Thaksalawa takes form
Swarnavahini's latest tele project takes shape in the
outskirts of Malmeewewa :
Ruwini JAYAWARDANA in Mihintale
Set in the picturesque locations of Mihintale with the backdrop of
the Girilen Raja Maha Viharaya, renowned tele maker Ananda Abeynayake is
busy at work with his latestteledrama Thaksalawa. The serene location
which was once a territory that had been defaced by treasure hunters is
now a hive of activity.
Familiar faces in the Lankan celebrity scene like Mahendra Perera,
Chandani Seneviratne and Himali Sayurangi accompanied by others such as
Giriraj Kaushalya, Athula Pathirana, Sampath Chaminda Jayaweera, Jagath
Manuwarna, Tissa Bandaranaike, Nilmini Buwanaka, Nayana Hettiarachchi,
Sudharshani Galahinagama and Milton Perera have discarded their day to
day attire for the sarongs, shirts, jackets and long dresses to take on
a whole new look for Thaksalawa.
The story of the teledrama revolves around a school teacher and her
attempt to create a better living habitat for the villagers of the area.
However as in most situations, when an individual is attempting to do
good on behalf of others there are forces which get in the way. This is
when Mahendra Perera and Giriraj Kaushalya in the form of Rathnapala and
Lucas come into the picture. There are several conflits between the
groups but ultimately in the end we realize that human characters are a
mixture of the black and white and people can be reformed for the
better.
This is basically the theme of Abeynayake's story which will begin
unfolding on Swarnavahini in the near future.
"The story is a study on human nature and is aimed at an entertaining
and educative. I first familiarized myself with this location before
deciding that it would make an ideal spot for shooting a story of this
nature. I spun the tale and Deepani Nilashani Yapa wrote the script. She
had penned several of my Poya dramas," Abeynayake opined on Thaksalawa.
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Scenes from Thaksalawa |
Abeynayake stated that several years of experience working with
Swarnavahini in award winning projects like Rala Bindena Thana,
Jeewithayata Idadenna and Ramya Suramya had boosted his career.
The teledrama is comprised of 30 to 35 episodes and follows a four
year gap in Abeynayake's career. "The cast selection is of prime
importance and I believe that I have chosen the best to suit the roles,"
said he while adding that he will be doing one more teledrama before
leaving the scene as a teledrama director.
Another special feature of the project is that seasoned actor Tissa
Bandaranaike is portraying the role of a Buddhist monk for the 80th time
in a creation.
Charming young actress Himali Sayurangi plays the lead role of Arulya,
the pretty school teacher who had emerged from the suburbs to take on a
much needed task of working towards the education of the village
children. Speaking to Daily News 'Artscope' Himali added that what is
different about the project is that there are less dialogues.
"We have to send the message across through facial expressions and
actions. This is indeed a challenging project for me but one that I
enjoy taking up. The teacher is a young and lovable character who faces
the daring task of facing up to some corruptive elements which had taken
over the village," she said.
Mahendra Perera who sported a bush mustache as the headmaster of the
school who is engaged in conducting a pumpkin farm in the village school
grounds added that it is indeed a pleasing experience working with
director Abeynayake in his teledrama.
"I am also working on Athula Liyanage's Bambara Wallalla which is
based on a true life experience," he revealed.
Next up was talented actress Chandani Seneviratne who portrays the
character of Silina, an innocent village woman who gives shelter to
Arulya.
She expressed her views of the project as, "a creations which added
new substance to her career as the character earns a living through
chena cultivation and fishing at a nearby lake.
"The story reflects that if you are strong at heart, you would be
able to attain your goal no matter how many obstacles cross your path,"
she noted.
The cameraman is Dhammika Ratnayake while the music is composed by
Gayan Ganakadhara. Professor Sunil Ariyaratne penned the lyrics of the
theme song. The art director is Bimal Roy and the make up is by Wasantha
Purnawansha. Jagath Weerathunga is the editor of the project. |
