Film only for ‘EDUCATED ADULTS’

It is absurd that the BBC has no commercial advertising programmes. I mean programmes full of advertisements.

Therefore, we can't wait to watch TV commercial advertising programmes when we visit Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, they show bits of teledramas during commercial advertising programmes on all TV channels. I hate watching them. I want to watch commercial advertising programmes with no disturbances with drama bits. As BBC television has no commercials at all, it totally depends on the tax payers and the license fees. They are very strict on license dodgers and are out to catch them with vehicles fully equipped with latest technology. The fine for not having a TV license is Pounds 500. It is a little over Rs 100,000 in Lankan money. When the state imposes tax on people for watching TV they should bare the responsibility of providing a good service.

I returned from London to stay for a few weeks. As soon as I arrived in Sri Lanka, a film poster caught my eye as it was different from many recent ones. I accompanied a friend to a cinema in Borella with great expectations that the experience is not less than that of Welikathara, Dadayama, Nidhanaya and Ahas Gawuwa. It has been about 40 years since I last visited that cinema. The same interior decorations were hanging on the walls. But the seating was not the same. There were more box seats than the normal in balcony section.

Educational certificates

Oh! I forgot to tell you something. It was only after having a closer look at the poster in the cinema that I realised that this film is only for 'educated adults'. 'Ugath Wedihitiyanta’ was printed in Sinhala. I couldn’t understand whether they require paper qualifications, experience or familiarity in cinema. I told the cashier that 'although we appear to be adults, we don't look educated. Therefore, is it necessary to go home and bring the educational certificates'. I assumed that Ugath means educated. He said it is not necessary as no one is checking. So I climbed the stairs thinking the makers of this film must have had at least two PhDs and that’s why they want only educated adults to watch this film.

The film started on time. At the beginning we could not hear a word of the dialogue. I wondered whether we were sitting too far away from the screen. The dialogue throughout the film was not properly audible. Is it a part of new methods art house films? I thought.

One can say why didn’t I go to the cinema in Fort? There was another blunder which happened during the screening of the film. The silver screen went blank three times for a minute or two. I couldn’t understand whether it was a fault of the projector, the shattering of the reel or a scene from the film, as I did not understand the cinematic approaches of new elevated films.

The present era of elevated, cinematic, foreign festival oriented films are very deep. But most of them and documentary films are separated from just a cotton thread. Some film makers had to print the screen play and distribute it among the audience to explain the film. Others have to categorise the film into sections and label them.

This film also had four Sinhala and English labels. I didn’t understand some of those words most of the educated adults in the audience must have understood, as my command of the language was not that good. I was thinking of asking a ‘Malli’ in the gallery section. Unfortunately, the people in the gallery had already left the cinema by the time we reached the ground floor.

No impressive message

The Entertainment Tax came to my mind. I don’t understand who named this tax ‘Vinoda Badda’. There is no doubt that for a good action film entertains us, the audience will have no regrets in paying the entertainment tax. But why should we pay that tax for a film which has no impressive message, thrill or portraying an already discussed topic in an ordinary manner where spectators were waiting to see action, adult scenes than being sad or concerned about the story. But how can we expect good entertainment from an industry which is lost in words and worlds like elevated, cinematic, realistic, post modernism, foreign film festival aimed etc etc.

My above statement will label me as a stupid, inexperienced, childish, unrefined idiot who has no knowledge of cinema. That’s my Karma and its true. I have only experience in watching James Bond like action movies and watching films at the London Film Festival during last 15 to 20 years.

Around 90 percent of the garments made in Sri Lankan factories are for export, mainly to European countries. The styles and the materials are supplied by the buyer. We have to mix them with other raw materials according to their taste.

If we cannot satisfy their requirements, the finished product can be rejected. A small percentage is released to the local market. Although some of them are nice and we love to ware them, products made from wool are not suitable for Sri Lanka.

But if someone says that the Sri Lankan garment manufacturing industry and the cinema industry have similarities, that person is an absolute fool like me. That’s my Karma too.