Keheliya asks for actresses to telecast teledramas

Saturday, 08 September 2012

Sources from the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) say that teledramas that have been rejected by the selection board to be telecast on the national television channel are being forced on the Corporation through political pressure.

The new SLRC Chairman, Mohan Samaranayake had not allowed any political interference in the affairs of the Corporation when Minister Keheliya Rambukwella was receiving medical treatment in Australia after falling from a hotel balcony. However, political interference has commenced once again after Keheliya’s return.

It is the working director appointed to SLRC by the Minister who carried out his work. Sources say that the teledrama that is being telecast on Friday nights called “Valmathuwo” is a teledrama that had been forced on the SLRC.

The selection committee had rejected the teledrama due to the blurry images in it. However, Keheliya had ordered that the teledrama be telecasted. The producer of the teledrama had informed the selection committee that the blurry images were part of its visual effects. Nevertheless, an SLRC producer told us that the visual effect should be in relation to the theme of the story and should not be throughout the teledrama.

The SLRC producer said that Keheliya received physical favors from actresses and collected Rs. 1 million from producers to telecast a teledrama on the state television channel.

The producer added that it was a known secret at the Corporation that apart from the working director, well known actresses, Janaki Wijeratne and Nadeesha Hemamali coordinated affairs for the Minister.