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Jathika Vidwath Mandalaya on Tuesday accused Jackson Anthony, Director of the film 'Aba' of trying to distort the country's rich history and project the great King Pandukbhaya as an illegitimate child and his mother as a whore.
"The film 'Aba' was a subtle but unsuccessful attempt to mislead the masses with make-believe story said Historian Dr. Oliver Abeynayake.
He said anybody had the freedom to do a cinematic creation but one should not try to change the original story in a manner which would ridicule the main characters in the story. "This is what he has done exactly" he pointed out.
Historian Dr. W.M.K. Wijetunge addressing the news conference said in the film 'Aba' the director is trying to project that a guard in the palace was the father of the Pandukabhaya and he had access to Queen Unmada Chithra since his father Dheega Gamini was a nocturnal bird who was never at home.
"We challenged him to come for a debate with a team of scholars who have an indepth knowledge about the country's history but Jackson Anthony has not accepted our challenge," he said.
The man who repeatedly claimed that he had not changed or distorted the history of the country a wee bit in his film had now come up with lame excuses, Dr. Wijetunge said.
" Jackson Anthony's stand today is that if we wanted a public debate with him on the film, such a proposal to have such a debate should be made via a government body since he is a cinema artiste and hence represent the National Film Corporation," he said.
"Jackson in a letter has also told us to send the request via the particular ministry or the state institution whose interests we represent" Dr Wijetunge said.
"Jackson is now running away from the problem because there is vehement criticism about him film and the public knows what his intentions in making the film was Dr. Wijetunge," pointed out.
A large number scholars, film critics, clergy etc have written articles in the media condemning the film and he knows where he stands if he comes for a debate with us now he said.
Further Dr. Wijetunge said this is only the beginning of their insidious campaign to distort history to fufill the vested interests of certain elements.
Jackson has openly told that this only the beginning and he will have more similar creations he explained.`
Dr Abeynayake said "we are only talking about the distortion of historical facts and ridiculing a great king and a queen so respected by the country but some have raised doubts from where he received the funding for the film.".
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