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Gamini Fonseka Foundation launched
Text and Pics by Dayan Vitharana.
The morning of Tuesday (February 15) looked glorious in the salubrious surroundings of Colombo’s leading five star hotel-Trans Asia. There was no pomp and pageantry. But significance prevailed in silence in a colourful manner.As memories are made of man, the morning was set for a man unforgettable in the annals of his country. Men of colour and women of glamour gathered to witness an exclusive occasion. They were there in numbers to see the official launch of the Foundation set up in memory of the nation’s legendary actor and politician, the genius Gamini Fonseka.
 Ifthi Idris
Web Genius - Business Director Asia & Middle East
The stars of the silver screen gathered with respect and honour to their late legend with Sir Clarke making his rare appearance in the customary wheel chair. Dr.Peiris was helped by the hand of his wife Sumithra, a blessing to this octogenarian film director yet active in the scene. In a meticulous approach to articulate the glorious event, Sri Lanka’s leading compere and veteran broadcaster,Dr.Vijaya Corea, a schoolmate of Gamini at the prestigious S.Thomas’ College, Mt.Lavinia, walked to the podium to make an introduction of his friend Gamini starting from school days to the last day of this legendary man. The eloquence of this introduction blended with the sequence and elegance of the flow of the vocabulary in the inimitable style of Dr.Vijaya Corea seemed to relieve the broken hearts of the audience as the giant screen beside flashed Gamini Fonseka in his hey days.
Then came the auspices time 10.42 that marked the official launch. Patrons Sir Arthur C.Clarke, Dr.Lester James Peiris and Mrs.Gamini (Sumithra) Fonseka and the Board of Trustees headed by Dammith Fonseka, son of this super star took their oath of office. Thus the institution of the legendary doyen Gamini Fonseka came into being officially. The giant screen then displayed the animation of the proposed Gamini Fonseka Foundation building. Within minutes, Web Genius of New Zealand, the official sponsor of the Gamini Fonseka Foundation website (www.gaminifonsekafoundation.org) moved into the launch with an introduction from its representative Mr.Ifthi Idris. Web Genius thus became a partner with the Foundation to provide relief to Tsunami victims, a humanitarian role undertaken by the Foundation in keeping with the vision of late Mr.Fonseka who served man and society at large. The website was not only colourful but attractive in design that warranted commendation.
As the audience enjoyed this exclusively designed website, then came on screen a brief film clip on the life and style of Gamini Fonseka. The audience was moved to the glorious days of Gamini Fonseka with Sir Arthur C.Clarke seen attentively focusing his eyes on the screen that brought nostalgic memories of his all time friend. Dr.Lester James Peiris, the mentor of Gamini in films was seem whispering something in emotion to his wife Sumithra as the screen portrayed the final public appearance of Gamini when Gamini was felicitated last year for his fifty year contribution to the cinema. The message carried by this brief film clip spoke volumes of this great actor though it was less than eight minutes on the screen.
Gamini’s friend in the cinema, Ravindra Randeniya then walked to the podium to narrate why a Gamini Fonseka Foundation was established and elaborated at length on the values of that great man.Prof.Sunil Ariyaratne greeted the audience in the mother tongue to tell who was Gamini Fonseka and for what he was born and what he gave the film industry and the people. A media conference followed with a few questions. Thus concluded another glorious chapter of Gamini Fonseka , the legendary actor. Gamini will live in the hearts and minds of his people with the Gamini Fonseka Foundation taking his vision forward. That was why he lived and will continue to live as the one and only Gamini Fonseka, the legend of all times.
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