It was heard that Raja Mahendran who also known as Kili Maharaja had died due to Covid infection. Although I was not personally associated with him, I wanted to write what I think of him as a journalist working in the media tradition he brought to Sri Lanka and as a Sri Lankan who walk through the media world he created.
When Sirasa Radio started in March 1994, I was 12 years old. 12 year old is a time of absorb what you hear and see. Not only that, it is a time when it takes spontaneous effort to live according to the essence that is absorbed. Today my evaluation is that the Sirasa Media Network that started like this guided our generation the right or wrong path. Just as Sri Lanka Radio affected people born above 1990, Sirasa paved the way for generations after 1990. What did Sirasa really do to this society?
I think when JR Jayewardene introduced the open economy in 1978, there was a closed media at that time. That media world opened up in the fullest sense of the word with the advent of Sirasa. It cannot be said that Mr. Raja Mahendran provided only the capital for it. His vision is also come out through Sirasa. It will not take long for Sirasa to build a media empire that he is creating with the knowledge of people like Nimal Lakshapathi.
Tabu Subjects, who is writing a letter to Anidda News paper 2018, says that Killy Maharaja told him as this. “I am talented. I know that. If I was born as a Sinhalese, I would definitely go to the presidency of this country. I could not do that because I belong to a minority” I also believe that his words. I think through this dream which he could not achieve in his life that he built a media empire called Sirasa and became ‘Maharaja’ in there. Under this media empire he was able to make kings as well as topple kings from the throne. On the other hand, those who dressed as kings also made as talking machines that were not worth a penny.
From 1995 to 2005, Killi Maharaja was a man who always appear for Ranil Wickremesinghe and also led his media empire for that purpose. I do not say it is wrong. Sirasa had already decided that when they said “We report you decide”.
I think it is because of this UNP affiliation with Kill Maharaja that the UNP will soon embrace destruction. On the other hand, the huge popularity of Sirasa is declining.
At the final stage of the war, I think Sirasa acted correctly as a media institution and media empire. As a result Sirasa was set on fire. However, Sirasa has given a lot to the media world. Even the dirty media culture we talk about today was created by Sirasa. Sirasa paved the way for that. That is why Sirasa has a black and white hybrid past. I think Raja Mahendran is carrying a heavy burden in that past. Sirasa paved the way for the popular culture we are talking about today. Sirasa is the blood of the modern media world body.
Even the mega drama was introduced by Sirasa. Reality shows are also advent through Sirasa. All of these are turned
existing system upside to down. As a man in the media world, I was shocked to hear that the man who gave the strength to Sirasa to make that change had given up his life because of Covid. Kill Maharaja was a name that is often appears with good or bad in Sri Lankan politics. Good bye Raja Mahendran!
-K. Sanjeewa-