Features
The Great Cinemas of Colombo
In this series of interviews on Colombo’s heritage, we cover Colombo’s great cinemas with Historian Asiff Hussein, the Author of The Great Days of Colombo.
By Ifham Nizam
Q:In your book ‘The Great Days of Colombo’ you have covered Colombo’s cinema scene comprehensively. How would you trace the evolution of our cinema theatres. How long do they go back to?
A:It’s a long story, but to keep it short, entertainment in the form of movies was a gradual development. There is said to have been an Englishman named Warwick Major who put up what is described as a tent at the site of the present Regal Theatre to screen English films or bioscopes as they were then called. That must have been in the early 1900s. Another early development was what was called the ‘Bioscope’. The American Consul for Ceylon Stillman Eells wrote in Small Island Markets for American Motion Pictures (1931 that: “There is also a touring “Electric Bioscope” which shows at various times in town halls at more or less regular intervals, with an average audience of about 400 in each place”. It is possible that it showed in Colombo as well. Older folk I have spoken to also recall the ‘Bioskope Man’ who pushed his cart and showed movies like in the cinemas.
This Bioscope man was a Muslim who pushed his cart along the roads of Slave Island and elsewhere in the 50s and 60s. He would gather a few customers and roll the film with a handle while passing it through a light source and a glass that magnified the image and projected it on to a black box. These were monochrome silent films and the man would give a running commentary on the film in Tamil which was understood by the Muslims there. Who knows, there may have been others. Modern cinema as we know it came in the inter-war years, that is to say the years between the Great War or World War I and World War II. The American Consul for Ceylon Stillman Eells wrote in Small Island Markets for American Motion Pictures (1931): “There are three sound theatres in Ceylon- The Empire, the Regal and the Majestic Talkies, all of which are located in Colombo. The latter two are equipped with fading lights and exhaust fans. The average programme at each of the houses is a half hour of gramophone records prior to the opening of the show, a synchronised or talking news reel, a synchronised or talking comedy, and a synchronised or talking feature reel. Pictures at all three theatres are changed twice a week. The majority of talking pictures so far exhibited have been of American origin, although a few British and German productions have been shown”He goes on to say: “A remarkable thing about the exhibition of talking pictures in Ceylon is their popularity with the natives, even those who do not understand English. Every theatre in Ceylon gives two shows nightly, one at 6. pm and the other at 9.30 pm. At the 6 pm performances of the sound theatres, the cheaper class of seats are always filled, mostly by natives who do not understand English. The English-speaking natives and the Europeans have almost forgotten the silent drama for the talking pictures, and even when films are only synchronised, extremely adverse comments are heard from the audience. It would therefore seem that the talking film has really “taken” in Ceylon”.
Q:Who were the pioneers of Modern cinema theatres in the city?
A:One of the earliest was Regal at Parsons Road (now Sir Chittampalam Gardiner Mawatha) set up in 1930 by Ceylon Theatres and which at the time had 900 seats equipped by an American company. At that time it was one of only three talkies or sound theatres in Colombo, the other two being the Empire and the Majestic.
Majestic Cinema at Galle Road Bambalapitiya was originally established by the Parsi-owned Madan Theatres in the inter-war years was bought over by Ceylon Theatres owned by Chittampalam Gardiner. It was called Majestic Talkies back then in the 1930s and was soon showing some great American movies. They showed some very good films and attracted movie buffs of all kinds. They mainly showed Metro Goldwyn Mayer movies like Scapegoat, Green Helmet, Tarzan the Apeman, Secret of Monte Cristo and The Mirror has Two Faces in the early 1960s. In the 1980s the old cinema was demolished by its owners of the Page family and replaced by Majestic City, a large commercial mall which also included a cinema complex still known as Majestic Cinema. The Liberty Cinema at Turret Road, Colpetty (now Dharmapala Mawatha) was built by Jabir A.Cader in the 1950s and showed films by both Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. One of the first films shown at the Liberty was A White Christmas. Later came the comedies staring Gerry Lewis and Dean Martin and Danny Kaye’s Knock on Wood, musicals like Cliff Richard’s Summer Holiday and My Fair Lady, thrillers like Towering Inferno and Cassandra Crossing, horrors like Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and Psycho and Robert Aldrich’s Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. The early years of the sixties also saw Franco Zefferelli’s Romeo & Juliet screened here. It is said that whenever a Western was shown at the Liberty, young men would come out with their hands as if about to draw a gun.
