Remembering Tissa:
A dazzling light of gargantuan versatility
Tissa Ananda Abeysekera Gunaratne de Fonseka - May 7, 1939 to April
18, 2009
Today (April 18) falls the second death anniversary of a much
legendary man of unparalleled faculty, that encompassed sheer and rich
versatility, in aspects of each and every borough that bore fruit, even
by his slightest stroke.
The world of Sri Lankan screenplays, movie directions, performing /
acting, political activism, writing and analysis was undeniably enriched
beyond mind’s eye, by this startling human being, that encompassed a
knowledge in each of the aforesaid features, and much more, in a manner
that surpassed a routine intellectual.
The man who was fearless to dream of even the most impossible, and
remained zealous in turning the same impossible dream into reality was
none other than Tissa Ananda Abeysekera Guneratne de Fonseka, more often
than not known as Tissa Abeysekera. Born in a railroad town, 12 miles
Southeast of Colombo, namely Maharagama, to parents Sir Arthur Solomn de
Fonseka and lady Agnus de Fonseka, Tissa stepped into a career in the
field of 'Art', using his gifted aptitude, to initiate a vocation as a
short story writer in Sinhala medium.
Though highly connected to Mudliyars to the order of Ceylon, as well
as Gate Mudliyars to the order of the Queen of England, Tissa’s parents
remained middle class citizens. He was only a teenage school boy, at the
time his initial short stories saw their way through, to be featured in
renowned national publications of the day, such as, ‘Dinamina’ and
‘Janatha’ broadsheets.
Being a child of a father, that, in the year 1949 had even declared
bankruptcy due to immense loss of wealth, Tissa once proclaimed that,
due to deprived health, he had been tutored at home, having not seen a
school until the age of eleven. Subsequently, as a result of the family
being unable to afford, to have Tissa further tutored at their abode in
Maharagama, he had been admitted to, and educated at the Pannipitiya
Dharmapala College, where young Tissa excelled as a stupendous marksman,
as a junior and senior cadet.
Furthermore, a brilliant soccer player all the way to first 15, the
boy who had never seen the colours of a portal of learning, prior to
entering Dharmapala College, had also been capable of carrying out
duties as Head Prefect in College.
However, though most members of Tissa’s father’s family were drawn
into the practice of Law, Tissa too, almost about to enter university to
obtain an L.L.B. diverted from the path of becoming a practising lawyer,
due to his ceaseless curiosity, and undying penchant towards 'Cinema,'
where fate made him a 'Critic,' rather than an 'Attorney.' Sometimes in
life, it’s that gut feeling that draws you away from a path, if had been
taken, that may have been healthier in terms of material wealth,
personal gain and perhaps even reputation in certain given orthodox
societies.
Yet, in the long run, it’s that same gut feeling that shall guide you
towards a path, poles apart, that may not only reward you with the
perpetual pleasure of fulfillment in your desires in this life itself,
but also shall fulfill and quench the yearnings of even an unborn mass,
who will be equally, if not more, benefited from the entities you may
have left behind, following your departure from this world.
Artistic lense
Entities in the form of immense contributions that enrich life in its
matchless, splendid facets, that are indeed invaluable in a broader
mindset, as opposed to personal wealth, gain and/or reputation, that
would have otherwise been experienced and been accessible only to a
limited throng, such as thyself, and following thy departure from life,
to only family members and close comrades.
Apart from elevating myself from his works left behind, the aforesaid
feature is one inimitable veracity, and an unmatched lesson I have
beheld, grasped and cherished by studying the life and times of this
unfathomable human being named Tissa Abeysekera.
|
Hard at
work |
Tissa was an artist, indeed atypical in calibre, who saw society
through an artistic lense, yet equally felt the distress that humans did
undergo in this riddle called life. He had a deep concern for the
ongoing grievances, as society served unjustly, by segregating the
deprived and garlanding the affluent, in extreme horrendousness.
He was a man who was born to sense, sight as well as sound, and yet
was able to uniquely distinguish their margins.
He clutched these everyday attributes in life, and transformed them
into a work of everlasting art, either in the form of literature that
carried great weight in printed form, or images in motion that unfolded
tales through the magical cinematic reel.
Being an unswerving socialist, as well as a noteworthy member of the
Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), he stood above insignificant
characteristics of division in society such as language, religion,
social status, race, caste and creed, thereby giving absolute meaning to
the unparalleled teachings of the Buddha.
This cinematic luminary of our times indisputably dwells in the
hearts and minds of a myriad, as the best script writer that Sri Lanka
may have ever produced.
By saying so, my thoughts instantly yank me over to a segment of one
of his works, in which he marks in print, a recollection of one of his
cinematic creations.
The title is 'Ayale Giya Sithaka Satahan', a reminiscence of memories
spanning over a few decades of his astounding life, and in one of its
chapters, Tissa describes the hard time he and music composer of the
movie 'Mahagedera', Sarath Fernando underwent in selecting a piano piece
to highlight the one and only happy moment of the Malwinna family,
around whom the plot is woven, and finally how they came up with 'Nil
Ahas Thale Ageh'.
Magical journey
|
With one of
his many awards |
It indeed is a book worthwhile reading, amongst his many others,
including 'Bringing Tony Home', which won the 1996 Gratiaen Prize for
the Most Outstanding Piece of Creative Fiction by a Sri Lankan resident
for his novella, as well as 'In My Kingdom of the Sun and the Holy
Peak,' to name a few. 'Keti-Kathawa,' the initial screenplay written by
Tissa and directed by Dr. D. B. Nihalsinghe unveiled the magical
journey, in which Tissa engrossed in materializing the screenplays of
three of the best ten movies in Sri Lanka - Gamperaliya, Nidhanaya and
Viragaya. The other screenplays of noteworthy movies generated by Tissa
are Welikathara, Akkara Paha, Kalu Diya Dahara, Weera Puran Appu, Ganga
Addara, Ahasin Polowata, Podi Malli, Karumakkarayo, Mahagedera,
Kulageya, Guru Gedara, Loku Duwa and several others. He also directed
award winning movies, also named above, such as Karumakkarayo,
Mahagedera and Viragaya, as well as teledramas such as Dolos Mahe
Gangawa, Wanasarana and Pitagamkarayo.
I was not amongst those providential few, who may have had the
opportunity to have lingered in his close association, and attained
inspiration to life in many an aspect through such priceless
relationships. Nevertheless, I still feel fairly fortunate, as I
reminisce that ten-minute gracious chat with Tissa, at the Sri Lanka
Television Training Institute (SLTTI) back in 2004, during a media hype,
a succinct moment which shall be treasured evermore, in a special corner
of my heart, along with gratitude for his benevolence to have granted
acquiescence to carry out my required episode, at a situate where he had
assumed duties as Director in July 2004, and remained in the post until
December 2006.
Tissa’s contributions to the modern local cinema and literature is
undoubtedly mammoth beyond the expression of mere words.
He shall remain a soul that proudly, yet humbly march into history as
one of the 'greatest intellectuals of our times,' and his distinctive
ability to excel in both Sinhala and English undoubtedly further
decorated his accomplishments, that he left behind for many a
generation, including the yet unborn, to profit. Our duty shall remain
to shield, dispense, share and bestow his invaluable works, thus
enlighten the generations that may lack awareness of an irreplaceable
personality such as Tissa Abeysekera. May his journey through samsara be
concise!
(Sunalie
Ratnayake could be reached at: [email protected])
|