Sarasaviya marks golden jubilee

By Kalakeerthi EDWIN ARIYADASA

"Goddess Saraswathie, who is adorned in radiant white attire, on whose beautiful arm rests the veena, and whose throne is a white lotus... May you fully remove my lethargy, sluggishness and ignorance."

Hymn to Goddess Saraswathie

It is customary for a co-publication in a chain of publications to be referred to as a "Sister Publication." This custom proves singularly and strangely apt, when The Observer talks about Sarasaviya as "Sister Publication", since Sarasaviya is named after Saraswathie, Goddess of art and aesthetics - a divine female.

Assuming a particularly important topicality, Sarasaviya currently celebrates its golden jubilee. In the history of Sri Lankan journalism, this is a crucial development, since a publication devoted to fine arts and associated issues, has neither survived nor has continued to flourish progressively as Sarasaviya has done, in its fifty-year existence. Today Sarasaviya has established itself in the landscape of Sri Lankan media with a distinct personality of its own, extending its influence over a wide-ranging circle of dedicated aficionados.

The inaugural issue of Sarasaviya appeared on April 12, 1963 with the national New Year festival as its backdrop. The first issue of Sarasaviya reflected the Sinhala New Year festivities, in many of the articles it printed. The cover-art by G. L. Gautamadasa, was a surrealist painting communicating the essential spirit of the Sinhala New Year season. The debut issue did not, in any way indicate a specialised thematic loyalty. The articles were not arranged to pivot round a particular focal concept.

There was no formal manifesto of objectives. In a brief note on the front page, there was a statement which declared that the new publication was being brought out to provide "entertainment".

The tabloid format of the new journal represented an innovative step for that day. The journals of the time were mostly broadsheets publications.The contents were a potpourri, accommodating articles and news items on an extensive variety of issues. Most of the writings, for which Sarasaviya found space in its early years were belletristic in intent.

If one were to go through some of the early issues of Sarasaviya, one would be surprised no end, to come upon contributions from such pre-eminent people such as Prof. Senerath Paranavitana, Munidasa Cumaratunga, Ven. Welivita Sorata Maha Nayaka Thera and Martin Wickremasinghe.

They may not have been direct contributions by those writers. In all probability many of those would have been excerpted from some of their previous writings.

But, there were regulars. R. (Reggie) Pallewela regaled the early readers of Sarasaviya, with his witty, satirical and quite often mischievous essays about familiar every-day subjects which his florid pen elevated to dramatic levels.

Meemana Prematilake was a constant presence. I consider it proper to mention here that for anyone who is keen to study in-depth, the evolution of this journal over the past half-century, the collection at the Government Archives is quite a help.

As the publication gathered momentum, it assumed the stature of the voice of Sri Lankan cinema. Other forms of fine arts too came within its purview. But, with the passage of time, Sarasaviya came to be identified primarily with cinema and its fluctuating fortunes.

All the 'stars' and other people orbiting cinema got attuned eventually to the idea of considering Sarasaviya their alter ego. When cinema entrenched itself in Sri Lankan society as mass entertainment numero uno, proliferating film journals and cinema papers began to mushroom.

The generality of film publications of that time, could not evolve beyond rumour-mongering cinema gossip-sheets. Their urge to satisfy the limited restricted and at times low tastes of their emotionally swayed fans could not fuel the sustained survival of those film journals. But Sarasaviya could summon the vigour and the stamina to transcend the level of gossip-sheets. Several innovative moves ensured its continued success. The annual Sarasaviya Film Festival proved a highly impactful trend-setter.

While most other film publications were content with celebrating ineffective trivia, Sarasaviya went on to initiate a wholesome tradition of communicating substantial and responsible knowledge relating to cinema and related issues.In historical hindsight it is essential to point out that I was requested to contribute a series on outstanding film directors of the world and classic cinematic products. A whole series of factors cumulatively ensured the emergence of Sarasaviya into a cinema publication of substance and prestige.

Over the past 50 years, 12 editors guided Sarasaviya, through a variety of challenges it had to face. Their collective effort ensured the unassailable stature of the journal and above all its survival unscathed in a field of intense competition.

In the early days, Sarasaviya could find itself in somewhat of a monopolistic position. But in the recent past substantial advances in the technologies of printing and publishing ushered in an era of radical changes in the technical aspects of newspaper publishing.

When Sarasaviya made its debut 50 years ago, a tabloid publication was something of a rarity. But today even dailies erupt with tabloid inserts - not to say anything about weekend publications which in some instances, turn out to be collections of inserts of high graphic glamour.

These eddying and swirling masses of colourful "Inserts" must undoubtedly prove an unprecedented challenge to the current editor of Sarasaviya.

The present incumbent Aruna Gunaratne is equal to such ordeals. I am sure he is a dynamic store of film experience and cinema love and possesses practical experiences in fiction film and cinema documentaries.

Objectively reviewed at no time in its past half-a-century of existence did Sarasaviya have to contend and cope with such potent impacts as it has to, at present. While felicitating Sarasaviya on its golden jubilee, it is essential to wish the journal all the creative vigour to meet the new world of cinema, undaunted. The prayer to its patron Goddess Saraswathie should guide Sarasaviya enabling it to fully remove the lethargy, sluggishness and ignorance that still dominate some areas of cinema and film journalism.