Parakrama Niriella
පරාක්‍රම නිරිඇල්ල
Born
Krishanadasa Narayana Bandaranayaka Brahmachari Mudiyanselage Parakrama Bandara Niriella

18 April
Ratnapura, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
Occupation(s)Film, Theatre and Television director, producer, screen writer, lyricist
Years active1974–present
SpouseRukmanie Gomes Abesinghe Jayawardena Niriella
ChildrenJeewantha Bandara Niriella, Savindi Niriella
Websitewww.janakaraliya.org

Krishanadasa Narayana Bandaranayaka Brahmachari Mudiyanselage Parakrama Bandara Niriella (පරාක්‍රම නිරිඇල්ල; born 18 April), popularly as Parakrama Niriella, is a Sri Lankan director in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television.[1] One of the pioneer dramatists in Sri Lankan drama, Niriella is the founder of the "Janakaraliya" Drama troupe.[2] He is also a stage playwright, a film script writer.[3][4]

Personal life

In 1971, Niriella got the first job in the Sri Lankan Navy in Trincomalee in civil section.[5]

Career

In 1974, Niriella studied at Nalanda College Drama & Theater from the Art Center Theater Academy of the Lionel Wendt Memorial Center in Colombo.[2] He started drama career with Gamini Haththotuwegama in 1970s in Sri Lanka's first street drama troupe.[6] He worked as the street drama organizer in Haththotuwegama's street drama troop. On December 31, 1976. he produced his first stage play Sekkuwa which was played at Lumbini Theater. The play won several awards at the State Drama Festival in 1976. Niriella won the award for the Best script. In 1998, the play was staged as a new production. In 2017, a series of celebrations were held to celebrate the achievements of Sekkuwa in the drama industry in Sri Lanka.[7] It was held on the 13 February 2017 at the University of Colombo University of Visual and Performing Arts at 4.00 pm. In January 2017, Sekkuwa was presented at the annual polymorphic International Drama Festival held by the Institute of Theater Performing Arts in Mysore, Karnataka, India. He was the chief guest on the opening day of the International Drama Festival.[8]

He continued to produce many stage plays such as Vinischaya in 1979 and Galileo in 1983. Then he produced Uththamavi in 1989. Afterwards, together with H. A. Perera, Niriella produced Warenthu in 1998.[9]

Niriella directed two feature films - Siri Medura in 1989 and Ayoma in 1995.[10] Both films were critically acclaimed and won several awards at local film festivals. In 2009, Henry Jayasena granted the rights to play Hunuwataye Kathawa through a contract.[11][12] His play Charandas often played outdoors in different setups without using theater lighting effects and stage designs. The play won the highest award at the 1983 Edinburgh Drama Festival in England. In 1985, his tele-film of 90 minutes durationKadaima won special jury prize from the Golden Crest International TV Festival of Poldiv, Bulgaria and then Transtel prize for the prix Futra International TV Festival of Berlin.[13]

In 1999, Niriella handed over an alternative theater program to the National Youth Services Council. But at that time, it was not implemented due to the scarcity of the youth service council. Without any government funds, Niriella along with Udul Bandara Awusadahami took the responsibility for a plan for the mobile theater. On 29 July 2004, he created "Janakaraliya" Mobile Drama troupe Theatre of the people) with the help of HIVOS institute, Netherlands with 20 members. It is the first time that Sri Lanka drama use New Arena concept.[14] The first play created by "Janakaraliya" is Andara Mal. He produced the play Mati Karaththaya which won many awards at State Drama Festival. For the first time in Sri Lanka drama history, a Tamil actor won the Best Supporting Actor award and Sinhalese actor wins best supporting actor in Tamil drama for the play Mati Karaththaya.[15]

In 2014, he won the awards for the best direction and Best Play at State Drama Festival for the play Hunuwataya, his own translation of Bertolt Brecht's "Caucasian Chalk Circle".[16] In 2016, Niriella produced the Tamil version of Bertolt Brecht's "Caucasian Chalk Circle" translated by Dr.Kulanthai Shanmugalingam of Jaffna, with the title "Venkatti Vattam".[17][18] On 13 January 2017, he inaugurated Bahuroopi international theatre festival.[19]

In 2019, Niriella produced two stage plays titled Wangagiriya and Gira Panthiya. The play Wangagiriya is based on the short story by the same name written by Dharmasena Pathiraja in 1960s. The play Gira Panthiya is based on the short Illustration Parrot's Tale written by Rabindranath Tagore.[20][21]

Direction

Theater

YearStage PlayRef.
1976Sekkuwa
1979Vinischaya
1984Galileo
1989Uththamavi
1995Warenthu
2004Andara Mal
2004Seethambara Pata
2005Makara Raksha
2005Charandas
2010Mati Karaththaya
2012Kalpanthaya
2013Hunuwataya
2014Mrichkatiham (Tamil)
2015Wenkatti Wattam (Tamil)
2017Hirunegenathuru
2018Girapanthiya

Cinema

YearFilm
1980The First and The Last (Short Film)
1989Siri Medura
1995Ayoma

Tele-Drama

YearTele-Drama
1984La Hiru Dahasak
1984Sasara Sayuren
1985Yashoravaya
1985Kada Ima
1994Sandagiri Pvva
1999Sudo Sudu
2000Mihimadala Giniwadie

References

  1. ↑ "Parakrama Niriella bio". National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Brief of Founder- Janakaraliya: Theater Of the People". janakaraliya. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  3. ↑ "A conversation with veteran dramatist Parakrama Niriella". Roar Media. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  4. ↑ "Manjula and Dilan are more than characters". Daily News. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  5. ↑ "We need to change the democracy to bring about harmony". Aithiya. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "Playwrights - Parakrama Niriella". e-thaksalawa. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "Multiple celebrations for Niriella". Daily News. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Forty for Sekkuwa". Dinamina. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  9. ↑ "We had a good past. — Parakrama Niriella". Randiva. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  10. ↑ "The reason is lack of proper education and freedom of inquiry — Parakrama Niriella". Randiva. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  11. ↑ "Hunuwataya: A new road to reconciliation". BBC Sinhala. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  12. ↑ "There will be no reconciliation from political projects". thecatamaran. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  13. ↑ "Parakrama Niriella filmography". Sinhala Cinema Database. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  14. ↑ "Janakaraliya" (PDF). Official Janakaraliya website. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  15. ↑ "I got experience in a culture - Parakrama Niriella". Divaina. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  16. ↑ "State Drama Festival - 2014 - Results List". Department of Cultural Affairs - Sri Lanka. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  17. ↑ "Hunuwataya is shown in Tamil as 'Venkatti Vattam' in Jaffna". Wijeya. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  18. ↑ "'Hunuwataya' drama in Tamil version". Lankadeepa. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  19. ↑ "Sri Lankan actor Parakrama Niriella will open Bahuroopi on January 13". Articles.wn. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  20. ↑ "Two plays by Niriella". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  21. ↑ "Parakrama Niriella stage plays". rangahala. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
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