Keeping the family together

Take the remote, sit back, preferably with a homemade lime juice and turn on the television to a plethora of drama series' and sitcoms, some of which are extremely entertaining, while others fail to combine wit, humour and morality in one capture. I won't deny it, most TV series' have had me hooked, "Friends" being right at the top of it for so long, and then "Lie to Me", "HIMYM", and "Supernatural", but there's two out of the lot that takes the cake, Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan's "Modern Family" and none other than our very own Ranjan Prassana's "Sihina Puraya".


Modern Family, is undoubtedly one of the most talked about shows going around, and has proven a point when Barack Obama pronounced it his favorite TV show. It's flawless to say the least; humour, wit, drama and just the right touch of morality every TV show needs.  To pick a favorite character out of the lot would be like asking yourself to choose between chocolate and ice cream. An amalgamation of different lifestyles in the same family tree, coupled with the thirst for love makes it complete, but what really stands out is the fact that we can relate to it in many ways, may it be Phil's forgetfulness and cocky nature, Claire being the bossy  mum holding it together, Hayley - college, no college, or college what? The characters live amongst us in every way, making it a series' that goes that one step closer to our hearts. I'd certainly watch that than pretend to be in awe at brothers averting apocalypses or wait for the girl with the yellow umbrella. Modern Family has never had a dip in it's 3 season tenure, it's always a new experience cause after all that's not just what life is about, that's what 'daily' life is all about. The mockumentary style is new to television, and Modern Family have indeed mastered it, with every character speaking out to us in their very own goofball charm.


Sihina Puraya, is a Sri Lankan drama series that breaks free from years and years of soppy, parent denied, villain intervened love stories. It's a refreshing splash of water to all Sri Lankan television viewers, and is one of the few drama's after the likes of Ananda Abeykoon's "Ramya Suramya", that have found the perfect balance between weaving a good story with natural humour. Sihina Puraya too like Modern Family is a tale intertwining different families and their approach to life in general. Living together in one housing scheme, fittingly named 'Sihina Puraya' or the 'Land of Dreams', they all have dreams of fulfilling their lives. The binding factor here is the chase in search of money, every family tries their best to buck up the quick bucks to somehow keep the boat of life sailing, somehow managing to stay happy through victory or indifference. Isn't that always the case, to us Sri Lankans, money is half of everything, the other half being humanity. I can personally relate to this, seeing how our family too goes through the ups and downs of having and losing money. Sihina Puraya brings together an ensemble of young talent who successfully coalesces humour, struggle and a hint of romance which is like the garnish topping of a very fine meal. Personally Nimal, Vinod and Cena are my favorites while Chandani, and Himashi too give out near perfect performances. Maybe it be at Samare's office, or at Cena's palace, life and the beauty of the struggle of life is what wins. It takes a lot to keep a family together and sometimes life is a television series after all.