally-renowned expatriate Sri Lankan Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, with authority and telling impressiveness, was in effect, a road-map for Sri Lanka, in the era of post-terrorism peace, won by the President.

All these ponderings and musings on gratitude, lead us to the recent meeting held in memory of Tissa Abeysekera, who crossed the rim of life, a year ago. The event was a complex of activities, focused upon the central personality - Tissa Abeysekera. An anthology of essays about Tissa was launched. A memorial oration was delivered. The concluding event was the screening of "Viragaya", directed by Tissa Abeysekera.

As gratitude is very much in the air, we must be highly grateful to the board of directors of Lake House, especially the Chairman Bandula Padmakumara, for taking the initiative to organise a meeting in memory of a noted creative person, at a time when the general tendency is to treat artistes and men of letters, with scant attention and minimum respect.

Tissa Abeysekera's passing away, sent waves of shock and sorrow, all round. Their ripples are still felt.

Tissa Abeysekera's demise at the age of 69, diminishes us all. He has been and integral and highly functional facet of the intellectual and cultural life of the country in a tumultuous era, when the spasms and tremors of a new age being born were keenly felt by a sensitive elite.

Tissa Abeysekera was in the vanguard of those, who reflected this emerging social transition and the restlessness that were symptomatic of this upheaval. His lifestyle was that of an "engaged" intellectual who ceaselessly explored ways and means of coming to terms with this new world in turmoil.

His death occurred, while his work was still unfinished. This was deeply saddening. The speakers at the memorial event, reflected this sense of regret.

It may probably be clichetic to keep on saying, that a person's death leaves a hiatus that cannot be filled. In the instance of Tissa it is starkly true, since a generation of young creative persons, yearned to seek his guidance, in important aspects of cinema.

The editor of the Anthology of tributes, characterizes Tissa Abeysekera as a "Genius in film culture". To justify this description, in that form, the editor indicates the wide range of efficiencies, Tissa Abysekera possessed. In cinema, he was script-writer and director. He was a film and TV actor. He was a film writer, film critic, short-story writer, poet and a writer of lyrics.

The editor emphasizes his bilingual dexterity, and his predilection towards fiction-writing.

Those 45 pieces, put together in this Anthology. reduce to an undertone a significant aspect of his life's work. Tissa Abeysekera's career as "Intellectual," is particularly intriguing mainly because he played a featured role in activ politics as well. He was a member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party. His socialist politics could very well be a logical culmination of his youthful urge to usher in a transformation in cultural and social fields. His ample reading made him extensively informed. He did not claim a distinguished academic history, thus, pre-eminently deserving the sobriquet 'autodidact polymath".

What stands out rivetingly and starkly about his personality is the remarkable intrepidity he displayed in expressing views, however controversial or shocking they may have seemed.

He was preoccupied with the idea of spreading cinematic literacy especially in the remote areas of the land, where the people are generally under-privileged, culturally. As part of this project, I travelled to several distant places of the country, to disseminate cinema-knowledge.

The memorial meeting, was amply patronised, indicating the wide range of persons, who felt his presence, in a vast variety of ways.

Most of those who participated in the event, shared this sense of gratitude. In yet another profound aspect too, they were like-minded.

The inescapable fact is we were all deeply moved that the curtain came down on the drama of his unusual career, before a logical "End" could register its close.

I cannot help but add an utterly disturbing note to this piece.

A cold (freezing is more apt) shiver ran through my spine, at the concluding remarks delivered matter-of-factly, by the key speaker. This is what he said in effect: "Tissa's spouse and his children do not have a roof of their own over their heads. They have had to seek shelter in a relation's home."

The glory of the panoplied and neatly arranged memorial meeting, came down to earth with a soul-shattering thud, at this revelation.

I cannot help but lament the stark futility of the elaborate posthumous celebrations of those who waste away their lives in the service to their motherland, without being even peripherally not to say adequately, recognized during their life-time. We must thank the organisers of this memorial meeting, as it has proved a tormenting eye-opener about the raw reality of these great lives.

Let call upon the people of this country to lavish care and assistance upon those personalities who are national assets, while they are still around.