All-new theme for Jayantha Chandrasiri's latest offering:

Guerilla Marketing hits silver screen

"GUERILLA MARKETING" the latest cinematic creation by well-known artist Jayantha Chandrasiri will commence screening shortly.

The film which is a presentation of European Consultancy (U.K.) Ltd. will be screened at the Regal and other theatres of the CEL Circuit.

Deviating from his previous film "Agnidahaya" (Fire and Water) which was set in 1664, Jayantha has now focused on very contemporary issues in a market oriented society.

"Guerilla Marketing" revolves round an advertising executive with exceptional creativity, who is assigned to design the election campaign for a rising politician.

Thisara Dissanayake (Kamal Addaraarachchi) who rises to the top of the advertising industry due to his creativity is assigned the task of creating the presidential campaign for Gregory Mahadikaram (Jackson Anthony), a prominent politician.

Thisara and Gregory are almost made for each other, the former being an escapee from "tradition" and the latter someone who has embraced uncritically and happily the processes and policies of globalisation, which include and results in the obliteration of tradition.

Thisara proposes a novel campaign strategy, rejecting the traditional paths taken by politicians running for office and their campaign strategists. His is a strategy of training a group of young men and women and employing them to spread outrageous rumours - stories that show Mahadikaram in the most positive light.

Suramya Mahakehelwala and Thisara are cousins who belong to a family that has for generations practised the art of traditional Kandyan Dancing. Their love for each other is a secret that the world knows nothing of.

Rangi Dissanayake is Thisara's wife. There are many things about Thisara that his wife knows nothing about, but which Suramya is aware of.

Among them is the fact that Thisara, while still a teenager, was diagnosed with Schizophrenia. She also knows that he left her to marry Rangi, who came from an urban, upper class family, in order to deny and flee from his rural and traditional roots.

Thisara works tirelessly and this takes a toll on him at the height of the election campaign. His illness surfaces once again. Consequently he begins to hallucinate.

According to current medical knowledge, the negative expression of hallucinatory conditions can render patients utterly helpless. This is the condition that Thisara suffers from.

The one image that dominates his hallucination is Gregory Mahadikaram, who "comes out of the television" to talk with him, walks into his bedroom etc. Thisara is admitted into a mental hospital. While spending all his time with the negative hallucinations of Gregory, in real life Gregory is elected President.

Will Thisara be able to recover from his illness and enter into the real world ? You yourself could get the answer once the film is released very shortly. The film's story, dialogue, screenplay and direction are by Jayantha himself.

The cast also comprises Yashoda Wimaladharma, Sangeetha Weeraratne, Sriyantha Mendis, Priyankara Ratnayaka, Kalasoori G. Ranganatha, Gamini Jayalath, Kumara Thirimadura, Upathissa Balasooriya, Mali Jayaweerage, Dimuthu Chinthaka, Sanath Chandrasekara, Bandula Prathapasinghe with 'Wanni Wedikawa'. Director of Photography is Ruwan Costa while music is by Dr. Premasiri Khemadasa. Choreography is by Channa Wijewardana and Art Director is Jagath Imbulpe. The producer is European Consultancy (U.K.) Ltd.