Tele-tribute to Donovan Moldrich
Writer and director Somachandre Wijesuriya has dedicated his
teledrama Ugandaraya to Donovan Moldrich in recognition of his efforts
to record the history of Tamil workers.
Moldrich was a researcher, writer, little known now, who wrote about
Tamil estate workers in the 19th century. His writing reveals how Tamil
workers were brought from India in most excruciating circumstances.
 They
were made to walk a distance of over 200 miles from Manner without
proper food or sanitary facilities or medical care. Food was mostly from
herbs and roots on the wayside.
Death struck them in the form of a slithering snake in the
underground or through the claws of a man-eating leopard. Close to forty
percent died on the road. Balance human skeletons reached the estate.
Moldrich was a writer who was moved by Christian piety and has
written on the subject with feelings. Underlying his revelations are
details of gruesome exploitation by our colonial masters who were one
time thinking of importing Chinese coolies to work in coffee estates.
Somachandre’s telefilm Yugandaraya is based on his novel First Rising
which contains these details. Yugandaraya sheds much light on the build
up of Bandaranaike as a Sinhala Buddhist leader supported by monks and
Ayurvedic practitioners. The story starts in 1915 and ends up on the eve
of 1971 insurrection.
Yugandaraya is currently available at Sarasavi Bookshop in a five
hour DVD as the Director’s attempts to get it telecast in local TV
channels have failed purportedly due to ‘controversial material’ in the
film.
Director Somachandre says that true art is always controversial. The
film provides the backdrop to the 1971 uprising through the eyes of a
teacher family who lived in Kegalle, a thickset in the insurrection.
A host of character actors along with Maurine Charuni, play
scintillating roles inclusive of three British nationals and the film is
complete with a memorable musical score by Ravindra Guruge. |
