Manel, Kuveni and flashes of classic Gamperaliya

With my own ‘Kuveni’ in my home I started writing down what I had been nurturing in my mind for many long years. Kuveni had been haunting my mind for so long and endeared herself so much to me that carving her out with pen and paper was not difficult. To my amazement and utter delight words came flowing from my mind that sometimes my hand could hardly keep up with the flow of words.

“Andhakaren duraatheethe
Andhakaareta anaagathaye
Regena yaamata katha puvathak
Andhakaare sita kiyanne....”

“From the darkness of the immeasurable past
To the darkness of a mindless future
This legend will be unfolded
In the darkness of the present
Many things that happened in the past
Lie buried, hidden in darkness
Underneath the soil of the earth
Mingled with each others’ tears blood and sweat....”

Thus it began and flowed with ease until the end -

“Kuveniya netha nevatha enne
Ae vane thuru athara sengaviya
Anduru sevaneli samaga musuviya
Minis Piyasin duruva nikmiya....
Atheethen vith serisara lova
Bhaven bhavayata sasara sayure
Sevu snehaya yukthi dharmaya
Noladdee ae melo thalaye...”

“Kuveni will never come again
Hidden is she among the trees and vines in the forest
Mingled is she with the dark shadows
Gone is she from the reach of humans
 

“From the past she emerged to seek
From life to life in the sea of Sansara
That justice and live sought
Within this world she never gained...”

(Kuveni has recently been translated into English by Lakshmi de Silva and was co-winner of the Gratiaen Award for Literature for year 2000 - I have borrowed freely from her translation too)

I wrote in my language and the words came like dice from a player’s hand. That was the result of the bee that had been humming in my mind for so very long.

Mesmerizing eyes

In the silent night I would imagine that she, Kuveni, emerges through the open window. She looks long at me with those mesmerizing eyes and speaks to me. “Yes, Son, relate my story to them - to this cruel world which has demonised me. Tell them that I was just another woman, like all of them, beguiled by love and let down by a selfish man”...I would see the tears glistening in her eyes and feel their warmth as she presses her face to mine and cuddles me like a mother would cuddle her child...I would feel her warm breath on my shoulder and then she would fade away mingling with the mist of the morning.

She would chide me sometimes before departing, alarmed and worried like a mother, at my smoking, “Do not smoke, my son.....” She would say with affection in her eyes. “It will harm you, if not now, later....” And she would depart, smiling that enigmatic smile....

For me 1962 was a busy year. That was the year we were working on Lester James Peries’ classic Gamperaliya - although none of us were aware of it at that time it was going to be a classic. I recall with pleasure my first meeting with the famous film-maker. I had just acted in one film - Sri 296. Most likely Lester would have seen the film. Or perhaps he may have seen me on stage. I received a message.

I was asked to meet him at his (ancestral) home at Dehiwala. I was overjoyed. I had never met him before. I can still remember that charming downward smile, as he greeted me. He wore cream coloured trousers and a long-sleeved shirt turned up at the sleeves, very smartly. His hair was combed back in sleek style. “We are planning to do a film Henry.” He began.

“I am sure you have read Mr. Martin Wickramasinghe’s Gamperaliya. That’s the story we are going to do...” I waited with baited breath. I could hardly believe my ears.

Of course I had read the novel. Not once, but several times over. “I have thought of you to play the lead male role - that of Piyal Weliwita. What do you say, Henry?” I was bowled over. Never in my wildest - or rather - never in my most imaginative dreams, had I given myself such an honour.

When Lester mentioned Gamperaliya I thought he was going to offer me a small role, such as Baladasa or even lower. Here he was offering me the plum. I was speechless for a moment. “I will be delighted to play that role Sir, if I deserve it.” I managed to tell him, amidst the utter confusion and bewilderment in my mind.

“I am sure you’ll be a fine Piyal, Henry,” assured Lester. “Of course we are taking a risk doing a film without songs, without fisticuffs.... and we are working on a very low budget and the payments will be minimal.....,” concluded Lester, with that disarming smile.

I assured him that ‘payments’ were no consideration at all, as far as I was concerned. “I feel immensely honoured, Sir, to be a member of your cast - and that too as Piyal Weliwita. This is beyond my wildest dreams, Sir.” I must have said it over and over again.

We began work on Gamperaliya in 1962 - early that year if I remember right. I got married in May and it was no easy task to leave the new bride to go for filming. Manel would always make a little fuss but give in with a smile. Sometimes we had to spend days at Mahakappina Walawwa at Bentara and that was tough for a newly married groom!

