No cure for death

Nipuni Wimalapala

Singhaprathivi’s contribution to teledrama

*1998 Miringuthera
*1999 Dona Isabela nohoth Gajaman Nona
*2000 Dekethi Muwahatha
*2001 Derana
* 2002 Asaniwesi
* 2003 Ekata Getuma
* 2005 Warna
*2006 Sandagalathenna
*2010 Abarthu Atha Single-episode dramas directed
*2005 Rala Naguma
*2006 Bhawa Sewanali
*2007 Wala Patala
*2008 Sasara Purudu
*2010 Senehasa

Cast and crew

* Jagath Chamila
*Kanchana Mendis
*Jayalal Rohana
*Janaka Premalal
*Tony Ranasinghe
* Suminda Sirisena
*Morin Charuni
* Gres Thennakoon
*Oshadi Hewamaddumage
* Surangi Ruwanmali
* Production: Mawo Lakshitha Karunathilake
* Editing: Dushyantha Polgampola
* Camera: Amal Liyanage
* Scriptwriting: U B Rathnayake
* Art direction: Kokila Wijesundara
* Lighting: Nandasena Rajapaksha
* Make up: Premalal Gunathilake
* Music: Navarathna Gamage, Gayan Ganakadhara, Amarasiri Peiris and Danodya Ayoni

Graduating from a minor actor to a senior artiste, Vijitha Manjula Singhaprathivi has come a long journey. Today he is a teledrama director. His first teledrama direction is Salmal Landa which was on television on June 3 for the first time. It will be telecast on Sundays at 8.30 pm on Jathika Rupavahini. Singhaprathivi directed it in parallel to the 30th anniversary of the channel.

Singhaprathivi joined Jathika Rupavahini in 1996 with ‘Ingammaruva’ teledrama as an actor and an external assistant producer. He was properly trained under Wimalaratne Adhikari and joined Rupavahini staff as an assistant producer on a permanent basis. He was talented and dedicated to his work. He gradually achieved his goals through his dedication and hard working effort.

He was lucky to work as an assistant director, production manager and a producer in many teledramas. Singhaprathivi initiated his career as a director in 2004, directing ‘Sasara Tharanga’ single episode teledrama which was done for the Vesak.

The story of Salmal Landa is quite interesting and the story is set in a rural area. Different types of characters play different roles to make the story a nice one. Ukkkurala is the main character who does supernatural things to cure people’s illnesses. He is a traditional exorcist who deals with all the devils and other supernatural things. He keeps his power as a secret. He has some old books regarding exorcism from where he finds magic oil which help people live 300 years.

Though Ukkurala denies doing experiments with the oil at the beginning, finally he does the experiment with an old man.

It was completely successful and he becomes very handsome and young. After that, this exorcist does many magical things and finally he dies mysteriously.

The moral of the story is even though you have magical powers, humans are not immortal and everything is supposed to be uncertain. Through this teledrama, the director tries to highlight greed to live long lives and its negative effects.