Gayesha speaks about Igilena Maluwo contoversy

All rumours are false ... I got only 30,000 to act in it
 Yes ... I am entering politics
 Gayesha talks about the naked role

The film Igilena Maluwo is a creation that has been banned in Sri Lanka because of security reasons. It is film star Gayesha Perera's nude portrayal which created an uproar more than the theme of the film. Though the portrayal of the girl who was raped at a lonely place which was shown for only a few seconds, it was shown on the internet as a clip of a lengthy scene. Since a scene of this nature where a Sri Lankan actress was seen as suitable for adults but was indeed rare, mud was slung at Gayesha during the past.

Even though she disliked talking about that scene which she portrayed in a challenging manner she admitted saying, "Yes ... of course I acted in the nude", only in a brief manner, at an interview conducted with the Sirasa channel. But what does she actually say about this?

She has exposed information about all this for the first time at a special interview given to GossipLanka. She says she was backward about talking about talking on this incident so far because there are legal issues connected to it. She acted in the film for a payment of Rupees 30,000 and that she has now been isolated after having played a role amidst great difficulties and insults only as a help for the director of that creation. She also told us that in future she would not accept any such creations in the future and she is prepared to come forward on behalf of women through politics. The replies she gave to the questions asked by us are as follows.

*What are you scared to air your views about this to the media?
 We must respect the law. There is a history which is there after this was banned. I had to face it with responsibility as an actress. I kept my mouth shut so far not because I was frightened of the media .... but there is a law in this country ... as such, there will bean inquiry.

 I now open my mouth because everyone has got together and is trying to destroy my privacy by selling it. I had no necessity to fall like that. I am a person who can stand straight. I am an iron woman. It is those who attack me who'll feel the pain ... and not me. I am a person who always stand by my principles. Therefore, I won't worry about this. The other thing is ... I am very sorry about websites that are beyond control. Those websites must be controlled or should have some form of administration.

*On that day you wanted to say something regard this. But after that discussion was broadcast over websites with dejection, you requested that it be removed, isn't it?
The programme Red Carpet presented by Sirasa channel was not a programme that I had seen before. When I was told that it's a Sirasa programme, I went there even without questioning further. Later they asked questions separately and answer separately from me. Then I was confused why hey do it like it like that. But because I am not a person who evades any questions. I spoke there without any previous preparation. I can remember several websites had asked me to open my mouth. What Sirasa told me was not to speak about Flying Fish. Now I totally believe that anybody who has seen this film in full will not say these things.

*Is what you say is that society and the media had tried to put the blame on you?
 This story is about a girl who had been subjected to sexual harassment and injustice. What was seen by this was the way in which dirty men in this society and the media saw that incident where the girl was raped. I only wanted to do justice to that character and I didn't want to encourage culture to be degraded by acting that role.

*Didn't you want to decline the offer of playing the role when you realised that there was a naked scene to portray, according to the script? 
 Actually it was that actor Sampath Jayaweera who took part in that scene who introduced me to the film director Sanjeewa Pushpakumara. Later, other actors - actresses including Kaushalya Fernando who acted in the film spoke highly about this role that I portrayed in the film. When they spoke like that I had no reason to reject this offer. Initially, over some reason I rejected it. But later, after they explained things to me, I came forward to play the character.

*Were you sorry after the film was released?
 I agreed to play this role because I considered it as a character that conveyed a message to human beings. But later as problems began to crop up regarding this, Sampath Jayaweera, Kaushalya Fernando who acted with me and the director Sanjeewa Pushpakumara ... none of them were subjected to blame. I don't know whether it was because some people didn't have a backbone that finally I was accused.

