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Casting ethnicity: representation of ethnic identities in contemporary Sri Lankan teledrama

Since the introduction of the television serial Dimuthu Muthu in the early 1980s in Sri Lanka, the ‘teledrama’, as it is popularly known today, is one of the most popular cultural genres and is regarded as the principal form of family entertainment.1 The word ‘teledrama’ (telenatya in Sinhala) was invented in the early 1980s. D. B. Nihal Singhe, who directed Dimuthu Muthu, used it to describe the dramas shown on TV. Dhamma Jagoda later suggested the word ‘teledrama’, at the request of the Chairman of the Sri Lankan Rupavahini Corporation (the State television corporation) at the time. Teledramas are generally serialized for prolonged periods — ranging from 12 episodes to over 100 episodes; on average, an episode is aired once a week during prime time hours (8–10 p.m.). The teledramas of the 1980s focused almost entirely on ‘family themes’. Somaweera Senanayake, the most prolific and popular scriptwriter stated that when he started writing teledramas in 1983 his target audience was the nuclear family, particularly those of the semi-urban middle class. The plots centred on finding an appropriate marriage partner, economic hardship, family and land disputes etc. While these themes continue to dominate the contemporary scene, the profusion of teledramas has necessitated the exploration of other issues of socio-political significance, such as the ongoing ethnic conflict. The scenario changed in the early 1990s with the screening of Sura Asura, the first teledrama to grapple with the theme of the ethnic conflict. Close analysis of the narrative formulae of these plots reveals that the configurations of ethnicity are problematically constructed in the majority of these teledramas. This paper will interrogate the dominant representation of ethnic minorities by analysing a selection of popular teledramas. My focus falls mainly on Tamil and Burghers. I will map the ways in which they are represented in the teledramas, highlighting the parallels that emerge in the representation of each group. The dominant features will be analysed within the framework of the political and popular discourses of ethnicity. I will also argue that, with the deeper entrenchment of an ethnic conflict and, as the concept of a unitary nation (as envisaged by the majority) becomes more untenable, the affirmation of monolithic ethnic identities is intensified. The teledramas selected include one of the earliest and most popular ones Yashorawaya, where the figure of Maureen, a Burgher woman, becomes emblematic of the politics of representation of the minority woman. A more recent teledrama, Watsanu, also reinforces some of the dominant stereotypes attached to the Burghers and thus I have analysed this in relation to Yashorawaya. Negative stereotypes are also assigned to the other minorities, especially Tamils. Thus, I have selected three teledramas that depict Tamil characters to discuss the ways in which Tamilness is constructed. Sura Asura, the first teledrama, which depicted a Tamil character as the protagonist, and Nisaladiya Sasalaviya and Vishwa Gamana, recent teledramas that depict mixed relationships (between Sinhala and Tamil), have also been examined. At this point I would like to highlight the absence of Muslim characters in the teledramas. This phenomenon is not accidental. Somaweera Senanayake cited the example of State intervention by a Muslim Deputy Minister on the grounds that a Muslim character in the teledrama