• Rohan 's caters to all tastes
• Felicitation volume of Lester's writings
• Sinhala 'Oldies' in Moratuwa
• Wizcraft manages entertainment
• 'Sanda Yahanata' portrays violence
• Saroja stresses ethnic unity

Rohan 's caters to all tastes

'Rohan's' North Indian Restuarant celebrates its second anniversary today.

Located at Union Place, Colombo 2. Rohan's is now a household name among executives, businessmen and is fast becoming popular. It was begun in March 1998.

Rohan's has a different atmosphere and culture of its own. It makes you feel at home. The "Rods Bar" is well equipped with local and imported liquor. It's designed more or less as a lobby surrounding the bar, which tempts you to sit down and relax.

The Fine Dine Restaurant has a seating capacity of 100 pax and private room for 25 pax for special occasions. It offers authentic North Indian cuisine, cooked by Indian Chefs. Not a single Sri Lankan Chef is involved.

Garden Cafe is located near the terrace overlooking a beautiful garden. It can accommodate 125 pax. If offers an a-la-carte menu.

The Banquet Hall is open for any occasion. It offers 225 seating facility. The choice of food is by a a-la-carte menu. Jeya Bahduri Entertainment Hall offers dinners with live Indian and Sri Lankan music and dancing girls accompanied by Indian dancing girls. Entrance ticket is priced at Rs. 300/- per person, but for children it's free.

Special anniversary dishes offered at Rohan's vegetarian and none vegetarian cuisines ranging from Lassi as Shuruaat (Starters), Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Takka, Mutton Sheek Kebab, Machchi Bangara (Sera Fish Dish), Chicken Masala, Achaari Gasht (Lamb Curry). As chat-pata (Hot Appetizers Indian), Punjabi Chicken Chaat, Aloo-Chaat (Potato), Tali-Machhali (Seer Fish). For Subzian or Vegetarian Food Rohan's offers Nawaratna Karma, Subzi Khada Masala, Shaman Curry, Paneer Makhani, Dhal Tadkewala etc. Plus dishes such as Dum Pukt 'Gasht Biryani' (Mutton), Begum Noorjehan ki Pasand (Chicken) Gulnar-KE-Bahar (Fish Biryani), Kashmiri Chilman Biryani (Veg).

Next is the Chinese Menu offering various Rice and Noodles, Soups, Hot Appetisers and Main Course.

Rohan's was founded by Rohan Rodrigo.

Felicitation volume of Lester's writings

Lester James Peries who pioneered a new Sri Lankan cinema tradition and won international fame for Sri Lanka in the cinematic field is to be felicitated with a collection of his own original English writings. The book is compiled by film critic and writer Piyasena Wickramage.

The introduction to this publication is by film critic Sunila Abeysekara, (Sunila was a young artiste in Lester's earlier films like Delovak Athara and Golu Hadavatha).

It is illustrated with twelve black and white photographs from LJP's films and consists of a bibliography on LJP's English writings traced by Wickramage for his earlier publication (Lester James Peries Bibliography: 1981 Colombo, Federation of film societies of Sri Lanka) from various sources.

Dr. Peries who won the Lifetime Achievement award at the recent Indian International Film Festival in the dawn of new millennium was also awarded earlier the Pusan International Film Festival to celebrate the 20th Century Asian Cinema with the selection of his "Nidhanaya" (1972).

The Collected Works of Lester James Peries consists of seventeen English articles classified under four categories.

Lester began his career as a book and art critic in 1944 in a magazine, "Kesari", edited by eminent librarian Ian Gunatilaka. Thereafter he began his journalistic career from 1946 to 1952 as the London correspondent of the Times of Ceylon Ltd. In 1956 he made 'Rekhava' which was the turning point of the Lankan Cinema.

Incidentally this is Piyasena Wickramage's first English publication compiled on Cinema and he hopes to bring out a Sinhala publication compiled on Dr. LJP based mainly on his Sinhala interviews on Cinema done by Wickramage. It will be published this year. Wickramage has just completed thirty years (1969 - 1999) of writership and journalism career on cinema and arts. This book is appropriate for his dedication in the field of arts. He has several cinema publications to his credit; Children and Juvenile books is his other speciality.

Sinhala 'Oldies' in Moratuwa

Sinhala version of "Down Memory Lane', which has been titled "Gayamu Eda Gee' will come alive tonight at the Buddhist Hall, Moratuwa, from 6.30 p.m. to 8.45 p.m.

Entry tokens have been priced very moderately at Rs. 150/- (reserved seats) & Rs. 100/-. The box plan is available at 'Mithuru Hamuwa', No. 10, Holy Emmanuel Church Road, Moratuwa. "We expect the Moratuwa folk, along with others to gather for this sing-along with kinsmen and friends in great numbers and experience the joy of community singing", said C.L. Fonseka and Priya Peiris, the project chairman and secretary respectively.

Project advisor, renowned actor Asoka Peiris told the T.V. Times "We have included in the programme the most popular old songs that everybody knows and revel in singing at family gatherings, picnics etc."

The orchestra providing the ideal atmosphere for the sing-along sessions would be led by Rolinson Ferdinando who would have the services of the multi-talented veterans Nissanka Wimalasuriya and Sumith Perera along with other seasoned musicians from the MAF.

The galaxy of singers from the Forum would be present in large numbers to lend a helping hand to the audience in order to prop up the sing-along. Lankika Perera (Past President) and Tilak Perera (President) explained that there would be no over-crowding at the show and the full audience would be confortably accommodated in opera style semi-curved rows to make community singing more meaningful and to generate true fellowship and warmth.

It would well be advisable to make your bookings in advance since there is bound to be a great demand for 'Gayamu Eda Gee' especially from the song-crazy Moratuwa community.

Wizcraft manages entertainment

They are event managers... they are the leading entertaintment and events company in India..... they created new pathways in brand communication and they established the event management as an industry.

'Wizcraft' is an entertaintment agency started in India twelve years ago. And today Wizcrafts have their branches all over the world . They organize events such as Femina Miss India, Filmfare Awards and Live in Concerts which are even very popular with Sri Lankans. Wizcraft is even involved in corporate events such as 555 launch and Microsoft Office 2000 launch in India, Benson and Hedges launch in India and Mauritius. Wizcraft was here in Sri Lanka four months ago with the Indian band 'Kalishey' and organized the mega musical show in Matara. Mr. Rakshit Hangal and Sudesh from Wizcraft International entertainment in a recent visit to Sri Lanka revealed that they are hoping to conduct live in concerts in the country with Bollywood and Indian stars.

And a new restaurant in Hollywood style called 'Indian Talkies' will be opening in March in India. It will give an opportunity for the customers to entertain in typical Indian cultural entertainment with Bollywood super stars. And all special desserts will be named after famous movies in India. "We've learned that Sri Lankans are very good Bollywood fans. So we are planning to open an 'Indian Talkies' restuarant in Sri Lanka in the near future. So watch out. The day wont be very far that you take your meals in the restuarant seated next to a famous Bollywood star.

'Sanda Yahanata' portrays violence

By Susitha R. Fernando

"Violence is a part of our lives today. It is very closely linked with the present political system. The out come of it is so serious that it does not only punish the people who are directly involved in it but all the others who are innocent" the film director Mohamed Niyaz said talking of his latest film" