South Indian Tamil Cinema’s Influence on Sri Lankan Tamil Filmmakers

Abstract

The research seeks to find out the South Indian Tamil cinema’s influence on Sri Lankan Tamil filmmakers. In addition to that, the study examines the nature of the South Indian Tamil cinema’s influence on Sri Lankan Tamil filmmakers, the reasons for the South Indian Tamil cinema’s influence on Sri Lankan Tamil filmmakers and the recommendation to overcome from the South Indian Tamil cinema’s influence on Sri Lankan Tamil filmmakers. In order to carry out the objectives of the research, survey methodology was employed. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews.The research found out thatMajority of the Sri Lankan Tamil film directors are influenced by the South Indian Tamil cinema in their film making style and their main purpose of filmmaking is entertainment rather than social messages. The civil war in Sri Lanka, Migrations of Sri Lankan Tamil artists, Loss of Sri Lankan Tamil studios, Sri Lankan Tamil media’s attractions towards South Indian Tamil cine field, a smaller number of Sri Lankan Tamil audience compared to South Indian Tamil audiences are the basic reasons for the Sri Lankan Tamil filmmakers to be influenced by the South Indian Tamil cinema. Most of the Sri Lankan Tamil short film directors like to make entertaining short films in South Indian Tamil movie style and dialogue delivery as majority of the Sri Lankan Tamil audience enjoy comedy, romantic and fantasy genre short films rather than social content oriented short films. Currently most of the Sri Lankan Tamil films are produced by Diaspora Sri Lankan Tamils and majority of them are willing to spend money on commercial south Indian style cinema. Majority of the south Indian filmmakers are professionally sound and they have completed filmmaking courses. Rest of the South Indian directors have worked as assistant directors under famous south Indian Tamil directors who gave successful movies but Sri Lankan Tamil directors have no any Tamil institutes in Sri Lanka to study filmmaking. Theatre owners who screen the South Indian movies should give specific times or days for Sri Lankan movies since Sri Lankan Tamil filmmakers are requested to screen their films when there are no any south Indian films running in the theatres. The Sri Lankan Tamil media should give equal support to the Sri Lankan filmmakers like they do for South Indian artist. Sri Lankan media should encourage the Sri Lankan Tamil short filmmakers with short film competitions shows like “NaalayaIyakkunar” of Kalaignar TV which has produced more young talents as the filmmakers in South Indian film industry. “Osmodeus” a Tamil short film directed by Jacob L Jeroshan from Batticaloa, Sri Lanka was screened in Cannes film festival 2018. But none of the Sri Lankan media had covered this news. The study recommends that the Sri Lankan Tamil directors are in need to make the movies which up to the standards of South Indian Tamil movies. As Sri Lankan setting has many stories, The Sri Lankan Tamil directors should have a courage to try something new rather than following usual commercial methods of filmmaking. Sri Lankan Tamil filmmakers should make movies which are in the standard to screen in the International film festivals where they are able to earn international producers and movie distributors. Sri Lankan Tamil directors should come out of the “Eezham” concept of scripts since many directors already have made on that. Media students and movie lovers should try to make groups, associations, or workshop on world cinema which help the filmmakers to get more knowledge of film language and filmmaking. Tamil filmmaking institute should be implemented in Sri Lanka to learn professional way of filmmaking and professional acting. An association should be implemented to approach the needed things easily for filmmaking and guide the artists with rules and regulation.Sri Lankan Tamil directors should do need analysis research among Sri Lankan Tamil audience to understand their interest and expectation on Sri Lankan Tamil movies.