Pria Viswalingam

Anandan Pria Viswalingam is an Australian documentary and film maker. He is a Sydney-based producer, writer and director, known earlier for his work with the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) network.[1][2][3]

Pria Viswalingam
Born
Anandan Pria Viswalingam

1962 (age 60–61)
Kota Bahru, Federation of Malaya
OccupationTelevision presenter  • film producer
Years active1987–present
Known forA Fork in the Road

Viswalingam was born in Kota Bahru, Federation of Malaya in 1962.[4] He was educated at a boarding school in England before emigrating to Perth, Western Australia.[5] After graduating from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 1987, his broadcasting experience began in radio, as a newsreader and reporter, specialising in politics and international affairs.[4]

In 1989, he moved to SBS Television and worked in news and current affairs, where he presented and reported live-to-air programming. As well as anchoring the network's World News, he hosted Dateline, Tonight, Asia Report and Wine Lover’s Guide to Australia. Viswalingam is best known for presenting the A Fork in the Road travelogues from 1992 until 2005,[6][7] including A Fork in Australia, A Fork in Asia, A Fork in Africa and A Fork in the Mediterranean.[8][9][10][11] The program was SBS's largest international success, with the series repeated on Foxtel's Lifestyle Channel, as well as shown on cable television in Europe, Asia and Canada.[12]

In 2001, he wrote, produced, directed and narrated Class, a four-episode documentary series for SBS that looks at the "slow death of egalitarian Australia".[5][13] Also in 2001, he wrote and directed the four episodes of A Yen for a Dollar, a series which looked at Asian culture through the prism of business. This series aired on the ABC in February 2002.[14]

In 2006, Viswalingam wrote, produced and presented Decadence, with reflections on modern life in the West, in six episodes of 25 minutes each.[15][16][17]

From 2007 to 2008, he co-wrote and co-directed (with Stephen Van Mil of Animal Media) The Last Trimate—a one-hour documentary on the life of Birutė Galdikas and her pioneering study of Borneo's orangutans, which was narrated by Mel Gibson.[18]

In 2008, based on the success of the SBS TV series Decadence, Viswalingam began work on a documentary feature film version, which was released to Australian cinemas in December 2011 as Decadence: The Decline of the Western World.[19][20]

Viswalingam has written and directed episodes on all series of Coast Australia and Coast New Zealand for the History Channel and the BBC. He is developing drama projects in Australia and the UK.

References
  1. Brady, Nicole (16 January 2003). "Voyage round an alternative Africa". The Age. p. 6.
  2. Humphries, Glen (13 April 2002). "PRIA VISWALINGAM, SBS JOURNALIST insight". Illawarra Mercury. p. 7.
  3. "Travel with a sense of place". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 6 February 1995. p. 33. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  4. Singh, Jasbeer (1991). Austral-Asian Who's Who (2nd 1992-1993 ed.). Adelaide: Oriental Publications. p. 8. ISBN 9780646031903.
  5. "Prying beneath the upper crust". The Age. 4 April 2002. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  6. "A travel producer who has arrived". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 19 July 1993. p. 32. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  7. "Going to San Francisco". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 20 March 1995. p. 3. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  8. Joyce, James (19 February 1999). "Cover story". Central Coast Herald. p. 5.
  9. Houston, Melinda (3 December 2006). "Guilt-edged invitation". Sunday Age. p. 57.
  10. Lancashire, Rebecca (3 August 2000). "Road thrill". The Age. p. 3.
  11. Hill, Kendall (31 August 1998). "Paths less Well Trod". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 3.
  12. Moran, Albert (2009). The A to Z of Australian radio and television. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810870222.
  13. "Class (2001)". The Screen Guide. Screen Australia. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  14. "A Yen For a Dollar". The Screen Guide. Screen Australia. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  15. "Decadence (2006)". The Screen Guide. Screen Australia. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  16. MOLITORISZ, SACHA (14 December 2006). "Cultural fraud squad". The Age. p. 24.
  17. Hannam, Peter (26 November 2012). "Chief appointed to government green investment bank". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 1.
  18. "The Last Trimate (2008)". The Screen Guide. Screen Australia. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  19. Molitorisz, Sacha (30 November 2011). "Fall of an empire: this is as good as it gets". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  20. Molitorisz, Sacha (25 November 2011). "The era of decadence: it's all downhill from here". The Examiner. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
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