Ashok goes on air
Bhagya SENARATNE
The time has come for personalities from a variety of disciplines to
be featured on a single television show, in Sri Lanka! Satisfying a
sizeable lacuna in the local television arena in programmes related to
English literature, The Ashok Ferrey Show caters, to just that!
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Prof. Neluka Silva |
Featuring poets to playwrights, singers to filmmakers, The Ashok
Ferrey Show is a sure novelty, which can be enjoyed by both young and
the old alike. Addressing the distinguished gathering at the launch of
this programme, Head of the English Department, University of Colombo,
Prof. Neluka Silva rightly stated that this is 'a project long overdue'
in Sri Lanka, as there are no programs of essence on the local channels
to watch, in the present day. She further stated that 'a diverse range
of people involved in Sri Lankan culture' have been featured; it will be
a learning experience for those who watch the show.
As Ferrey himself states, the show will enable the viewers to
"rummage about inside the brains of these guys and pick out the juicy
bits; to find out what makes them tick." This is because; he will get up
close and personal with the participants of the program. Knowing most of
the participants personally, helps him to tap in to their lives and
portray what they are truly passionate about, without causing them
concern that their responses are in fact caught on tape! As one of the
participants of the show stated, "he [Ashok Ferrey] makes you feel
comfortable."
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Ashok Ferrey with his fans |
Executive Director and Channel Head of ETV, Ashani Jayasinghe, states
that this "series is part of ETV's mission to promote English language
literature". Therefore, The Ashok Ferrey Show will prioritize by
featuring eminent personalities of Sri Lankan English, whilst focusing
on other forms of art in Sri Lanka. The airing of this show will
hopefully "make the viewers to go for the new Sri Lankan books rather
than the boring old classics" states Director British Council Sri Lanka,
Gill Westaway.
Dinuksha Wattegama, co-producer of the show states, that the show's
"strength lies in the fact that we pulled off an engaging talk show with
people who normally run a mile when they see a TV camera." For that
reason, it is of no doubt that this show will truly be one of a kind! "I
can't wait to watch it myself" states Gill Westaway, quite
enthusiastically! Prof. Silva states that this will be a "stimulating
experience" for Sri Lankans.
So tune in for the first Ashok Ferrey Show which will be aired on
June 19. Don't worry, if you miss the first show, the repeats every
Sunday 8.30am and Thursday 10:00pm on ETV. |
