Artscope | Online edition of Daily News

Someday in January, 1960, Sub Inspector Wijeratne Warakagoda faced an audition at the Radio Ceylon. Warakagoda no doubt aced the audition and started his career as a light singer. In five decades to come, slow but steady Warakagoda would build up his versatile personality: narrator, radio artiste, singer and performer.

Someday in January, 2010, Waraks will complete 50 years in his artistic career. It will be the golden jubilee in his life.

Waraks could fine tune himself over time and trends. At the Radio Ceylon this young SI Warakagoda seemed very much talented. That expanded into stage a swell as silver screen. Even when the TV made its way in, he was one indefatigable performer cum narrator.

"Still and all I think the radio experience means a lot. It's very precious, you know. For some reason I think radio performance is much more serious than TV presentation. You give people a moment to think, or rather contemplate the person they listen to."

Teledrama, very much unlike radio drama, now seems to be instant entertainment. You may forget a previous episode involuntarily, mainly because you have so many channels to watch. In a way that is soothing - that's what people ask for when they want to forget their daily chores. That half-an-hour slot will be a bliss, one can never know.

One of his radio plays Muwanpelessa in 1963 enjoyed a 80 percent audience of the then population. They had no other channels to tune, of course. No channel or teledrama today enjoys such a privilege however good they may be. Options are open far wider, or perhaps far and wide, now.

Amateur artistes make a leap into the performance business with no radio experience. There is hardly anyone to rectify their voice modulations.

"When they don't pronounce something properly, they don't give correct meaning to the script. That means ultimately they don't deliver the right message. Mission of either the director or the scripter would not be fulfilled then. It's a sad thing"

Despite serious training like voice modulation, some teledramas still appeal to a good deal of audience. Does that mean serious training is now over-the-hill when it comes to a popular drama? Waraks doesn't shake hands with this theory.

"For argument's sake you can say that. But quality-wise, I don't think I agree with that. You should have it the standard way. Always better do something with at least a little learning rather than nothing at all."

Waraks has his own way of doing things. When asked if he is influenced by anyone he couldn't find right words to respond.

"Ever since my childhood I wanted to be a singer. But my parents didn't want me to become a professional artiste. They pursued me to do a pensionable job. That's why I left the banking career for police service. None of the banks was under government control at the time. Whatever job I did, I nursed this secret passion very lovingly."

"They seem to be solely in search of fast money. In our times money was not a big issue, since most of us were anyway employed. And also we were more fond of the art."

When money becomes priority, art won't be art anymore, Waraks seems to whisper somewhat frustrated.

The Wijeratne Warakagoda profile

● Born in 1933 as Rajakaruna Navaratne Atapattu Mudiyanselage Wijeratne Banda Warakaoda in Warakagoda, Harispattuwa, Kandy.
● Receives education at Roman Catholic College, Marawila and Ananda College, Colombo.
●Employed at Bank of Ceylon, Colombo Kachcheri, as a Sub Inspector in Police Service, as Chief Security Officer in Steel Corporation, Saudi Arabia, as Deputy Director General in Tower Hall Theatre Foundation (succeeded by Jayalath Manoratne) and retirement in 1990.
● Passes audition at the Radio Ceylon and start career as a light singer in 1960.
● Becomes a radio artiste after a few months.
● First artiste to perform in Muwan Pelessa since 1963.
● Gets on stage with Ajasatta (wins the best stylized actor award)
● Enters the silver screen with Suhada Divi Piduma
● Family: Wife Chitra performs in films and teledramas, daughter Vindya in dancing and son Jananath in music.
Awards:
● 1969 Sarasaviya Merit Award for performance in Golu Hadawatha
● 1984 President’s Merit Award for performance in Kele Mal
●1985 OCIC and President’s Best Actor Award for performance in Arunata Pera

Breathing life to Asia’s oldest
radio play Muwanpelessa

The Archers broadcast on Radio 4 is the oldest radio play, now being updated on a daily basis. Muwanpelessa initially scripted by Mudalinayaka Somaratne is ranked as the second in the world, while it is the first in Asia.
Geared up towards the latter part of 1963 Muwanpelessa is still being broadcast with Waraks’ performance on Svadeshiya Sevaya.
He was picked as a British officer, who speaks in ‘broken Sinhala’, heading a team that visits the Veddah community.
Although it doesn’t enjoy the same 80 percent crowd it had those days, Waraks still continues contributing to the radio play of yore.

