Moves to resurrect movie park with new script
Lights, camera, action: Flash back. She was beautiful. Her charm and freshness attracted many, even Indians. Some hitched camp and took her pictures. Now fast forward to December 17, 2017, seven years after she was introduced, she stands desolate. She rarely gets visitors.
This is the story of the 235-acre Ranminitenna National Tele Cinema Park which was started by the previous government in 2010. Shorn of its glamour and colour, the complex has been in a state of disrepair and neglect for many months.
But there are moves to redevelop it and turn this complex into a profitable venture.
A visitor to the site could see cattle roaming around the structures while the roads leading to the park are knee high in grass.
It was a place where once even a few Bollywood movies were shot, bringing foreign exchange into the country.
Senarath Mapitigama, a veteran film producer, said that Ranmihitenna was a boon to film makers and a foreign exchange earner for the country. “Indian producers liked Ranmihitenna because it is cheaper here. They produced the movie Bombay Velvet here. There was a good return. Some use the park to shoot advertisements and for sundry matters," he said, calling on the authorities to revive the complex.
He said if the complex was run efficiently, it would bring economic benefits to people in the Tissamaharama area. "Developing Ranmihitenna is developing the South. The industry can give jobs to the villagers,” he said.
Film and tele-drama artiste Ratna Sumathipala said Ranmihitenna was the fruit of the industry's long-time struggle for a cinema park. "It is situated in an ideal location for local dramatists. In India such locations are available at a high cost. But we have all that here now. We urge the Government to protect this park for cinema and the little theatre," he said.
Ranmihitenna National Film Park Director General Nilantha Guruge said development work in the park stopped in 2012. He said the park had much potential and it should be promoted among foreign producers.
Mr. Guruge said Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera was keen to develop the park and even made a budgetary allocation for the renovation. He said efforts were being made to improve the artistic value of the venue under a new chairperson.
The new chairperson, Diana Gamage, said she hoped to make improvements and add new features aimed at exporting Sri Lanka’s artistic skills and talents. This was one of the goals of the project when it was initiated by the previous regime.
“The Finance and Media Minister is supportive of our project. I have already made 10 trips to the site. The artistes don't have a proper place to have meals. We need a cafeteria. We hope to repair the theatre hall and go for complete audiovisual improvements in the park. We have to think new on this project now. We have to open this park to the Indian film market. We have to do a lot on rehabilitation of the art park. The people who worked on this infrastructure will be reemployed to rehabilitate the structures," she said.
Ms. Gamage said she would appoint a professional committee to oversee the development work. Even actor Ravindra Randeniya, who was closely involved in the project, would be approached.
"We hope to develop Ranminitenna in line with film parks in India. Being and artiste myself, I was sad to witness the plight of the art park," she said. "This is no property of one government. It has much tourist potential as well. We have to tap this advantage and package Ranminiteena as a tourist attraction together with Yala and Kataragama. I am determined to improve this park and make it a successful venture by 2020," she said.
A digital camera system and solar power units would be the new additions in the complex, she said.