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| Wednesday, 13 October 2004 |
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A tribute to Gamini Fonseka by Firoze Sameer "In the latter part of the 1960s, Film Director Titus Thotawatte's Sinhala movie, Chandiya portrayed Ossie Corea towards the end of the movie. As reminisced over a telephone conversation with the author on 13.07.98, actor Kalasuri Dr. Gamini Fonseka, now pushing 62, explained that, 'Mr. Ossie Corea played a very brief role in the movie in the closing scenes of the last reel. Mr. Corea was portrayed as the new Chandiya of the 1960-70 era in that precinct, driving an elegant Sunbeam Alpine, in expensive shirt and sarong, smoking, with a cigarette tin in hand, gold chain and gold wristwatch, looking tough and prosperous.' Corea's emergence follows that of the Chandiya of the 1950-60 era, remarkably acted in the movie by Gamini Fonseka.
"...Dr. Gamini Fonseka's portrayal of the deadly Mr. Linton Cooray, in Anthima Reya, which was directed by him, and screened in over a dozen cinemas in Aug-Sep-Oct-1998, is a classic piece of the local Godfather in crime: a similar role which was brilliantly portrayed by him in the Sinhala teledrama Sudu Saha Kalu. "Incidentally, Dr. Gamini Fonseka was appointed by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga as Governor of the North-East Provincial Council in December 1995. He submitted his resignation, on a point of principle, from his Governorship to President Chandrika Bandaranaike on Mon. 19.10.98. Earlier, he held the post of Deputy Speaker in Parliament during the Premadasa regime...." - dOSIEr COREA: A portfolio on crime by Firoze Sammer (1999: Library of Congress Control No. 99953012). ******* We witnessed the fitting tribute, extended by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga to the great movie mogul, Kalasuri Dr. Gamini Fonseka, in conducting his last rites at the Independence Square on October 03. We heard many an encomium and have already read various versions of his colourful life in all the recent weekend newspapers. Gamini Fonseka, passed away on September 30, succumbing to a heart attack at age 68. He was born on March 21, 1936. Gamini's splendid performances range over a hundred-odd movies with a myriad of stars, especially Joe Abeywickrema, Sandhya Kumari, Malini Fonseka over the years since he assisted in Dr. Lester James Peries' Rekawa in 1956. Notable were the politically tinged movies Sagarayak Meda (1981) and his highly professional direction of some of them, Koti Valigaya (1988) with Angela Seneviratne and Nomiyena Minissu (1994) with Sangeetha Weeraratne. And then the State-suspended Judgement, which rounded up a gamut of valuable contributions to the local movie industry. Movieland The fine quality of his movies far superseded those that came in cohorts from Bombay and Madras. Whether he won the merit award at the Sarasaviya Film Festival for his part in Gamperaliya in 1964, or was adjudged Best Actor for the daring role of Jamis Banda (a local version of James Bond) in Mike Wilson's Sorunegeth Soru (1968), and in the latter day serious portrayals as the Brando of the local screen, he was certainly the Don of the Sinhala movie, and he played his roles to perfection. I never personally met him, but there was an interesting interaction which I must recount: After Gamini Fonseka had read the complimentary copy I had autographed and sent him on Ossie Corea, he telephoned me one Sunday night May 28,2000 sometime around 9.30 p.m. and spoke to me in that inimitable stately voice of even cadence, so familiar to all of us, lucidly in impeccable English, for over half an hour, encouraging me to continue writing, and then related an interesting story. Godfathers He said there was a time Ossie Corea had fallen out with his erstwhile childhood friend, Ramakrishna, a big-time businessman cum Arrack-renter like Corea, and an equally dangerous man. Sometime later, Ramakrishna's mother passed on. Corea who knew and revered Ramakrishna's mother during his days of friendship with her son, yearned to visit the Ramakrishna residence at Kotahena in Colombo and pay his respects to the lady, but was precluded owing to the bad blood which prevailed between him and Ramakrishna. It was then that Corea had appealed to Gamini Fonseka whom he and almost everyone used to idolize as one's hero in those good old days. Gamini advised Corea to make that visit much to the reluctance of Corea. Corea complained that he had no car (the famous Sunbeam Alpine had been smashed up supposedly by Ramakrishna's boys) and he hardly had any money (Corea was on the decline). So Gamini came forward and volunteered with both, money and his car, inducing Corea to go to Kotahena. Corea finally made that visit with much trepidation and uncertainty, only to be warmly welcomed, hugged and kissed by Ramakrishna, and they became friends thereafter. In a world where people found it easy to fall out with each other even on the flimsiest pretexts, here was the great Gamini Fonseka, icon of the Sinhala screen, playing his grand role in bringing two local Dons once again together. Such was the respect and esteem he commanded even amongst the 'dangerous' people, portraying the high calibre and status of the man. Gentleman The other aspect of Gamini Fonseka was his high degree of self-worth, self-respect, and straight-forwardness (he called a spade a spade): a gentleman par excellence. And his commendable deportment, exuding adequate but not over elaborate respect was discerned, especially when meeting with the highest authority in the land. Gamini's departure evokes a deep sense of sorrow to everyone who touched him in some small way or otherwise, and digs deep a lacuna in the Sinhala film industry which in the years ahead, will find it absolutely hard to fill. **** Back **** |
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