Mouse's message

Sachitra Mahendra

The function is taking too long. With a pneumatic hiss, everyone is waiting for something to happen. A few in the crowd have a fractured vision of what might come to pass: grownups hesitant and the little ones in their own world. The littlest one stays calm, trying to hold back his feelings.

Sookiri!

All what follows begins moving around him. Wasantha Moragoda's first major attempt in cinema, 'Mouse' not only inspires but has made the viewers tremble with tears. Most viewers have not forgotten to share a word of appreciation with theatre managers before leaving: 'Thank you for giving us this!'

As for Moragoda, he claims 'Mouse' to be his own life.

Q: You scripted, directed and produced 'Mouse' claiming it to be based on your own experience. How would you defend it?

A: It is the offshoot of the society I have seen, the society which has inspired me. In this society there are things that make us shudder. Well, the plot came from my home, when I became a father. Now I am a father of two.

I had to live certain crises as a father. Over time, I realized I was not alone facing the crises. All parents, as a society, have crises, but the reaction is different. 'Mouse' is my expression about these crises.

My journey to Colombo was tough. Every milepost in the journey - I remember them very well - hardened me. Like water I can adjust anywhere. Sookiri's childhood is my own. I was brought up in such environs. Life was different in my adult life. So you can even call 'Mouse' my autobiography.

Q: If a director chooses to act, he would usually go for a major role. But you play a minor role. Was it because of your bond with the protagonist?

A: You cannot exactly say this is a minor character, though it looks so on surface. At first I did not want to play Sookiri's father. Sookiri's father has to deal with a lot of non-verbal emotions. I was looking for someone with the best capacity to give justice to the role. But then many advised me to take up the role.

The child actors in 'Mouse'

Celebrating the joys of childhood

As you hinted, it suited me well, because I was the protagonist's father in real life as well. Sometimes I feel I could have simply let someone else do that. But... now it is done, I am not going to think about it.

Q: Elders must let children be who they are. Is that the 'Mouse' lesson?

A: Not really. I do not let my child do anything he fancies. We must let the child try out his inborn talents. We can clearly see what children are skilled in. But our parents fail to observe it that way. We force children to reach the dreams we could not accomplish. That's where we err.

Parental love is common to anyone from the beggar to the president. How would they love? Things they do in the name of love might take a toll on the child's life. Why did that American youngster shoot down his colleagues? His mother is responsible for that. She did not know where he is getting at. She had given him the path to gun. Why? Because she loved him and let him have his way. This is not the way it should be.

Q: Mr Alagiyavanna is an uncommon addition to the usual characterisation of local creative works.

A: I have not created a single nonexistent character. I have met all these characters. I have seen them. Inspiration for Mr Alagiyavanna's character came from a company chief who is full of humanity. He has a different way of looking at life.

We do not notice pleasant people among us, because we see so many unpleasant ones. So we are used to the unpleasant factor. That is how we even look at people. I do not think people are bad. Everyone in this world is good.

Q: That is why even the drug addict is such a sweet-tempered character. He receives no respect even though his father is a principal. All the same he is in a noble mission.

A: Exactly. Parents' status has nothing to do with children's development. No, it does not work on them. Parents' interest and methodology of moulding the child's personality matters more than any other way they love. Many principals have drug addict sons. Many drug addicts' sons become doctors or go for other socially prestigious professions.

Every child needs space in this society. The drug addict demands attention just as much as an average skilled child. But we forget them on purpose.

The temples demand people to come dressed in white. But those who come in white are already disciplined. Temple must essentially accommodate the ilk of drug addicts. Then the society will be a better place.

Q: Sri Lankan audience is now familiar with children's films. Yours turns out to be a 'latest'.

Kaushalya Farnando

Roshan Ravindra

A: I do not compare my film with others. But I observe one thing. Children's art is misunderstood in our land. If you cannot make a film, song, or novel, you turn to children's fiction as a last resort. Children's books are mushrooming now. But that's not how it should be.

Right now there is an adult's cartoon watched by children. Why, because it is called a 'cartoon'. Good to call something 'children's' as a marketing tool. But it needs proper understanding.

Q: Do you identify idealistic children's films?

A: Well, there are some. To be honest, I don't watch many films, though I study cinema. Practice teaches you a lot of things.

You need to have a hands-on experience to go further. So I learn a lot by practice as well as by books.

Q: In essence 'Mouse' encourages us to see the 'good' side of human beings.

