Leonard Cohen: The Stranger, the Master
The master of the modern love song, whose intricate and intense musical cartography of the relationships between men and women provided the soundtrack of our private lives, has come down like Moses…
Culture
A Podium to Spit Venom
Two days ago a video was posted on YouTube where a man named Abdul Razik belonging to an extremist sect that calls itself ‘Sri Lanka Tawheed Jamath’ (SLTJ) makes a speech in Sinhala in…
Chinese Whispering in Sri Lanka: On Gossip, Anxieties and Politics
Chinese whispering in Sri Lanka is suggestive of at least twofold meanings – literally and metaphorically. One has to do with the geo-political and international trade related issues, as many International Relations…
Pushpe’s Lanka
He can see through the threatening spikes of barbed wire. He is anguished recalling the nightmarish experiences of violent outbreaks. But he was hardly hopeless eyewitness. He allows his works to narrate…
Flavour Profile
Food is as central to the experience of Sri Lanka as a game of cricket. As cricket is to recreation, food has transcended its functional purpose of nutrition to become, for many,…
Muslim Personal Laws reforms: On or not?
Photograph courtesy Sister Hood Call for reform In announcing the decisions made by the Cabinet of Ministers last Wednesday, the Government spokesperson has stated, amongst others, that the Cabinet has decided to…
The Bus Journey: A Bus Conductor, Two Drivers and an Old Woman.
It was 5 pm. The bus travelling from Matale to Kandy arrived at the bus stop. The last two buses, which I let pass, now seemed a better choice, for if there…
Some thoughts on ‘Close to the Bone’
‘Close to the Bone’, billed as a theatrical collaboration between Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke and Isuru Kumarasinghe, was part of Colomboscope 2016 and held at the Presidential Suite, Cinnamon Lakeside. Almost exactly three years…
Different yet Equal: On effectively battling hatred
The corner of Bauddhaloka mawatha near Independence Arcade was relatively quiet at 4:30 pm, apart from a small group holding white umbrellas. These were participants of “Different Yet Equal” an online-led campaign…
Thatta Gayikawa (The Bald Soprano) – A Review
Mild trepidation accompanied me to the Punchi Theatre the other night (29th July). A jaded palate with too much memory of stale theatrical tropes – the growing longing for the escape hatch…
‘Let Her Cry’ is not a male fantasy on women
Photo via Fragments A university professor named Carmen Wickramagamage has written a long article to (Let Her Cry)”. About two weeks ago, I also wrote a small write-up after watching this movie….
BBS threatens a repeat Aluthgama
I have been accused by many in comments to my articles that I continue to write about the pogrom in Aluthgama and Muslims while the Tamils have had to undergo state terrorism…
Handagama and the Political: Incomplete Reflections on “Let Her Cry”
Writing about Handagama’s cinema is no easy task. The subsequent debate, predominantly in Sinhala, generated by the first public screening of his latest film “Let Her Cry” – which has the much…
Koothu to Kolam: An Island in Sound
The Galle Music Festival was a true celebration of the diversity between and within cultures of Sri Lanka. The many facets of the Sinhala and Tamil communities, based on their geographical locations…
How Does Our Media Cover Tragedy? An Open Letter to Sri Lankan Media Establishments
Photo Courtesy of The Massimo Group On 25 April 2016, two 19 year-old women were fatally hit by a train while attempting to cross a railway track in Dehiwala. The tragic incident…