*The sex scenes in the film was of a very short duration, being afterwards edited ...but the clip on the internet was a different one. How did such a thing happen?
 What this director had told was that the film would be distributed in Sri Lanka after censoring and of course without these scenes. But later there had been a foreign film festival of Sri Lanka and a copy of this was shown there. With that, copies of this film had been distributed to the media. About a 1,000 of those copies had been distributed and it was with that only this sex scene was censored. That is not the sex scene that was edited and what we see in the film. That scene which went on for a long time was thus doubled and trebled ... and subsequently edited. Scenes beyond that also were included in it.

*Is it correct to do such a thing when considering the agreement you signed?
 That question can be best answered by the director. What I ask him is not to stay back in Korea ... but to come home and face answering these questions. This was a film done on understanding and faith. When Sanjeewa came  to meet me, what he asked was to give him some help. He spoke about his life and sorrows ... and asked me to give him help. But today when mud is being slung a me ... I have no consolation for even a second. That is not a human quality. When things like this happen, even other actresses will not come forward to make such sacrifices.

*Some rumours spread around that you took part in naked scenes because you were paid millions.
 The amount spent for this film was 25 lakhs. Only a sum of less than 3 lakhs was distributed among the actors and actresses. What I got was only 30,000 rupees. A criminal investigation is being conducted against Saneewa Pushpakumara regarding this.They have the paysheets about this. Nobody can deny that, and nobody can say that I took more. There are paysheets to say that I have taken 30,000 in two installments.

*Isn't 25 lakhs considered a small amount of money for a film?
 For the shooting we went to Trincomalee by train after having booked the seats. Not even a vehicle was arranged for the actors and actresses. We faced such difficulty and did our duty ... and the gift that we got in return is fantastic.

*Wasn't Hasanjith your lover and whom everybody knows oppose you in acting in this film?
 Really ... my lover was not there those days. This film was shot about 4 years back ... in about 2009. Actually I won't bring in my professional life and personal life into this. I did this this with the motive that I was doing the right thing. Upto now no other actress has come forward to play the type of role that I dd. Even those who did such roles, did not do it with sch an idea. This is not a role which floats in space like that. There is some idea in it and anyone seeing it will understand what type of theme it talks about.

*Why is this banned now?
 The director has a problem. There is an issue regarding the agreement in relation to army uniforms and vehicles. The reason is that those have been misused which happens to be the cause.

*What is the response shown by the public because of these naked scenes?
 By this time this has been downloaded about 60,000 or 70,000 times. But among those who viewed it like that, only one or two had expressed opposition through messages in the Facebook. From that what I understand is that those who have come to think that way is that Gayesha did was right. As such, it is good that there is an opportunity to see this whole film via the internet.

*Is there anybody who appreciated your acting? 
 What I did ... no other actress can do. Even distinguished artistes in this country have called and told me that my acting is excellent. I am proud of my acting. If every woman in this country had the courage I had ... we won't be able to hear sorrowful stories in today's society.

*Are you going to accept a script which has naked scenes like this in the future also? 
 Not only this film ... I am now fed up of all classical films. With Sanjeewa's experience, I have received an interpretation which has made me get fed up of life. I am thinking ... if someone like him has bestowed something like this, how will other directors in the country do to other actors, actresses. It is with such a fright like that I now live. Hereafter I have absolutely no idea of acting in a film of a classical nature or dealing with women or depicting the suffering class. But I will come forward to stand for women's rights. It may be in a different way.

*Does that mean you are stepping into politics?
 I am a person who accepts the leader of this country with the greatest admiration. What I have done, if at all, is something I have done on his behalf ... programmes dealing with the army, programmes of housing for army personnel and I have got onto stages and shouted on behalf of such matters. I am a brave actress in my life. I'll come forward to speak on behalf of women who have been subjected to injustice. But in politics, members of parliament in this country are not good for me ....neither are the Ministers. Those whom I call good are only the public in this country. I'll be taking a decision on that matter in the recent future ... but I am not prepared to do false politics like the present-day women's representatives. Gayesha will be coming forward for suffering women with a leader who has a straight backbone.

The audio-tape of this interview, from BELOW