Performing Arts: Two Thamilian artistes pass away

K.S. Sivakumaran

Two Lankan Thamilian artistes of repute passed away prematurely last week. One was Manimekalai, an outstanding female actor on the stage, radio, TV and the film. She was from Colombo belonging to a lower middle class family.

She was married to Chidambaram, a versatile actor himself. Although very familiar with the Lankan Indian Thamil speech, she could effortlessly play the role of a Thamil woman from Yaalpaanam.

Since the late 1960s until now she portrayed different roles in dramas I had watcher her playing on many occasions and found her portraying the respective roles with imagination, modulated voice and adequate intonation.

The other who died again prematurely was Srithar Pichaiappa, another versatile multifaceted personality who could act (both serious and humorous), write drama and film scripts, lyrics, sing, paint and many other artistic renditions. His late father was a bight radio artiste in the good olden days of Thamil radio broadcasting in the country.

It's a great loss for the country as a whole because they contributed the corresponding media in Sinhala as well.

Both had won many awards for their contributions. But their living conditions were want of comfort as they were poor one may say.

Artists and artistes from the Sinhala community are a better lot and naturally they deserve all the assistance and encouragement from the State and private institutions and the both the Sinhala and English media glamorize them and keep them alive.

Naturally they gain stardom and even vie for political engagement. But this cannot be said of their counterparts in the other communities.

Those artistes and artists, literary people will have to depend only on the support of the Thamil media.

Since the audience for local Thamil drama and films is limited, there are no constant activities in that language as far as performing arts are concerned.

This is due to the fact that the population of the Thamilian community has dwindled during the past 30 years or so because of the protracted war where many particularly the young among them died lost their lives. Further they were not in a mood to engage and enjoy artistic activities.

A good many have legally an illegally left our shores seeking for greener pastures and even perish on their odyssey.

Although there are many talented people who are capable of shining in their respective fields of artistic activity, they have no scope to exhibit their individual and collective talents.

One other thing is the invasion of Thamilnadu Thamil films from Koadambakkam and the so-called serial teledramaas (they are not telefilms at all) that are shown day in day out in the Shakthi, Eye and other TV channels. Such programs as the Reality Shows, whatever they mean have debased the taste of the once refined tastes of the Thamilians in this country.

However here and there a revival of traditional drama seems to take place as we witnessed recently in Colombo the fine production of a Maddakkalappu Vada Moadi Nadduk Kooththu called Ravanesan ably adapted and presented under the scripting and direction of Emeritus Professor S. Maunaguru.