According to Mathew- My modest story about the origin-by Dr Harold

“My act was basic, no memorising, holding the chalice with both hands, collapsing to death through an overdose of insulin”

Alston Koch acclaimed today a popular and a prodigious film actor- phoned me at my Wellawatte apartment about 6 years back, during the initial stages of the preparation of ‘The Oscars’ nominated film- “According to Mathew”, and invited me to meet Chandran Rutnam-(Film Director), and Christie Eliezer (Producer-screenplay) and others, at the Hilton Hotel, Colombo.

With no hesitation, my wife Irangani and myself accepted the invitation and met them in one of the executive apartments in Hilton.

We sat down at a round table, and whilst having a cup of tea and eats

Chandran asked me what I knew about Father Mathew when I was a boarder at Father Basil Jayawardena (Chaplin at St Paul the Apostle, Kinsey Road), vicarage at 123 Regent Street, Maradana, in the fifties.

My story as I recollect and related was as follows:

I was a boarder in the vicarage about 1952 to 1956 as a medical student, a most convenient spot to Medical College, just a hope and a step.

It was a privilege to stay with father Basil a very close friend of Irangani’s family.

About this period, the church wanted an assistant priest. Father Mathew was in England attending theologian’s college (not sure), in preparation to be a priest, as he was an engineer before, with the A.M.I.C.E qualification.

Irangani’s dad was one of the wardens in the St Paul’s Church who suggested inviting father Mathew to the position as assistant priest, after he finished his course in the UK.

I remember, about 1954, father Mathew after returning from UK was occupying the annex at the back of the vicarage with his wife and the children. The children were kids at that stage.

Father Mathew was appointed a hospital chaplain and used to visit the general hospital daily to bless and provide spiritual guidance to the sick patients.

Most evenings he would sit on my bed and relate the serious cases he blessed in the hospital. He would describe to me about the case histories, as he knew that I was a budding doctor.

One specific subject, he was keen to know was all about insulin. He asked me lot of questions about side effects.

During this time, I was giving insulin injections to father Basil being a diabetic, after checking his blood sugar levels. After I got through my finals, I left the vicarage, and in the meantime trained Father Basil’s driver-Kakka, a Batticaloa Muslim boy, to givethe injections to the father.

Later, I heard that father Mathew had taken over the responsibility of giving insulin to father Basil.

I was transferred to various stations as a young doctor in government service, and I had no contact with the vicarage since then.

Father Mathew being a family friend of my wife, visited Hiniduma when I was DMO, to bless our first and only (late) child, and after that we never met him.

He did visit Sydney twice and gave channel 2 TV interviews on the subject of ‘chasing devils from possessed people’.

Father Mathew was a very convincing dominant character, having a very charismatic personality.

He became famous to chase devils through the practice of exorcism, from sick people who were supposed to be possessed by devils. and he seems to reveal a sixth sense by picking up little bottles with charmed oil, buried in the ground, in the four corners of a house, placed by enemies of a respective family to bring sicknesses and malefic supernatural influences, a belief prevalent at that time.

The stories related by many acquaintances were that he visits the homes the day before and gets friendly with the servants and seek information that he requires to chase the devils the next day. He buries those bottles without anybody noticing his actions, on his first visit.

After I briefed the information about my recollections at the vicarage during my time, we left Chandran and associates of the film.

A few hours later, Alston rang me and asked whether I would like to act as father Basil, in the film. With absolutely no previous theatrical background and acting in films, I said, ‘Most certainly”.

I remember there were problems in seeking an Anglican church to film the relevant captures of the story, as the Anglican Bishop had sent a circular round that no film producer to be allowed to film in any of the churches.

I personally, visited St Paul’s Church on a Sunday, to seek permission to take some captures of the interior of the church, with my pro-camcorder. The priest said that it was not possible as the bishop had sent a circular round not to allow outsiders to take any pictures.

Permission obtained from the Methodist church, Wellawatte- to film

My part as father Basil was filmed at this church, and a few other scenes also. I saw Jacqueline Fernandez appearing in the church after my scenes were filmed. She was stunning and beautiful and kept the hundred odd working staff mesmerised.

My act lasts only 10 seconds, but a whole morning was spent in adjusting the ceiling camera to get the right shot. There was a side camera that took the side shots, and that view did not recognise my identity very much.

I appear as father Basil, holding the chalice with the sacramental wine in both hands above my head, and whilst blessing of the chalice I collapse due to an overdose of insulin (hypoglycaemic shock), and the red wine in the chalice had to be thrown in such a way for the ceiling camera to capture the dramatic spread of the red wine and my demise. I got it right in the second attempt and Chandran was very pleased.

Parishioners come rushing and surrounds me, crying, “father, are you alright”.

Meanwhile father Mathew standing beside father Basil, shows no emotion, stands firm with no remorse.

That ends my part.

My thanks to Chandran and Alston for making me a film star overnight.

Dr. Harold Gunatillake