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The Muhurath ceremony of a new Sinhala tele series 'Sivu Diya Dahara' directed by popular actor Lucky Dias was held at the Trans Asia Hotel, Colombo recently. This entire tele series was filmed in Europe.

Ravindra Randeniya and Malini Fonseka in ‘Sivu Diya Dahara’.

Popular film stars in the Sinhala cinema, Malini Fonseka and Ravindra Randeniya act together in a Sinhala teledrama for the first time in the history for 'Sivu Diya Dahara'. The teleseries consist of 30 episodes and will be telecast over Swarnawahini from June this year. Lucky Dias, Malini Fonseka, Ravindra Randeniya, Sanoja Bibile, Amiththa Weerasinghe, Rathnawali Kakunawela, Siril Dharmawardena, Richard Weerakkody, Sita Kumari, Wasanthi Gunaratne and child star of `Senuri' fame Jayanganee Dikkumbura will be among the stars who play different roles in this tele series.

Popular actress Malini Fonseka lighting the ceremonial oil lamp at the Muhurath ceremony of ‘Sivu Diya Dahara, while her husband Lucky Dias and others look on.

Music is produced by Somapala Ratnayake. Prominent singers Dr. Pandith W. D. Amaradeva and Visharada Nanda Malini will sing the songs. Award winning film director H. D. Premaratne will be the Executive Producer of this tele series.

According to Lucky Dias a lot of effort has been put in to make this tele series. 'I am particularly grateful to SriLankan Airlines for providing that extra support' he says.

Bruce Lee. Jackie Chan. Those are the names that come to mind when one thinks of Hong Kong martial arts films.

Lee is dead and Chan is ageing, although he has not discussed retiring yet from action-acting. Who will keep the banner flying when he does?

Not even Chan knows the answer, but he does offer reasons why there are few new stars ready to leap into the fray.

"It's very difficult to make martial arts films in Hong Kong because in 1997, many families are scared something would happen so they send their children to America, England and Australia," said Chan in accented English, referring to the handback of the former British territory to Chinese rule.

The star of "Rush Hour" and "Shanghai Noon" estimated over half a million children were sent away and although many have since returned to Hong Kong they have little interest in the old traditions.

"For some, they have been away for 10 years. They are all grown up. They drink Coca-Cola, listen to rap music and they are just not into Chinese things," he told Reuters recently, prior to leaving for Thailand to shoot his latest film, "80 Days Around the World."

Chan, 49, is the last of a dying Hong Kong breed known as the "red trousers," a term originating from the Beijing Opera school where Chan was apprenticed at the age of 6 and where he learned all of his martial arts and acrobatic skills.

Besides being the color of pants worn during training and performing, red trousers symbolize the indentured servitude of children who were bound by contract and often forced to live and train at these schools.

Chinese opera tells stories through a synthesis of stylized acting, singing, mime, acrobatic fighting and dancing, and the "red trousers" were the workhorses of the opera company. Chan credits his hard training at the school to his physical success as a stuntman, stunt double and actor.

"No one is interested anymore in training in opera so that is why over the years the opera schools in Hong Kong have all closed. It takes so much time to get to that level and sacrifice. My parents sold me into opera school, and I sign 10 year contract to learn there. "But I would never even put my kids through that kind of training," Chan said. "I think many now know what that training was like for me - up early, handstands on chairs for hours, 5,000 punches and kicks. I would never train like that again," Chan said.

Chan was also influenced by the martial arts films of Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers studios, where he started out as a teen as a bit stuntman before moving on to make more than 100 movies and videos.

"I learned a lot from that period of filmmaking," Chan recalled, "How to be a stuntman, watched how to be a stunt coordinator from those great filmmakers. It's those people that were really my teachers when it comes to films."

Young girls and boys of the above colleges sang so melodiously, bringing out the message of Easter.

This Cantata was held at the Methodist Church, Kollupitiya on Saturday April 13. The programme started with a opening prayer followed by the Hymn "In the Cross of Christ I glory". The message was delivered by the Reverend Duleep Fernando.

The Choir was conducted by a teenager of Wesley Choir Rushan Hewawasam, who conducted with such great confidence and went through the whole programme effortlessly and with feeling.

I had a five minute chat with this lad before the programme and he told me that he could hardly read music - this showed that he had an excellent ear as his performance was "Par Excellence".

To come to the choir itself, the students sang so sweetly, the girls and boys were smiling, as they brought out the Easter message of the Risen Lord.

In between there were narrations given by the Head Prefects of Methodist Ranjula Mendis and of Wesley's Praveen Edema. These two students also spoke extremely well with a lot of expression, punctuation and presentation was all found as they spoke.

In the singing, the tenors took up very high notes with ease and these voices vibrated through the veins of the congregation and touched our hearts. The Bass voices were mellow deep and sonorous. The harmony was unique. Congratulation to the youngsters! Go higher students of "We scatter Light" and "Ora et Labora".

The MC choir was trained by Astrid de Silva and the Wesley choir was trained by Rushan. The entire programme lasted just one hour and all of us went home with joy in our hearts.