Sri Lankan Tamil movie Manna worldwide hit

Arul Sathya

CINEMA: The Tamil movie Mann (earth), produced and directed by London based Sri Lankan Tamils and entirely filmed in Sri Lanka was screened in Colombo and Chennai, Tamil Nadu last December.

This movie, acclaimed by critics as a trend setter in the Sri Lankan Tamil movie scene, is the first local Tamil film to be produced after 13 years. The last locally produced Tamil movie Sharmilavin Idaya Ragam, based on a popular novel, ended up as a flop.

But Mann set records for the first time as it was released not only in Sri Lanka and India but also in countries such as England, Canada, Swiss, France, Germany, Singapore and South Africa. According to the production unit, the movie has done fairly well in those countries.

The film was produced by Raj Gajendra, a Jaffna born Tamil living in London and directed by Pudiyavan R, also living in London but originally from Vavuniya. The musical score was done by Vijay, a Jaffna Tamil living in Germany. The hero of the movie is also a student in London. This is the first time a Sri Lankan Tamil movie has been released in Chennai.

Mann ran for three weeks at Krishnaveni theatre. The cinema critics are of the opinion that the running of a Sri Lankan Tamil film for three weeks in of Chennai, the hub of multi million rupee giant film world, and third biggest in the world, can be interpreted as a great success and a mark of acceptance.

Chennai based film moguls such as K. Balachandar, Bharathirajah, Bhakyarajah, A.V.M. Saravanan and many journalists have expressed their appreciation and newspapers and journals also commented positively after watching the movie.

Mann is a movie revolving around a poor up country Tamil family badly affected by communal riots.

The family moves in and settles in Kanagarayan Kulam in Jaffna but the only school going daughter of the family has not been well received by the native Jaffna students who consider themselves as higher caste.

This motivates the idea that the new upcountry girl is interior as ‘Thottakkattu kutti’ (estate damsel) she is treated shabbily. But the hero, s student from a high caste landlord family, is constantly trying to get involved with her and finally succeeds.

He convinces her to have sex after developing a deep love affair with her and also promises to marry her. When the secret love affair becomes public, hell breaks loose on her and her poor family. The landlord chases the family away and as an immediate measure, sends the boy to London.

After 20 years, the boy, now a British citizen, returns to Kanagarayan Kulam to make a documentary on war torn Jaffna. He hires two lads as his helpers not knowing that one of the youth is his own son born to his childhood sweetheart.

The boy, now a member of a rebel group, waits for a chance to take revenge on his father.

Though the movie has its inevitable shortcomings in acting, camera movements and from the technical angle, the narration, dialogue, direction are excellent. The film, generally speaking, is very moving.

It is important to note that the group of Jaffna Tamils have made a movie criticising their own community’s social conduct and beliefs and also questioned the longstanding caste system.

This movie speaks of equality among Tamil communities, rejects caste and stands for the long neglected estate community. It also speaks for those upcountry families settled in and around Jaffna and Vanni districts.

It is sad to say that this internationally acclaimed movie was not appreciated by the Colombo Tamil audience. It could not run even 10 days at Cine city!

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Susil: A versatile personality in the arts scene

CONDOLENCE: Award winning actor, journalist and director, Susil Gunaratne, died of a heart attack on February 23 at the age of 50.

Hailing from Polonnaruwa and educated at Anuradhapura Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Susil engaged in the profession of journalism after obtaining a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Sri Jayawardhanapura University.

Susil began his career in acting with Dharmasiri Bandaranayake’s Ekadipathi in 1976.

He also acted in a number of stage dramas such as Mahagiri Dambara, Vikurti and Uturu Saluwa. After his maiden teledrama Paravidhenuwa, the award winning director and actor went on to direct a number of teledramas including Kinduru Adaviya, Marukmal and Sivu Siya Gawwa.

He had also directed and acted in stage plays such as Numba Vitharak Thala Elalui, Muhunu Dekak and Sira Kandawura.

Susil was Consultant Editor of the Sarasaviya at the time of his untimely death. The funeral took place on Monday.

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Art unites hearts

PAINTING: Five different themes, five varieties of styles, five feminine personalities... All this together make up “5 Women Artist’s Visual Art Exhibition” which is on display at the Stairway Gallery of Hotel Thilanka, Kandy, will end on March 9. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Janani Cooray, Indralatha Dharmasena, Lasanthi Kaluthanthrie, Krishanthi Sepalika and Inoka de Silva, students of Kingsley Gunatillake and past students of the University of Visual Art, have got together to hold this event for the first time.

“I used Acrylic paint for my creations. I based my seven paintings under the theme of Boodhi. The common definition of the Bo tree as being sacred and an object of religious value is not the idea that I am trying to portray. I was motivated to create an idea more captivating and estranged, something I saw beyond the naked eye,” explained Inoka de Silva.

“5 Women Artist’s Visual Art Exhibition” is not the first group exhibition she had taken part in. She had displayed three of her works at another group exhibition in India. There too she had used the concept of the Boodhi.

Indralatha Dharmasena’s topic of inspiration is the Veil.

“It is a tradition of colonialism to cover the head of a bride with a veil. Today, it has become a fashion. Having entered wedded life, the flowers that decorated the veil are unforgettable. I feel that the landscape of my paintings portray hopes that have a similar pact to those flowers,” she said.

Lasanthi Kauthanththrie has named her paintings as Amisa Pooja. She says that she used the five colours in the Buddhist flag for her art.

