Absence makes the heart grow fonder

HMY is a feel good movie and all of us enjoyed working on it. I am sure it will be well received by audience from all walks of life’ :

Ruwini Jayawardana

CREW

Writer Director - Ananda Wickramasinghe
Producer - Thilak Kodikara
Cinematography - M A Gafoor
Editor - M S Aliman
Music - Ranga Dasanayaka
Sound - Lionel Gunaratna
Lyrics - Saman Chandranath
Asst Director - Lesley Siriwardena
Choreographer - Sanka Prasad
Art Director - Gamini Bandara
Make Up - G D Nandasena
Hair Styles - Lalith Dharmawardena
Lighting/ Operative - Lalith Thomas
Cameraman
Costumes - Ramani Alakolange
Legal Advisor - Harshana Nanayakkara

[CAST]
Channa Perera
Chathurika Peries
Tennyson Coorey
Sanath Gunatilleke
Rajeve Nanayakkara
Mahinda Pathirage
Rathna Sumanapala
Anushie Warnasooriya
Srimath Indrajith Liyanage

Seasoned director Ananda Wickramasinghe’s romance and comedy film Hadawatha Mal Yayai (HMY) had completed work and had been waiting in-line to be screened on the wide screen for more than nearly a year. Shots of the movie had been on display as the next attraction for more than a couple of months but the film is yet to make its appearance.

“The movie was scheduled to be screened after Dancing Star, Alimankada and Ekamath Eka Rateka. However the National Film corporation made a request to screen films like Akasa Kusum in-between so HMY had to postpone its release date,” Wickramasinghe explained on why his movie had been shelved.

The Channa Perera – Chathurika Peries starrer is a tale of a modern day romance. In an era where the rich boy tries to win the hand of the innocent village maiden or the upper class glam queen pines for the rural youth with decent manners, Wickramasinghe had focused on a liaison between two wealthy young individuals, Himal and Lihini.

They meet under accidental circumstances and become fast friends. Later they part ways only to realize that they have ventured so far only to return to each other’s hearts. It is about love, friendship, sacrifice, good will and success. Two generations of actors and technicians comprise the movie. Produced by Thilak Kodikara, the Hadawatha Mal Yayai is Wickramasinghe’s tenth movie. He says that most of his past creations were action movies based on getting revenge.

“My latest project does not include heroes or villains. It is not the typical love story in which the hero has to win the heroine’s hands from her parents while rescuing her from the clutches of the villain. All the characters are built up with simple characteristics and lovable in their own way,” the maker of movies like Satana, Danaya, Yasasa and Sergeant Nalla Tambhi stressed on the specialty of the project.

“All of my previous projects had short titles. It is convenient to have short names for movies because you need to design cutouts, leaflets and banners. A catchy line in the title song caught my eye and I decided to use that as the title,” Wickramasinghe explained on how the title took shape. Shot in locations in Colombo, Ingiriya and Kuruwita and music was composed by Ranga Dassanayake while the background scores were set by Indrejit Merihana. Sanka Prasad choreographed the dance acts.

HMY will begin screening at the CEL circuit from March 4.