Meeting Lester James Peries

“One of my friends wanted me to see Lester. He was shooting Golu Hadawatha at the time. He was a little sad because he had already done the casting. But – I still remember his words – he said, ‘don’t worry, I won’t put you aside.’ He had a small role to offer. I said it was quite all right with me. In fact it was too much to me. It was a very minor role, I was a doctor showing a death body to Punya Heendeniya.”

Wijeratna Warakagoda felicitation ceremony will be held at the BMICH on January 3, 2010

Filmography

1962	Suhada Divi Piduma
1963	Gamperaliya
1964	Samaje Api Okkoma Samanaya
1965	La dalu, Adarayai Karunavai
1966	Seethala Vathura, 
	Delovak Athara, Parasathu Mal
1967	Hathara Kendare
1968	Golu Hadavatha
1969	Samaja Sathuro, Binaramali
1970	Akkara Paha, Priyanga, 
	Tunman Handiya (background singer)
1971	Samanala Kumariyo, Api Kavadath Soorayo 
	and Maha Hene Riri Yaka
1972	Nidhanaya
1981	Bandura Mal, Anjana and Aradhana
1982	Kele Mal, Malata NoenaBambaru, 
	Kadavunu Poronduva
1983	Chutte, Senehasaka Kandulu, Ratu Makara
1984	Hitha Honda Kollek, Ammai Duvai, 
	Arunata Pera, Batti
1985	Mihidum Salu, Mavubima Netnam Maranaya,
	Rejana, Chalitha Rangali, Rosi, Doo Daruwo, 
	Vasity Kella and Kirimaduvel
1986	Dushyanthi, Soora Saradiel
1988	Chandingeth Chandiya
1994	Yuvathipathi
1997	Punarutpattiya and Mahamera Usata
1998	Gini Avis aha Gini Keli
2000	Saroja
2001	Sundara Varada, Rosa Vasanthe
2003	Vekanda Valavva

Stage

●Ajasatta
● Kuveni
● Maname
●Manaranjana veda Varjana
●Apata Puthe Magak Nethe
●Janelaya
●Tavat Udesanak
●Hunuvataye Kathava
●Diriya Mava saha Ege Daruwo
●Sarana Siyoth se Puthuni Hamba Yana
●Sinhabahu
●Mahasara
●Loma Hansa
●Pematho Jayathi Soko
●Kapuva Kapothi
●Mahagiri Damba

Some old hits

● Menike Hinahenava (first radio song)
● Amme Umbe (Apata Puthe Magak Nethe)
● Andhakarayen Duratheethe
(Kuveni; with Henry Jayasena)
● Eheme Neweyi (Thawath Udesanak)
● Etha ek Yugayaka (Hunuwataye Kathawa)
● Igillila Piyaabala (Thawath Udesanak)
● Nagarayen Nagaraya (Hunuwataye Kathava)
● Pinawanta Savan
Rangahala Daen (with Anula Bulathsinhala)
● Vidaa Aththala (Hunuwataye Kathawa)
● Yannem Daknase (Thunman Handiya)

Warakagoda and Daily News

“Those days when we studied, our elders always advised us to read Daily News, especially its editorial, and write down difficult words. We wrote them down in a separate exercise book. They stuck sharp in our memory when we saw them again. We also studied the way editorials and other articles were written.
When it comes to reading, everyone knows Warakagoda is synonymous with Daily News.”
At his leisure apart from Daily News, Waraks reads biographies and historical novels.
“And by the way I don’t like Agatha Christie,” says he with pouted lips.

Waraks goes Gold