“The Bonsoir Diaries” by Kumar de Silva is a cocktail of chapters, bursting at their seams with pithy asides, a trail of faux-pas, and tit-bits from behind-the-scenes, marinated with anecdotes and drizzled with nostalgia, revealing everything you never saw on your favourite television show… from the ‘80s through the ‘90s into 2000.
By Kumar de Silva
Bonsoir was born in July 1985, somewhere around the time of Bastille Day (French National Day, 14 July), and exactly 196 years after the French Revolution to be precise. It had four architects – two French and two Sri Lankan. I prefer to call them godparents.
The idea was initially conceived by Josiane Thureau, who was, at that time, in charge of radio and television educational programmes and audiovisual training at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris.
She perceived a “window to France” (une vitrine française) on Sri Lankan television. I’m still unable to fathom why she thought of Sri Lanka of all places on earth. Sri Lanka was not a far-flung outpost of the French Empire, and fate or fortune (whichever you wish to opt for) had it that we escaped being colonised by the French during the time of King Rajasinghe (I’m told). But Madame Thureau, in 1985, was convinced that such an idea would bear fruit in this country, and that it would be successful. Many years down the line, she was proved right.
Then followed a flurry of diplomatic courier between Paris and Colombo, with Bernard Prunières, Cultural Affairs Counsellor at the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka at that time. Prunières was from the old school, a very refined and cultured man. He hit upon the idea instantly.
Sri Lanka in the mid-1980s had only two channels – Rupavahini and the Independent Television Network (ITN). While Rupavahini was comparatively more Sinhala (language) programme-oriented, ITN catered to English-speaking audiences. It had English films, comedies, music programmes, tele-serials, etc.
Bernard Prunières, in turn, conferred with his good friend Thevis Guruge, ITN’s then-Competent Authority. Being the far-thinking and proactive media man he was, Guruge thought it to be a good idea, and conferred with his erstwhile Manager Programmes Nanda Jayamanne (the veteran broadcaster), and responded, literally overnight, with a positive “yes”.
Then arose the all-important question of funding. This wasn’t a problem, since most of the French companies operating in Sri Lanka came forward in a show of support and solidarity. After all, Bonsoir was to be about France and (initially) everything French. Among them were UTA French Airlines, Le Galadari Meridien, Banque Indo-Suez, CGE Alsthom, CGM, Alcatel, Degrémont and Gersar, etc.
Thus was born Bonsoir, a programme that was to enthrall Sri Lankan television audiences for a full quarter of a century. Its primary raison d’être was to showcase France in all her dimensions. Well, not only the obvious French gastronomic “trinity” of bread, wine, and cheese, but also her science and technology, her sport, her politics, her culture, her foreign relations, etc. It went a step further, and featured Sri Lankans and Sri Lankan events, all of whom and which had some kind of link with France.
Bonsoir was to be a fine example of a healthy and fruitful co-operation between the French Foreign Ministry, the French Embassy in Colombo, and ITN. This was the pre-internet, pre-mobile phone, pre-computer, and pre-cable TV era. Apart from the radio and television, which was still in its relative formative stage, social media entertainment was non-existent. We thus had a very captive television audience during those early years.
Now, in retrospect, and judging by the feedback we got, Bonsoir, I believe, did enrich the local viewing experience, and successfully played its predetermined 360° role of bringing France into Sri Lankan sitting rooms.
PS: Why “Bonsoir” for the title of a television programme ? Don’t ask me! “Bonsoir” means “Good Evening” in French, and the founders might have thought it appropriate.
Next week – Chapter 2: The agony of traumatic screen tests
