• Randhula de Silva on the making of ‘Meeya’ and its narrative shift

The digital age has forever changed how we live our lives and relate to others, especially when it comes to media. However, that doesn’t mean traditional mass media no longer has a role to play. Despite the power of digital media platforms, social media, et al., traditional media’s ability to reach mass audiences remains unparalleled. 

Take, for instance, television. TV’s ability to reach a wide audience, including in remote areas, makes it an incredibly powerful tool for disseminating information, education, and entertainment. Through its programmes, television not only reflects a nation’s cultural diversity, but also plays a crucial role in fostering national integration and development. It can also serve as a tool to influence and shift mindsets by helping wider audiences engage with and understand different cultures, perspectives, and values. 

This week, The Sunday Morning Brunch sat down for a chat with Randhula de Silva – someone who has harnessed the inherent power of television to embark on a new format of storytelling in a bid to instil hope, resilience, and a sense of empowerment among viewers. 

Co-producer of the recently-concluded ITN TV series ‘Meeya,’  Randhula embodies a unique blend of strategic acumen and creative vision. With a background spanning innovation leadership and filmmaking, her journey into television production with the groundbreaking series ‘Meeya’ reflects her own deep-seated belief in the power of narratives to shape hearts and minds.

The ‘Meeya’ story

The genesis of ‘Meeya’ – directed by Chinthana Dharmadasa and Muvindu Binoy – lies in the recognition of societal challenges caused by the tumultuous events of the last few years, most notably the pandemic and the economic crisis. Speaking on what inspired ‘Meeya,’ Randhula said: “It was inspired by what was happening around us and how people responded differently. A lot of people in Sri Lanka are going through crises negatively. There’s a lot of hopelessness and the feeling of being stuck.”

Through ‘Meeya’ as a storytelling tool, the directors and the team working on the teledrama saw the opportunity to use TV as a medium through which they could trigger hope and a new mindset. At its core, ‘Meeya’ is not merely a teledrama; it is a profound exploration of resilience, innovation, and the indomitable human spirit.

‘Meeya’ tells the story of a young Sri Lankan man navigating the labyrinth of adversity and self-discovery that comes with being a young person in one of Sri Lanka’s most challenging times. 

“The story is about a young Sri Lankan guy who is doing a Government job where he feels like his talent is being underutilised, so he gets frustrated and leaves this job. This takes place in 2022 and we then move to the ‘Aragalaya,’ showing his journey through huge adversity, living in a country in crisis while not having a job and beyond through multiple stages of his career as an entrepreneur and innovator. It’s a story of going from nothing to abundance,” Randhula explained. 

The main character of ‘Meeya’ makes his name by putting his talent to use by devising an innovative solution to the fuel crisis using a QR code, going on to become a successful tech entrepreneur while also creating a social enterprise through a food business he creates before getting into tech. 

Through this lens – the journey of a young Sri Lankan from the thick of the economic crisis to roughly the present day – ‘Meeya’ covers multiple themes: what young people can do with their talent and an innovative approach to solving problems, and the problems that Sri Lanka faces and how youth can be the solution. Central to the narrative of ‘Meeya’ is its character’s pursuit of purpose and meaning in the face of daunting challenges. Its underlying message is one of hope and empowerment – a boost to the many young Lankans who worry about the uncertainty of the future. 

Departing from traditional teledrama storytelling

Reflecting on the unique storytelling elements that set ‘Meeya’ apart from conventional teledramas, Randhula shared: “Most teledramas in Sri Lanka have equations of sadness, suffering, or soft romance. ‘Meeya’ is about a rags to riches story of a modern-day innovator, something never told before in Sri Lankan TV, to my knowledge.” 

The series unfolds across 21 episodes, which capture the journey of its cast through twists and turns, triumphs and tribulations. As ‘Meeya’ captivates audiences with its compelling narrative, it also serves as a catalyst for societal dialogue and introspection. Randhula shared insights into the profound impact of the series: “Several people reached out to us personally, saying that they had been frustrated about their work or lack of agency in their surroundings but had been inspired to stand up for themselves after they saw the show.” 

In essence, ‘Meeya’ embodies the spirit of innovation, resilience, and hope, ushering in a new era of storytelling in Sri Lanka. Through its captivating narrative and profound insights, ‘Meeya’ invites viewers to embark on a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and collective transformation. 

This comes through even in the title ‘Meeya,’ meaning rat – not a reference to the rat race, but to the fact that a rat cannot be gotten rid of, no matter how much you try. The series also concludes with a reference to a Buddhist Jataka story, the ‘Cullasetthi Jataka,’ which is a rags to riches story of the bodhisattva character with the aid of a dead rat. 

