Tissa Abeysekera:

Torch-bearer of contemporary arts

A prolific writer and film maker well combined Dr Tissa Abeysekera was a torch-bearer of the contemporary Sri Lankan arts

K S SIVAKUMARAN

Tissa Abesekara

Tissa Abeysekera’s dimensional persona is varied. And yet his magnificent contribution is in two fields : Cinema and literature. In both he was outstanding and held in high esteem. Almost all reputed literary and film critics have already registered their considered evaluation both in Sinhala and English.

Some of the key articles in Sinhala are included in the ANCL publication that will be launched today at the Sri Lanka Film Corporation’s audience hall in Torrington Square.

Tissa had a cosmopolitan admirers among all communities in the island. A few introductory pieces have appeared in Tamil too.

Serious readership on all arts are there among the Tamils and Muslims in the country although access to what is written in Sinhala and English is pitiably limited.

Although he is widely known as an out beat film maker in Sinhala (his Viragaya is considered a cinematic essay depicting Martin Wickramasinghe’s deeply philosophical novel), his professional expertise in script-writing, adapting, voicing and even handling the camera are all well-known in the film industry.

I got myself acquainted with Tissa Abeysekera some four decades ago when some of the leading lights in the film world and literary circles converged together in the now defunct Film Critics and Journalists Association. At that time he was working for the Film Unit that made documentaries.

One day he invited me to watch a short documentary he had made in Tamil. It was called Kamam (meaning farming or agriculture). It was a black and white movie of 15 minutes. I liked it and wrote a review in the Ceylon Daily News.

The late Sillayoor Selvarajan, a man of many talents and his wife Kamalini (an artiste and TV personality) were featured. Since that day Tissa and I moved closer together.

A memory from the past. File photo

What drew me to him was his confidence, mastery of the English language, versatality, a wide knowledge on both Sinhala and English literature, his enunciation of words befitting a professional broadcaster and above all his affability.

I listened to him speak in English on several occasions and even met at places including New Delhi at seminars. It was always his fluency in delivering what he wanted to say with authenticity (for he was well-informed and knowledgeable on the subject he spoke) and focused on the theme set.

While on the subject of broadcasting we must remind our readers that Tissa Abeysekera was also one of those critics who compiled and presented the Arts Magazine in English over the SLBC.

Cinema aside Tissa entered the Lankan writing in English rather belatedly. He sprang a surprise among the elites in producing quality fiction and non-fiction that earned him accolades in the name of coveted literary prizes and recognition.

He was not an academic and yet he earned the respect of the academic critics in quick succession. Dr Tissa Abeysekera is a national treasure and was a torch-bearer of contemporary arts.

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