Projector

On a winning streak

Challenges’ leading lady ready to set screens ablaze:

Ruwini Jayawardana

The title of the movie itself is a fitting debut for her. She believes in taking life’s challenges by the horns and sees obstacles as stepping stones to success. Interestingly she landed a winning role in a movie by one of the most reputed filmmakers of our time, to star opposite two budding stars in the industry.

[ PROFILE]

Name: Sheshadrie
DOB: December 2, 1991
AGE: 19
Schools: Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, and Royal Institute, Nugegoda
Favourite movie: Veer Zara, Aasai Mang Piyabanna
Favourite actor: Gamini Fonseka
Favourite actress: Malini Fonseka
Favourite food: Homemade rice and curry
Favourite beverage: Water
Favourite slogan: No matter how many obstacles fall across your path never give up matters which you thoroughly believe in
Address: 30/7, Mahasen Mawatha, Nawala Road, Nugegoda

Enter Sheshadrie, the new face in Udayakantha Warnasuriya’s Challenges, a movie which is sure to generate vibes in local cinema scene. The second daughter of filmmaker Dinesh Priyasad made her presence felt on screen when she took to compering the popular children’s program Punchi Panchi with Pramudi Karunaratne and her elder sister, Dinakshi. Later the two sisters turned to hosting a music program titled C Vibes on Dialog TV’s Channel C.

“I have portrayed some minor roles in some of my father’s films. Challenges gave me my first lead role. I was with the Punchi Panchi team for nearly seven years. Warnasuriya wanted to cast me in one of his movies during that era. I did not take to acting those days because I gave priority to education. Only a few people were aware that I was the daughter of a film director,” the charming lass revealed.

Her name is inherited from an Indian goddess and an Indian actress named Meenakshie Sheshadri. She says that it was her father, an ardent Hindi film fan, who had given her the name.

Speaking of her character in Challenges Sheshadrie says that she does embody some of the Sharanya’s characteristics. Much like the leading lady of the movie Sheshadrie too loves to spend her time making merry amid friends. However she says that though Sharanya leads a happy-go-lucky existence and enjoys an ample amount of freedom, Sheshadrie’s parents have put certain restrictions on their daughters.

“Sharanya is a very rich girl but she has a good heart. My nature tallies with her mischievous streak and friendly manners. We had great fun shooting the scenes. I loved the dance sequences. One of my favourite moments was the episode in which we had to fumble in the mud. That was fun!” she giggled in true teenage spirit.

Many of those who had watched the film or seen its trailers had praised her for her maiden effort. Some acting opportunities had also come her way. Challenges will unfurl on the big screens at EAP circuit from March 11.

“My next appearance is on my father’s movie Adda Lanuwa Damma Kodiya. I star as Tennyson Cooray’s wife, Shanthini. It is not exactly a comedy. I play the role of a rural woman searching for her husband who had disappeared without a trance,” she added with a smile.

Sheshadrie’s third movie is once again an Udayakantha creation. However she hastens to add that it is nothing like Sharnya’s role.

“The only common feature between Sharnya and Anuththara is probably the fact that both are from wealthy families. Anuththara in Senasuru Maruwa is a very innocent lass who frets for her ill father,” she said adding that there is no fear of her being limited to playing stereotyped characters.

“The audience will be able to note the vast difference between these three characters. So there is no danger of me being bounded to a certain character type. My secret desire is to play the role of a differently abled girl. I would be thrilled to take on the role of a blind, deaf or mute girl,” she opined.

Her background prepared her to face up to the demands of the industry. Therefore she notes that acting cannot be taken as a part time hobby. It is a time consuming task which demands a lot of dedication.

“Though I love acting I do not wish to make it my profession. My dream is to become a successful entrepreneur. Acting will remain in the sideline. I will always be committed to a role whenever I take on a project,” noted Sheshadrie who is following a Management Degree at the Open University.

Sridevi’s comeback

The lead actress of Judaai (1997) could not stay separated from Bollywood for too long; Sridevi had to make a comeback. But contrary to expectations, her husband Boney Kapoor will not relaunch her.

History has it that three years ago, Boney had not let her work in a Yash Chopra film opposite Amitabh Bachchan, arguing that he wanted her to make a grand return in a home-production. Boney told Yash Chopra that he was keen to re-launch his wife in his own production and requested him to cast someone else in his. At this point, Bachchan’s good friend Amar Singh stepped in to convince Boney to let her do the film, but in vain. It turns out Sridevi’s comeback film will be produced by R Balki (of Paa fame) and directed by Balki’s wife Gauri Shinde. Sridevi plays a woman who does not understand English but gets married to a very upwardly mobile man.

Times Of India

There’s ‘A Little Rango’ in all of us

Johnny Depp is one of those actors who disappear so fully into the characters he plays onscreen that with each new film, it’s hard to know what to expect from the Oscar nominee. Depp’s latest, the animated pic Rango, is no exception.

In the film — directed by Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski and featuring the vocal talents of Abigail Breslin, Isla Fischer and Bill Nighy — Depp plays the title character, a chameleon living a lonely life in a cage as a family pet. But Rango is also an aspiring actor so he stages elaborate plays within the confines of his little glass home. He suddenly finds his life turned upside down when his cage is accidentally thrown out of his owners’ car during a cross-country move, landing him in the strange town of Dirt in the Nevada desert. MTV News caught up with Depp and we asked him if, given his chameleon-like abilities as an actor, he felt a sense of kinship with the little green reptile, and whether Rango is perhaps the closest he’s come to playing himself.