The impact of ‘Meeya’ extends beyond individual transformation to encompass broader societal dialogue and introspection. Randhula emphasised the series’ role in sparking conversations about pressing sociopolitical issues: “The show also has a sociopolitical thread to it, so we expected people to ask questions and make their own assumptions.” 

By confronting prevailing norms and challenging entrenched narratives, ‘Meeya’ invites viewers to engage critically with the world around them, fostering a culture of reflection and dialogue.  

The practicalities of producing a teledrama

Brunch also asked Randhula about what a TV series producer actually did, something which Randhula explained was akin to being the CEO of an organisation. “The job of an executive producer is basically to make sure the funds are raised, that we have budgets in line, the right timelines are adhered to, and the job gets delivered.”

Randhula’s experience in the private sector has given her a solid understanding of managing projects, and prior to ‘Meeya,’ she also had experience in film, having produced a feature film and some short films. 

“Producing a TV series for Sri Lankan television was a very different experience for me,” Randhula said, reflecting on ‘Meeya’ itself. “In a nutshell, the industry of teledrama is very different from how the private sector works, which is where I come from. Systems can be very old-school, which did sometimes prove to be challenging for us as a young, non-hierarchical team which was used to doing things differently.” 

While navigating the intricacies of television production presented its own obstacles to overcome, the ambitious nature, scope, and logistical complexities of ‘Meeya’ also played a part in the challenges Randhula had to manoeuvre around as a producer. 

“A teledrama with 100 episodes would have 4-5 locations. We had 21 episodes but also had 57 locations. Logistically, we had planned to shoot across 15 days, but by the fifth or sixth day of shooting, we knew we wouldn’t be able to finish within that amount of time. Rain, handling, logistics, shifting from location to location, and working with absolute professionalism meant that we would exceed this time period. In total, our shooting extended to a total of 20 days.”

Despite the logistical hurdles, Randhula and her team navigated the terrain with resilience and resourcefulness, ensuring that the vision of ‘Meeya’ was brought to life with authenticity and impact.

Hurdles aside, Randhula shared that one of the most exhilarating aspects of producing ‘Meeya’ had been the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse array of artistes and creatives, from seasoned veterans to emerging talents, each of whom brought their unique perspectives and skills to the table. 

Randhula expressed her excitement over working with a variety of individuals: “What was most exciting was making the impossible happen and getting to work with the different types of artistes we had, from gurus to apprentices to people making cameos. The crew was an incredible mix of different people from the social and cultural fabric of Sri Lanka.” 

Also very interesting for Randhula was the behind-the-scenes elements – the things that people don’t realise go into producing a TV series. “People don’t see 90% of what goes into a production. What people see is the actors, dialogue, story, and music. They don’t realise what a lot goes into development in terms of narrative and storyline, especially for a story like ‘Meeya,’ which is looking to make people think differently and make a transition in people’s mindsets. It takes a lot of ideation, thinking, and creative preparation.” 

Then comes production itself, which is the result of many different hands working together. “I have so much respect for the people who did our cinematography and set design,” Randhula said, explaining that sometimes the team would have two hours to completely redefine a setting, not to mention the work that went into costumes and into the actual shooting itself. Then comes post-production to make the final product, with post-production for ‘Meeya’ taking three months. 

“There are so many different hands coming together to make a TV series,” Randhula said of what it took to produce the series. “Everybody needs to understand just how much of a communal activity a production is as opposed to a one-person job, because it is definitely not a one-person job. This is especially so when shooting goes beyond 24 hours and it becomes hard for people to keep going and give their best to make sure it comes through. It takes the effort of everyone involved – not just the cast and camera and lighting crew, but everyone, right down to the guy making tea for everyone on set.”

The future of ‘Meeya’

With the first season of ‘Meeya’ which aired on ITN concluded and now available for viewing on their YouTube channel, Randhula shared that discussions were underway for the second season to continue this message of ingenuity, resilience, and hope. 

“I have to give a huge shoutout to ITN for being open to doing this experiment and putting it on the channel. ‘Meeya’ is a new kind of narrative and story, and they took a risk putting it up. They got a good return out of that judgement. The series was very well-received and has expanded ITN’s audience into Gen Z through YouTube. It was a great call on their part to take that gamble.” 

Randhula also shared her hope that ‘Meeya’ would inspire other Sri Lankan storytellers to explore new narratives. “We need to go beyond the usual conventional storytelling and experiment with different stories without subscribing to the same narrative lens of what has been done before,” she said, adding that such storytellers should not be held back by the fear of funding.

“Money isn’t a problem if you’re doing something that proposes a change and contains interesting storylines. Doing high-quality productions that have commercial returns is a possibility that the Sri Lankan creative industry hasn’t optimised to its full potential.”