Handapana

sheds light on a glorious past:

Ruwini Jayawardana

Handapana (Moonlight), be it the sentences which brought a story to life or the images which related the tale on celluloid, never failed to captivate masses. W.A.

Silva’s powerful tale which relates a powerful tale of a youth’s obstacles and sacrifices that a youth faces in winning the hand of his ladylove.

The delightful love story was made into a film by Kingsley Rajapaksa in 1965 with popular singing couple Sisira Senaratne and Indrani Wijebandara’s inimitable voices taking over the background vocals to evergreen tunes like Atha Ahase Nagee Dinindu Paya, Piduru Sevilikala Palpathe Athi and Aloke Pathura Mulu Loke Opala bring nostalgia for many movie buffs.

Thus setting the story to be enjoyed by many in a tele version seems a timely need. Director Sirithunga Perera recognized the pulse of the public and set upon this much needed task of bringing the story to the mini screen.

The foundation of the teledrama was set a year back when the team held a Muhurath to announce their deed but shooting was delayed. They faced various obstacles and the chief among them was the fact that Kanchana Koddithuwakku, who was suppose to take on the lead role of Charlie, was stuck in a Lahore while shooting for another project due to security reasons. Thus the director had to look round for another young face to take on the role.

He did not have to look far for he came upon Wasantha Jayasinghearachchi during one of his interviews for Silumina’s magazine Rasanduna. Wasantha not only had the physique to match the requirements that the director needed but he had faced the camera as a compere in several programs he conducts for Rupavahini. “He proved to be the ideal choice for he fitted into Charlie’s shoes amazingly well,” Sirithunga commented on his choice for the male lead .

Wasantha as Charlie will woo the charming Manjula Kumari who portrays the role of the innocent village lass, Kusuma. Buddhadasa Vithanachchi, Upali Keerthisena, Deepani Silva, Vinni Vetthasinghe, Sarath Kothalawala, Avanthi Aponsu, G. R Perera, Sarath Chandrasiri, Pumi Botheju, Somaweera Gamage and many others play a variety of significant characters in the teledrama which is set to take over the small screen in June.

“The theme is timeless as we note that even after 25 years after the novel was published, masses flooded into theatres to watch the black and white version which unspooled at cinema halls. It shows that sacrifice based on true romance has a alluring essence to the public even though time flies by. Everyone wants to be loved and the audience enjoys a touching romance,” Sirithunga explained.

Another significant aspect in the teledrama is that all the songs which were originally a part of the film Handapana are found in the teledrama. Sisira had directed the music and had rendered his voice with Indrani to revive the emotions of Handapana, the movie.

Sirithunga said that the teledrama consists of 70 episodes and is originally based on the Silva’s novel itself, not the three hour film.

The teledrama is an Active Tele Films presentation and is produced by Upajith Lal Balasooriyarachchi. The screenplay is by Ranjith Jayasuriya while the cameraman is Yapa Vijaya Bandara.

The main assistant director and production manager is Nanda Imbulgoda. Derrick Fernando is the make up artist and Gamini Sarath Gunawardena is the still photographer.