“What I saw early on with the character, and something that Gore and I talked about, is that it is in sort of all of us, in a way,” Depp explained. “There is a chameleonic side to all of us in which we find ourselves in certain situations that you have to adapt to, sitting across from personalities that you have to adapt to in order to survive the moment or survive the day,” he said. “That’s kind of how I saw Rango.”

Disney reunites with Hanks

Disney is looking to reunite Tom Hanks and Tim Allen not for Toy Story 4, but an adaptation of the company’s Jungle Cruise theme park ride.

Project has long been in development at Mandeville, the shingle run by producers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, who are currently behind the next Muppet movie for Disney. They also produced The Fighter. Studio has tapped Robert S.H. Schulman to pen the latest script for the project. Getting Jungle Cruise closer to launch comes as Disney is readying to release its latest theme park ride film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides this summer, while it’s working with Guillermo del Toro on a Haunted Mansion thriller and Jon Favreau on Magic Kingdom, a family adventure pic set inside the Mouse House’s entire park.

Hollywood.com

Jack The Giant Killer finds a princess

Jack the Giant Killer already has an incredible cast lined up with Bill Nighy, Stanley Tucci and John Kassir locked and Ewan McGregor expected to close his deal later this week. And those are just the supporting roles. Jack himself will be played by Nicolaus Hoult, Tony from the original Skins. All in all, not too shabby. However, director Bryan Singer still needed a princess for Jack to race up the beanstalk for and as of today he’s found his girl: Eleanor Tomlinson. You’ve probably seen her in a few supporting roles throughout the years. She made an appearance in last year’s Alice in Wonderland and was also in the movie with the most confusing title ever Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

New Line Cinema

New STF film at Ritz

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Crew

* Director: Sudesh Vasantha Peiris
* Assistant director: Kumarasiri de Silva
* Cameraman: Gamini Moragallagama
* Editor: Kumarasiri de Silva
* Art director: Sarath Samarawickrama
* Music: Keshan Perera
* Make up: Sarath Ranaweera
* Story, dialogs and script: Luis Vandestarten
* Lyrics: Chandradasa Fernando
* Vocals: Danush Vijetunga Muttusami and Suranji Sharmali
* Production mamager: Nimal Kaldera
* Sound effects: Lionel Gunaratne

Sudesh Vasantha Peiris’ new film Nidi Yahana Kalambei, began screening at Ritz cinema, Borella, and other MPI circuit theatres islandwide from March 4. The story, a STF Film creation, embodies an adult theme.

It revolves around Sameera and Nirasha, a young couple who is enjoying a blissful married life and expecting their first baby. One day a friend introduces Sameera to a woman named Rosy. The two meet at different functions oand in one particular party, Sameera gets drunk and strikes a relationship with Rosy.

A prostitute and one who had liaisons with many men, Rosy soon disappears from the scene. Sameera discovers that he has a sexually transmitted disease. The doctor confirms his fears and Sameera begs him not to reveal the fact to his wife till he brings her in for medication. Meanwhile Nirasha’s father visits his daughter and finding her ill takes her to see a doctor.

Sameera’s dark secret is revealed to them and all hell breaks loose.

Nishani Gamage, Ran Ruwan Priyashantha, Rex Koddipillie, Robin Fernando and others make up the cast of Nidi Yahana Kalambei.

Percy Jackson getting a sequel

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - a k a that Harry Potter knock-off that took ‘wizardry’ and changed it to ‘Greek Mythology’ - might have a sequel in the works. Reports say that the sequel will be based on the second book in the five part series called The Sea of Monsters.

Fox 2000 has hired Agent Cody Banks writers Scott Alexander and Larry Kraszewski to adapt the Rick Riordan novel, but Chris Columbus - who directed the first film - is not expected to return as director.

For those unaware, the story follows a boy named Percy Jackson - a normal kid who discovers that he’s the son of the Greek God Poseidon. He quickly learns that many aspects of Greek Mythology are real. Hopefully, these two films will lead to the boy’s realization that he’s actually a world-class swimmer, spawning a third film called Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Syyyke! I’m Actually Michael Phelps.

LA Times

Nilantha’s Latest movie

Nilantha Hapanveera who made his debut into the local cinema scene with Teja based on the life of apparel workers began work on his second movie. The film embodies a theme linked with the medial sector.

Anoma Rodrigo plays the lead role. She is also the producer of the movie. She had already portrayed key roles in a number of single episode teledramas.

Child actress Chandu Sanari will be introduced to cinema through Hapanveer’s second film. Irangani Serasinghe and Mahendra Perera woo will play significant roles.

The story, dialogs and script are penned by the director. Navaratna Gamage is the music director.

RJ

Brie as Blunt’s sister

There hasn’t been

much movement on Judd Apatow’s Five Year Engagement lately. We knew that Jason Segel and Emily Blunt would be playing a couple whose long term relationship is chronicled in the comedy, to be directed by Nicholas Stoller but that’s old news already. What’s new is that Community’s Alison Brie is on board, set to play sister to Blunt.

Stoller and Segel wrote the screenplay for the film, which will be produced by Apatow and Shauna Robertson. Brie revealed that the production is set to get underway around the end of April and that she’s a huge fan of the work of the Apatow clan, stating that Sarah Marshall is “one of my favorite films ever.”

Bottom line: more Brie is better. You can see her next on the big screen in April’s Scream 4.

Variety