A: Like I said earlier, everyone is good. For example my best friend might have so many bad characteristics. But he also has a lot more than those bad characteristics - that is important to me. It is quite beautiful to deal with the good side more than the other.

Q: On the contrary, most artistes believe the society's evildoings must be questioned in works of art.

A: I do not share that belief.

Q: Do you mean to say most artistes have social hatred?

A: Of course yes. You don't have to look at their works. Just talk to them and see. Just see what they say in newspaper interviews. Full of negative answers: 'I am not happy'. 'I cannot do this properly'. 'I have no support'.

This saddens me though I have no grudges against them. They need to grow up.

Q: Then what is the artiste's role?

A: To offer love. People like to give and take love.

We are an emotional nation. Tell me, who doesn't like love? Who needs to see themselves questioned? If you give them love, then they will get the message.

Law cannot create discipline. It just scares and forces people. But art can make people disciplined. That is why artistes must give love.

Only love.

Then they would think twice before murdering their family.

They would think twice before cheating their loved ones.

They will feel the warmth and importance of love above everything else.

Hang out with the monsters

At a time when animation is getting closer to live action, director Genndy Tartakovsky has been quoted as saying his debut feature, Hotel Transylvania, is "more real than real."

"In cinema, you are trying to capture reality," Genndy says over the phone from L.A. "For example, a drawing of somebody is an attempt to capture the essence of the person."

Elaborating about the unique look of the film, the 13-time Emmy Award nominee and creative force behind Samurai Jack and Dexter's Laboratory says, "The computer is a tool. I am from a 2D background and I am not into how realistically we can depict a rock. With Hotel Transylvania I have not tried to reinvent the computer. In my mind the computer is just a big beautiful pencil."

The director who conceptualised the extraordinarily-stylised prologue in Priest says he chose the bright animated look for the film to see how far he could push the boundaries. "The animation is one of the highlights of the movie."

Hotel Transylvania tells the story of Dracula who runs a hotel where the monsters of the world can hang out without being troubled by humans - wait a minute I thought monsters preyed on us, never mind. Dracula decides to throw this big party for his daughter, Mavis's 118th birthday. He calls the who's who of monsterville, including the Mummy, the Blob, Werewolves, Frankenstein's monster and the Invisible Man. All goes well till a human accidentally comes to the hotel. When Mavis shows signs of liking the human, things rapidly go out of control.

The movie is screening at Majestic Cineplex's Superior 3D screen these days.

Upcoming Bollywood films of 2013

As 2013 is round the corner, the audiences of Hindi films await some new films and concepts. A few films that will be releasing in 2013 have already been garnering a lot of interest from the movie-buffs. Let us take a look at some of the much-awaited films of 2013.

* Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola - This Vishal Bharadwaj film is a comedy-drama that stars Imran Khan Anushka Sharma and Pankaj Kapur. It will release on the January 11. It is typically based on the bucolic surroundings of Haryana and focuses on the lives of the above-mentioned trio.

* Race 2- This is an Abbas-Mustan film that will be releasing on January 25. It has an ensemble cast of John Abraham, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Jacqueline Fernandez. The film is a sequel to 2008 hit Race. It belongs to the genre of suspense thriller and is all geared to take on the audiences for a ride.

* Shootout at Wadala- This film stars John Abraham in the lead. Others include Anil Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut. It revolves around the life of gangster Manya Surve and is about the first-ever encounter that has been filed in the police history of Mumbai. The film will be releasing on May 1 and has huge expectations to meet from the audiences.

* Krissh 3- This film has Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra playing the lead roles. It is a sequel to Krissh that released in 2006. Kangana Ranaut plays a meaty negative role in the film. It is being claimed that the film will release during Diwali.

* Dhoom 3- Aamir Khan joins the team of Abhishek and Uday in Dhoom 3. This film has become a brand in itself. Aamir has a negative role in the film, while Katrina Kaif is paired opposite him. The film is definitely going to cause stirs when it releases.

* Gunday- This film has the young lot of the industry- Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh- play mafias. The film also stars Priyanka Chopra and is being produced by Yash Raj Films.

* Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani- This film stars ex-flames Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. The film is being produced by Karan Johar and Ayan Mukerji of Wake Up! Sid fame is directing this film. His sense of filmmaking is quite refreshing as was seen in his directorial debut and with such a star-cast the film will surely grab eyeballs. Bollywoodmantra.com