“Life is full of conflicts. These are mostly oriented towards sorrow and grief. My mind can only find comfort by turning towards Amisa Pooja and Prathipaththi Pooja,” Lasanthi commented. She said that she had won second place in mural replica at the State Awards in 2006.

War seems to be the theme of Krishanthi Sepalika’s paintings. She said: “I thought of taking up such a topic for my creations because that was what I experienced during the past era. For some it is just another event but I feel that each of my pictures express the pain of war, the destruction and loss of lives. My antipathy towards war erupted due to the price marked for the lives of the soldiers.”

Janani Cooray had presented a novel creation for this exhibition - a performance at the preview of the show. She had also put a creation made of paper pulp, colourful strings and various types of cosmetics and feminine items with well-known brand names. She said that her artefact had been built according to her own body structure.

“During my childhood, I was told that fairies living high up in the sky would fly down and distribute wonderful gifts to good children. As I approached adulthood I realised that those were only made-up stories but then a new group of fairies entered my life.

They were beauty queens like Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Asia, and Miss Teen to name a few. It is with a high guarantee that these fairies present their gifts to me. Since they themselves use them, I too buy them and use them. It is impossible to detach oneself from them,” she said. Janani’s creation is named as Modern Fairy Offerings and I.

“All these paintings have powerful messages behind them. The students organised the exhibition by themselves. They spent four to five months preparing for this event. We just stood beside them and encouraged them,” said Kingsley Guntillake, the guiding light behind the five young artists.

“The students faced a lot of obstacles in this process. From historic times onwards women artists have always been given second place to men. This is a pitiful state of affairs,” he said.

Pictures by Gamini Ranasinghe

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Bridge to Therabithia brings a beloved novel to life

America’s latest #1 family movie:

CINEMA: Based on Katherine Paterson’s popular novel, Bridge to Therabithia is a fantasy adventure story of friendship, family and the power of imagination. This movie is brought to you by the producers of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe’.

Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is an outsider at school and even his own family. Jess has trained all summer to become the fastest kid in his middle school class but his goal is unexpectedly thwarted by the new girl in school. Leslie Burke (Annasophia Robb) who competes in the ‘boys only’ race and wins!

Despite their awkward introduction, the two outsiders quickly become best friends. Leslie loves to tell stories of fantasy and magic. Jess loves to draw, but until he met Leslie, it was something he kept to himself. Leslie opens a new world of imagination for Jess.

Together they create the secret kingdom of Therabithia, a magical place only accessible by swinging on an old rope over a stream in the woods near their homes. There, the friends rule the kingdom, fight the Dark Master and his creatures and plot against the school bullies. Thanks to his friendship with Leslie, Jess is changed for good.

Brimming with fantastical creatures, places and beautiful forests, the world of Therabithia is brought to life by Walt Disney Pictures and Waiden Media. Bridge to Therabithia was released worldwide on February 16.

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Diary

Samantha stages his Nonimi Kerella

STAGE DRAMA: The third endeavour of Helessage Samantha Kaldera’s stage play Nonimi Kerella will be staged at the Peradeniya University’s Ediriweera Sarathchandra open air theatre on February 28 at 7 p.m.

Samantha Caldera who directed the play Abhiyogaya in aid of school scout movement also won an award by acting for ‘Sri Wickrama’ at the inter school competition, all Island contest.

‘Nonimi Kerella’, containing the music of late Gunadasa Kapuge, is acted out by the producer himself, Gayana Sudharashani, Sarath Karunaratne, Nimal Kithulampitiya, Gamini Harischandra, Lalith Walisundara, Kamal Somaratne, Bandara Wickramasinghe, Upali Weerasinghe, Rowindra Chandana and Kalyani Uduwella.

This drama is to be staged as a helping hand to revive the proposed central provincial Hela Sanskruthika Kendra Padanama’.

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Exhibition on Print Making

EXHIBITION: Asiri Nanayakkara’s individual exhibition of Print Making Creations will be held from March 2 to 5 at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, Colombo.

At this rare occasion his creations, utilising different print making media such as Etching, Aquatint, Viscosity, Dry Points, Engraving, Lithography, Lino Cut and Wood Cut will be on display.

Nanayakkara was fortunate to get the opportunity to read for the five-year Honours Degree in Fine Arts at Shanti Niketan, Vishva Bharathi University founded by Rabindranath Tagore, winning a scholarship offered by the Indian Cultural Centre, exhibiting his incomparable talents. He also won a scholarship from the university. He selected Print Making Arts as his main subject and graduated with a First Class degree.

This is Asiri Nanayakkara’s second individual art exhibition. He has contributed to many local and foreign exhibitions of Print Making. Asiri works as a lecturer of the fine art and print making at University of Visual and Performing Arts in Colombo. This exhibition will be a new experience for all art lovers.

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Pathiraja Film Festival at Dharmaraja

FILM FESTIVAL: “Dharmasena Pathiraja Abhinandana Cinema Ulela-2007”, a felicitation film festival of veteran and award winning film director Dharmasena Pathiraja will be held at the Auditorium of Dharmaraja College, Kandy, on March 4.

This film festival is organised by the Old Rajans Scout Association in aid of the Lake view Park International Scout Centre Development Fund, as the major fund raising project for the year.

According to the chairman of the organising committee, Suminda Vitanaarachchi, three best films from the veteran director, Ahas Gawwa, Mathuyam Davasa and Bambaru Avith will be screened at 10.30 a.m., 2.30 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. on this day.

Dharmasena Pathiraja, an old boy of Dharmaraja College, will be the chief guest. He will be honouring by the old Rajans Scout Association at the festival.