Regi Siriwardena Archives

Lester James Peries and the Gold Winning “Gamperaliya”-By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Source:Dailymirror After repeated failures to find a producer to finance ‘Gamperaliya,’ Lester and Sumitra tasted success finally by finding a businessman ready able and willing to help produce ‘Gamperaliya’. The commercial entrepreneur cum patron of the arts who was prepared to produce Gamperaliya was none other than the legendary Anton Wickremasinghe! The greatest compliment however came from the author himself. Martin Wickramasinghe was fully satisfied after seeing the film. He told Lester that in actual fact Jinadasa of the film was a far more vivid character than in the book. What better praise could the director and actor receive? Devoting the first article in each month to a film, film personality or film related topic was a practice followed by this column for several months last year. It was well received and widely appreciated by readers in general and film fans ...

Remembering Neelan and Sithie (written for the 21st Death Anniversary of Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam) Source:GroundViews This is the time to remember Neelan and Sithie Tiruchelvam. Along with Kumari Jayawardena, their living rooms were spaces where scholars and activists from all over Sri Lanka, South Asia and the world came to think, discuss, break bread and just laugh. They helped build institutions that brought together the best of young people from all over world with inquiring minds and a thirst for justice. This was the 1980s and the 1990s. It was a time when ideas were important. Today we are all implementers. Along with people like Charles Abeyesekere, Suriya Wickremesinghe, Savithri Goonesekere and Gananath Obeyesekere they created a sense of solidarity and a space for the “community of the sensitive” to be protected and warded off from the brutality that was taking place outside. ...