Ira Handa Yata strikes real life

Ruwini Jayawardana in Velikanda

Imagine shooting in the depths of the wilderness in the zone which had been under the LTTE for the past three decades. Devise creating a movie surrounded by dangers like wild elephants, bears, snakes and other creatures of the forest.

These are exactly the prospects which greeted the media team who visited the location of Bennett Rathnayake’s latest movie Ira Handa Yata.

The movie is based on a striking incident which takes place during the conflict period. It explores the relationship between a young soldier and a middle aged Army Major. Though he was unable to save the Major’s life, the soldier traces back the path of the Major and amends his mistakes.

This is the tale of Mahasen, Rakitha, Rekha, Bhanu, Thirukadevi and many other individuals who came into contact and formed relationships beneath the shadows of terrorism. The filmmakers hopes to address the minds and hearts of the public who live in mutual cooperation within the web of the multi ethnic and multi religious spheres of the island.

“I hope to project the true nature of the situation to the world through the movie,” Rathnayake commented on his wish to take the project to the international movie arena. Thus the movie will be in both Sinhala and Tamil and subtitled in English as it caters to the international market.

“Some of the locations we are using in the movie had been the actually setting that the conflict took place. Some of the actors themselves are from the army and we have absorbed some of the real life features of the army and LTTE into the movie,” explained the expert director whose creation Aswesuma (Compensation) had won many local as well as international accolades.

The movie had previously been shot in Thoppigala. It has a few scenes in the Dambulla, Batticaloa, Kalpitiya, Udappuwa and Thrikonamadu areas too. Thrikonamadu used to be one of the vast lands which occupied one of the Government’s dairy farms in the past.

“I have never shot in one location twice. The locations in each and every scene is unique,” he added.

The script is written by the director and Sarath Gamlath. Saumya Liayanage, Udhara Rathnayake Tasha Dharshani, Kaushalya Fernando, Damitha Abeyrathne, Chandani Senevirathne, Suvinitha Weerasinghe, Bimal Jayakody, Mahendra Perera, Palitha Silva, Veena Jayakody, Jagath Beneragama, Suminda Sirisena, Roger Senevirathne, Rangana Permarathne, Ajith Lokuge, Sathishchandra Edirisinghe, Kumara Thirimadhura, Bagnya Rathnayake, Sheryl Romesh Decker and others portray roles in the movie which is produced by Samanmalee Hewamanna, Oliver Fernendo, Ruwan Jayasinghe, Vijitha Herath and Dilan Fernando.

“It is an exhausting yet pleasing to work in such an environment. To pick up the action from the scene where it dropped off is a challenge especially as the episodes involve a lot of emotions.

My main audience is the director and if the scene is up to his expectation I believe I have achieved my target,” Saumya commented on the movie. Another significant feature of the movie is the fact that an academic text focusing on contemporary cinema and the script of the movie will be released to coincide with the film release.

The book which will be titled Ira Handa Yata Cinema Nirmanaya Saha Samakaleena Deeshiya Cinemava will be edited by Deepthi Wijethunga and Hemali Wijerathne. The proposed plan of the book was presented to the director at the location in Velikanda recently. The director in turn presented the script of the movie to the editors.

The book will also comprise of a series of articles written by movie critics and incidents which took place since the movie took shape.

It will give a glimpse of how a quality production became a reality.