The most immediate reason for their concern is that Rajapaksa loyalist actor and director Sundantha Thilakasiri’s tele dramas have been permitted to be telecast by the channel, while their products remain marginalized.

The artistes say that their tele dramas had remained ignored for nearly 15 years, but that two tele dramas by Thilakasiri had been permitted by ITN.

Soon after the present government took office, his ‘Sanda Diyawara’ was telecast, with the support of a minister very close to the president, they told Sri Lanka Mirror.

Now, his ‘Neranjana’ is to be telecast at 7.30 pm from June 30.

In an article published by ‘Ravaya’ on May 17 last year titled ‘Hari Paara Soyaa Gamu’ by Wimalanath Weeraratne, Thilakasiri was identified as an artiste who had been a leading campaigner of Mahinda Rajapaksa during the last presidential election.

Thilakasiri, Arjuna Kamalanath, Saman Dissanayake and Rohana Weerasinghe have been named in that article.