Actors invade political stage

Acting: A well-known politician from Uva is to become a film actor, a weekly vernacular film journal reports.If this is true he will be the latest in a line of political actors to adorn the country’s legislature.

Sri Lanka like its giant neighbour is famous for transforming matinee idols into politicians. There were many names that were hot property in the cinematic landscape of both countries.

Those that readily come to mind is South Indian legend M. G. Ramachandran who had a mesmeric appeal on the Tamil Nadu voter and our very own Gamini Fonseka who went onto become the Deputy Speaker of Parliament.

By and large the phenomenon had caught on even in the West with macho actor Arnold Swazernager now Governor of California not to mention the late American President Ronald Regan who started in those popular cowboy movies.

Of course there were several local actors and artists who failed to make the grade in electoral politics while like Regan there was another individual here who took on the reins at the helm though acting only in a single film.

New vocation

Actors who turned politicians brought that extra zip into their new vocation. After all aren’t politicians supposed to be good actors? Similarly those venturing into the field of acting too is bound to carry with him or her a wealth of acting ability based on their stunts on the political stage.

It is in this context that one ought to view the latest addition to the galaxy of stars in the hope he would not wax and wane with the passage of time as did many of our political-actors or actor-politicians of yesteryear.

There is no mention of what role our new entrant would have to play on his film debut. There is bound to be some interesting possibilities for the director who would not have to look far for the ideal material for his film.

An ideal script would revolve around a poll vaulter which is the latest trend in the political field. Or a comedy on the lines of ‘Parliament jokes’ which is bound to bring out his full repertoire.

Of course it is hard to picture our man running around trees pursued by a winsome damsel, for it is the constant refrain of politicians that they would not run away from challenges though these may not be as formidable as this screen siren after him.

Political repertoire

The script would also no doubt contain a liberal dose of heroics to whet his appetite for this attribute in his political repertoire characterized by strong arm tactics like storming into police stations to release an errant supporter or bashing an opposition supporter into pulp with the help of bodyguards.

He would only have to envision a Ronald Regan in cowboy hat galloping on horse back, to send his adrenal pumping, driving him to an authentic performance which could not be matched by an original star.

The advertising budget featuring our new hero could also be pruned down to a great degree considering the political cut outs that has already exposed him to the viewing public.

Arguably no country has had such a surfeit of political actors hugging the cinematic limelight or vise versa as we have in Sri Lanka.We already have a Cabinet Minister well known for his macho roles which even extended beyond reel life to real life.

It is also said had the present leader of the opposition had he not being such a poor actor would have been at the helm of affairs long ago. There was the feeling that he did not study his lines and often failed the screen test. Not for him the adage” All the worlds and its men are players”.

Rambler