A special man, his elephant, and his country island by NAZAN SAATCI by Nazan Saatci on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 2:39am

A special man, his elephant, and his country island by NAZAN SAATCI

by Nazan Saatci on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 2:39am



My first meeting with an elephant was in Sri Lanka in 1988 during our film shooting of “Tufanoki Bijliyan” that was a co- production between Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The story was about 5 brave girls that would do anything to save their country from the evil enemy men. As being a Jan Muhammad movie, it achieved a good success later on in Pakistan and the other countries.

The elephant name was Tembo. He belonged to award winning famous actor and soon to be politician Gamini Fonseka. Our shooting location was at his huge farm at Sri Lanka. After I go over my excitement for the first time seeing an elephant, I urged myself to climb up his back to get closer to him.

The Director was happy with the idea and wrote for me some more dialogs. Experience was good but a little painful. Till you sit, you wouldn’t know that her hair could be bristle and will poke you right up there. Still it was the better experience than the coming scene with giant python wrapped around me. Soon after the mahoud’s warning, I had to be taken down more quickly. Apparently, we understood that Tembo recently had given birth to a baby elephant called Buca. Being separated for so long makes the new mother very sensitive and restless. I was facing to the danger of being thrown out from her back. Shortly afterwards, they had to bring Buca to the scene and to reunite with his mother. During long hours under the sun, little Buca sheltered himself between her mothers legs. Later on that day, her mother covered her son by gathering the soil from the ground with his trunk and placing it to his back. None of these gestures were meaningless. Heat was extreme and the sun was unbearable. Having no shadow around by watching these working animals many hours, I had got the idea about how intelligent they were.

Soon, I had visualized myself having a small farm in Sri Lanka as my own place to visit and spend some time along an adopted orphan elephant as pet. The following days when I see the elephants terminating hundreds of loaf of bread in a very short amount of time, but them still being hungry afterwards, made my dream disappeared quickly.

Just after that movie, Mr.Gamini Fonseka entered politics. He had also joined the United National Party and elected to Parliament in 1989 as a representative of the Matara District. He was also appointed Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Sri Lanka. His journey in politics continued later by appointed President Chandrika Kumaratunga as Governor of the former North-East Province. Known as a very selective and private man, I had been honored to be the only person from our film crew to sit down with him and chat for hours during our film shootings. His big house party, which was given for the honor of our crew members, famous local and Pakistani film stars like Gita, Sabita,Kavita, Izhar Qazi and more, had been a subject to mention for days on the island. Their friendly press were generous enough to put my pictures to their covers and posters.

Everyone had admired his beautiful young wife and the newly born little baby. That must be the reason three years later during my third visit to Siri Lanka that I couldn’t stop myself to visit Mr.Fonseka once more. His driver drove the car among the people while waiting to meet him outside at his house. People had loved him all his life. Inside of his house was dark and lonely. It was like watching a happy movie with a bad ending. He was successful in politics but lonely and sad in his private life. He was happy to see somebody from his beautiful days “Nice to see you Miss Turkey” he said with joy.. His voice was his signature. He was referring to my title from my early life as being a Beauty Queen for my country. Her beautiful wife had left him by taking the baby with her. He never mentioned the subject, but sorrow was in the air. From my short visit, I had only recorded his defeated sad eyes in my mind.

I was very sad to learn of his disease. At the age of 68, Mr. Fonseka passed away at his residence in Ja ela at the year 2004. That made me wonder what happened to his elephants. What happened to his lovely wife and their cute baby. Then I said to myself ‘nothing to worry about. He was a man of honor They all must be in good hands.”

And I add his elephants as characters to my animal story ”Sita” to made them everlasting.

By adding one more name to my praying list, I wished Mr, Gamini Fonseka to rest in peace.

Nazan Saatci
01/10/2009
Calf. U.S.A