It used to be said that Sri Lanka is a great nation without couch potatoes. Well, now we are, whether we like it or not, and we had better make the best of it.
First it was Oshin, telecasted on Rupavahini, which lured the Sri Lankan audience just a few decades ago. Following Oshin’s departure, several years lapsed without much news about any other foreign teledrama. And then not so long ago, the local audience was attacked with a sudden outburst of foreign teledramas imported from countries such as Korea, China and India. Some of them - Sujatha Diyani, for instance - were instrumental in shaping the common viewer’s lifestyle.
The latest to arrive in the small screen is another Japanese TV series, Tora-san, claimed to be highly revered in the country of its origin. Tora-san is a tele film series initially telecasted on a leading Japanese channel, Fuji TV. In the final episode, the lead character succumbs to an accident.
But that was only to draw ire from the Japanese fans.
The director and the writer were compelled to bring the character back to life. They recommenced the production, this time for a long run. That earned Tora-san a secure place in the Guinness World Record as the longest running tele film series. Tora-san is the lead character of the tele film which is originally titled as Otoko wa Tsurai yo (It’s tough being a man). The film had been telecasted between 1969 and 1995 with 48 episodes.
The tele film is a gift from Japan to ITN as a goodwill measure, following the cordial discussions between ITN Chairman and Japanese Ambassador.
If Oshin offers a specific kind of flavour, Tora-san will offer myriad kinds of flavours, says Professor Patrick Ratnayaka with his years of experience in Japan. On surface, it is a comedy, but underneath the tele film takes viewers into many planes. It showcases the evolution of language and other cultural elements over the years.
“Otoko wa Tsurai yo is incomparable, when you speak of the cinematic and other aesthetic elements. I am sure it will be a hit among the Sri Lankan viewers. This tele film helps us understand the similarities between Japan and Sri Lanka,” Professor Ratnayake explains.
Sri Lanka ignored its agricultural background on the path to development, whereas Japan cherished with its rich agriculture, Professor Ratnayake elaborated.
Sarasaviya Editor Aruna Gunaratne observes a uniqueness in the comedy.
“It does not make us laugh at certain instances. But in the end, we wonder why it happened that way. It kind of forces us to think deep into some subjects. For instance, Tora-san manages to overcome some challenges. But you need to watch the whole episode to see how he managed to do that,” Gunaratne notes.
Even amid trends of commercialism following the World War II, Tora-san never lost his ground. He retains his unique spiritual qualities throughout the tele film. Professor Patrick Ratnayake predicts that the common Sri Lankan would be a different person, at least by an inch, after they watch the tele film.
For Dubbing Producer, Pran Vakishta, however, this was quite a challenge as Tora-san is a big time talkative character.
“He talks almost incessantly throughout the tele film. And the other challenge is that the production has English subtitles. So it was a tough exercise to make subtle changes to suit the lip movements,” Vakishta said.
Translator Dulani Dharmadasa’s challenge was grasping the different dialects spoken in the tele film.
“Tora San travels to many regions. Japanese language has different dialects based on each and every region. I needed time to study these dialects separately before translating,” Dharamadasa said.
Tora-san will be telecasted on ITN every Sunday at 4 pm.
Otoko wa Tsurai yo (It’s tough being a man) is the latest gift from Japan, following its hallmark production, Oshin. The tele film stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Tora-san a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love. The series has been referred to as Tora San by its fans. Spanning 48 installments released between 1969 and 1995, all of the Otoko wa Tsurai yo films except episodes 3 (Azuma Morisaki) and 4 (Shun’ichi Kobayashi) were directed by Yji Yamada, who also wrote (or co-wrote) all the screenplays.
Each film featured a different leading lady, called a Madonna, and a different region of Japan. Two films were usually made each year between 1969 and 1989, one for summer and one for New Year release. From 1990 to 1995 only one film was made each year, for New Year release.
The film series ended with Atsumi’s declining health and death from lung cancer at age 68, without Tora-san ever settling down and finding domestic happiness. Atsumi was so identified with the Tora-san character that his death was also considered by fans to be the death of Tora-san. Director Yamada decided not to continue the series after Atsumi’s death, but reworked a Tora-san script stuck in development as Niji wo Tsukamu Otoko starring Nishida Toshiyuki as a traveling cinema operator. Although Niji was a tribute to movies in general, the final scenes were Yamada’s touching, loving posthumous tribute to the Tora-san series and to Atsumi Kiyoshi. Almost all of the principal actors from Otoko wa Tsurai yo have cameos in the Niji film, and the Tora-san character even makes a surprise cameo appearance near the end of the movie hinting that perhaps Tora is still out there somewhere. The film ends with a dedication to Atsumi Kiyoshi.
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