Ingredients of mirth

I recall a particular incident that has its own ingredients of mirth as well as lingering nostalgia. Film shooting was not completed in a few weeks at that time - as it is done at present. There were various constraints. Availability of the cast, cameras, raw film reels (from just one supplier in Colombo) and cash too I am sure.

From 1962 we proceeded to ‘63 and the shooting was still not over. Came the month of May and Manel and I were to celebrate the first anniversary of our marriage on May 31. I was called up for shooting but promised that I will be brought back to Colombo for the occasion. So I gave a promise to dear Manel and departed.

The shooting dragged on and it was rather late when we started back to Colombo. I was elated that it was our anniversary and invited everybody travelling in the van to make a short stop in our home at Dehiwala for a little bit of celebration.

My companions included Punya Heendeniya the heroine of Gamperaliya, her father, who always accompanied her, Tissa Abeysekera, the Asst. Director, Trilicia Gunawardhana, who played Anula, Shanthilekha, who played Matara Hamine and a few others.

By the time we arrived at home, quite late in the night, we met a Manel who was - say, not at all in a good mood, to say the least. Poor girl, she had polished the floor, put out little decorations and made all kinds of preparations for the event.

A few guests had been invited and they had all left thinking that I had been held up with the filming. When the guests saw Manel’s face they had concluded that this was no time for celebration and were quick to get back into the van for a quick exit. My poor woman was extremely sorry after I explained the cause for the delay etc. but I must say we had a ‘time’ with our friends, recalling the incident later.

The big scene in the film was the grand wedding scene between Piyal and Nanda. Several ‘guests’ had been invited from Colombo including some whites. I got permission to take Manel along to witness the filming but she ended up as one of the charming guests who throw star dust and petals to the couple ! She also took part in ‘keta’ (dice) scene which was filmed the next day. Look for her when you see Gamperaliya next time !

Singular honour

Mr. Martin Wickramasinghe himself visited the sets which we considered a singular honour. He was very pleased with the casting and watched some of the filming. We had a great moment when Mrs. Martin Wickramasinghe herself appeared in one of the scenes where she discusses Piyal’s lineage with Matara Hamine seated in the sprawling verandah of Maha Kappina Walawwa.

We had great fun doing Gamperaliya. When Mr. Anton Wickramasinghe,co-producer of the film, visited the location, he would bring in all kinds of goodies from Colombo - apples, cheese, foreign biscuits. Gold Flake cigarettes and a bottle or two of Scotch, which he generously shared with us. When there was no shooting due to one reason or another we played cricket in the ample garden.

I believe it was in Gamperaliya that Tissa Abeysekera cut his ‘filmic teeth’ as Asst. Director as well as Dialogue Writer. As Asst. Director he was in charge of getting the cast to location on time and the poor man must have lost a lot of hair from his curly head trying to get all of us together. Tony Ranasinghe (Baladasa), Wickrema Bogoda (Tissa) Trilicia Gunawardhana (Anula) and Anula Karunatilleke (Laisa) were some of the later celebrities who came into the cinematic arena with Gamperaliya.

Lester was always calm and directed his cast with utmost kindness. Willie Blake, the man in charge of the camera was a different kettle of fish. He was a hard taskmaster at work but a jolly good fellow off the sets. Often, a few of us including Lester and Sumithra would sit around the huge oval table in the hall after dinner and chat away well into the night. Willie Blake recounted some of his hilarious experiences in this ‘bycecope business’ and he kept the rest of us in stitches !

Thought of the week

Talking of films it appears that our film industry is at a very low ebb as at present. Very few new films are being made and we don’t see much encouragement from the National Film Corporation to remedy the situation. The local film-maker has to compete with low grade ‘adults only’ and ‘very strictly adults only’ material.

It appears that the old Censors Board is defunct whereas a Public Performance Board certificate is necessary for any new State Play, before it could be put on the boards. Why cannot films too - local and otherwise - be brought under the purview of the P.P.B ?

Another crying need is a Films Archives. Dr. Lester James Peries tells me that there is only one copy of Gamperaliya and that films such as Sandesaya are untraceable. Actually we should have taken steps to preserve all the films we have so far made, beginning from Broken Promise. Instead it appears that all the ‘Promises’ made by succeeding governments to the film industry in this country have become Broken Promises !

Let’s hope that at lest ‘Mahinda Chintanaya’ will have some kind ‘Chintana’ with regard to the local film industry too.

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