The last of the big ones

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

For him normal is boring. Always on the go with new projects in his kitty or expanding his knowledge in the new trends of cinema he has been an active figure in the reel scene for many decades.

2013 marks 33 years in his cinematic career. He has ventured from acting and script writing to directing movies during the process. A versatile actor who does not shy away from taking on diverse roles in various film genres, he has fittingly been called ‘the last legendary actor of our era’ by seasoned film critic Nuwan Nayanajith Kumara.

Not resting on his laurels, Sanath Gunatilaka is keen on exploring fresh frontiers in cinema. This he reveals his future plans to us in this week’s ‘Encounter of the Week’.

Q: You have been consistently taking part in international film festivals from the 1980s onwards. Do you believe such events have helped you evolve as an artiste?

A: Absolutely. Nowadays we do not hold film festivals frequently but during the 1980s we used to travel a lot to take part in film festivals across the world. I was fortunate to take part in the 1980 Cairo Film Festival where I met Omar Sherif. I also met versatile actors like Robert De Niro, Ben Kingsley and many other eminent directors and artistes at such events. They were mostly there as guests for the event. Therefore one needs to take care not to disrupt their schedule while associating with them.

I try to exchange a few words with them at most occasions and get to know about their acting career. I have learnt a lot from them. Kingsley and Richard Attenborough told me about the marvelous experience behind making of the Academy Award winning Gandhi . I never thought that I would get a chance to give life to a similar role like that as Aravinda in Viragaya when I was speaking to them.

My last visit was to the Belgium Monarch Film Festival in 2012. I exchanged ideas with many people who took part in the event and those meetings have kept me in touch with what is taking place in cinema beyond Lankan boundaries. We had a very good film industry during the 1980s. There were an abundance of commercial hits. We also had some artistic films which were getting recognized in the global sphere and winning accolades. I believe that we have to venture beyond our territory and study more to develop the industry.

In Ekamath Eka Rataka

Q: Do you believe that there is a need to build a Sri Lankan film culture when going global?

A: Though we aspire to take our productions to the global market there should be a Sri Lankan identity embedded into the production. Amitabh Bachchan spoke to me about Bollywood cinema once and mentioned that those films embody their own unique style. They include a lot of glamour, songs, dance and emotional scenes. Their means of storytelling is different from the rest of the world. Bollywood films differ from Kollywood and Tollywood productions as well. For example a Bengali film is more realistic in comparison to a Bollywood production.

We have to be update about global trends but due to various reasons we might not be able to make a similar production. When animations became popular Indian cinema too included some animation scenes in their movies. Shah Rukh Khan pulled off a few animation scenes in Ra One . However I do not believe that such attempts supported the industry’s economy in any manner. It is good to think global but select the elements which suit us.

Q: You have taken on the lead role in art as well as popular cinema, which is rare for an actor of our time.

A: I came to Colombo to find a job but after I did my first film and got more offers I entered the film industry without a second though. Once I took up acting I decided to learn the ropes of the career to survive in the field. I did not hesitate to take on art and commercial productions and did the roles to the best of my capabilities.

I am not stressing that all the movies that I have done are the best and that all the characters I have portrayed are noteworthy. However I tried hard to present the characters in a new manner. I tried to give my best for each and every line or shot so that the sequence to the episode comes out well. I am devoted to the task even today whenever I take on a project.

Q: You are what we might call a man for all seasons because you are consistently taking part in various events related to the field. Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan too shares this trait and it was believed at a time that you were influenced by him.

A: Certainly. I was influenced by his performances in Sholey and Kabhi Kabhi .

Many offers still come to me and most of the time I am not in a position to refuse them. I have passed three decades in acting and I have worked with many technicians in the field. I have helped them out at times and they too have helped me in various ways. Today some of them have excelled in the field and are trying to make their own productions. They request me to take part in their productions because I have been by their side in the initial stages of their career. It is a morale boost for them.

However I have come to realize that an actor should not behave in this manner and have put some limitations across my path. I will consider the roles that I take up with greater care. I do not want to be stuck with stereotypes though I enjoy acting.

I have portrayed diverse characters in my career and have not stuck by the hero’s roles. I have even portrayed the anti-hero role in several productions like Madara Parasathu and Kela Mal . I recently took on a challenging villainous role in Cletus Mendis’ Parapura.

I have been involved in many other fields such as politics. There were many allegations against me but today, away from all those aspects, I enjoy a relaxed life. I ponder over my actions and question myself frequently. I believe that acting brought me all the success and glories in life. Therefore it is the passion in my life.

Q: More and more artistes are getting involved with politics at present. Do you see this as a plus point?

A: It is up to that artiste on whether or not to make the best means of the circumstance. It all depends on how serious he or she is about the task.

Personally I am happy that I took to politics and I am much happier that I got out of it. I learnt a lot through experience like facing difficulties and about human nature.

I doubt whether politics can help the country today. Politicians spend a lot of money to come to power but they talk serving the country and other people after their triumph. Instead of spending bucks on publicity campaigns they should spend it on social welfare.

There are many allegations for and against the government, certain institutions and individuals. My problem is whether those acts are genuine. Are these people taking actions for a real purpose or for the sake of doing it? The common man is confused by these actions. Our human qualities have demised. This is not something limited to politics alone but to humanity in general.

Q: The earlier generation moved a lot with veterans in the field but we do not see this feature in youth today. They seem to be stranded in a limited scope of acting.

A: We have been requesting to establish an acting school for some time but who will come to undergo training these days? The National Film Corporation has a small library but none of the present generation of actors have taken trouble to borrow a book from there because they do not have time to read and expand their knowledge. You cannot blame them either because they are involved in diverse fields to earn a living. They present programmes, act in teledramas, stage dramas and films and engage in various other means of income. I do not know how serious they are about acting but I see potential in them. The sad thing is that nobody is making using of their capabilities.

There were many productions underway during our days. We had so many opportunities and actors like Gamini Fonseka, Tony Ranasinghe and Joe Abeywickrama made use of that by acting in commercial productions.

Even today some people love to watch these old hits because they have put a lot of hard work into making the movies. Today actors are expected to come onto the set and deliver the dialogues and leave. If that is the set up they cannot cross this line. They are confused on what is taking place in the sets. That is why we cannot have a booming film industry today.

Q: Why didn’t you venture into stage dramas?

A: It is a very interesting sector but other than taking part in an Easter play, I have not acted on stage. I have watched actors performing live on stage in local as well as international productions. That is a different art and you need a very good voice and communication skills to engage in it. It is not easy. I have to learn a lot to master it.

I believe that since I am a film actor it is not a big qualification for me to become a stage actor. An artiste can be skilled both on stage as well as on screen but these are two different mediums. I have watched Jack Nicholson in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest .

That was a fantastic production. The same story was made into a stage drama. People thronged to watch it because it provided a good drama experience.

Q: Are there any plans to make a movie after Ekamath Eka Rataka ?

A: I have two stories in mind. One is a biographical movie on a local legend. The other involves an incident which took place around 10 to 15 years ago in Sri Lanka. However I am consistently on alert on what is happening in the industry. Today the exhibiting sector has a lot of issues. We cannot make movies if the public do not come to theatres.

Q: We hear that your biography is being composed these days.

A: There were rumours like that but normally I do not react to such news. If someone wants to write anything about me I do not have any objection. My only concern is that they should not be allowed to harm or insult a third party.