Savoy Cinemaat Galle Road, Wellawatte was also built in the fifties and must have taken its name from the more famous Savoy cinema of London. It was owned by a person named CV De Silva who is said to have started life providing entertainment for overseas troops stationed here during World War II which was built by one Jason Fernando. In the late fifties it was the scene of a commotion when they screened the 1956 musical film Rock Around the Clock featuring Bill Haley and the Comets when some Burgher boys attending the evening show got into a frenzy and started dancing inside the cinema. The police apparently had to be brought in to quell the situation as the boisterous lot became a nuisance to the rest of the audience. Among the better known films screened there in the 1960s were Gun Fever, Lady Chatterly’s Lover and The Case Against Brooklyn. They also showed the James Bond Movies Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball.
The Rio at Kumaran Ratnam Road, Slave Island came much later, in 1965. . It was set up by Appapillai Navaratnam. At the time it had an open area opposite the cinema which served as a parking lot for cinema patrons. The section between it and the roadway was adorned with cutouts of the film running at the time. The early films shown here were mainly Twentieth Century productions and musicals such as South Pacific, Sound of Music, Can Can and West Side story, war films like Alamo and humorous adventure films like Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines.
Q: What was the experience like for movie-goers of the early days, any idea about it?
A:I can speak of the 1960s because I gathered a lot of information from some of our older movie buffs who fondly recall those days. Tickets back then even in the best cinemas cost from fifty cents to three Rupees max. The Gallery usually cost fifty cents, Second Class 1 Rupee, First Class two rupees and Balcony three rupees
Even then almost all the cinema theatres had air-conditioning and so it must have been a very comfortable experience. It would be surprising to many that the Rio was probably the country’s most family-friendly cinema at that time. This is of course a far-cry from today with its focus on adults only movies. It is sad to see the impact the 1983 riots had on it. It was a victim of the riots and was burned by a mob. It recovered, but the quality of its films sadly declined. Today it is only a shell of its former self.
But back then, its impressive facade was Neon lit at night with red lighting running through the name Rio at the very entrance and blue lighting throughout the side of the building. Rio’s exterior in the good old days was covered with Ceylon timber such as Gintota Ply with Satin and Kirihambiliya facings. It also had large comfortable seats upholstered in foam rubber and creamy beige rexine and with satinwood arms which were all tailored to give an unobstructed view of the large screen over forty feet wide and nearly forty feet high. The large lounge which was open to cinema patrons was provided with snacks such as Chinese rolls from the Nippon Hotel across the road. Its snack bar served patties, sandwiches and hamburgers while its ‘sweet bar’ facing the hall was amply stocked with ice chocs, soft drinks, cashew nuts and peanuts.
A couple of cinemas also had usherettes back then. For instance, Rio its early years had its usherettes attired in grey air force caps with a white stripe running in the middle, white shirt and bluish grey jacket and skirt. These women are said to have been drawn mainly from the Burgher community. They would go around carrying trays strapped to their shoulders and selling refreshments like ice chocs. Its snack bar served patties, sandwiches and hamburgers.
It was the same with the Savoy. They too had usherettes in the 1960s. These were usually Burgher women. They would be dressed in white frocks and red and white dotted cravats. They would have torches to show people their seats. In the intervals would make another appearance holding trays filled with sweets and ice chocs for sale.
So I guess it was quite an experience then!
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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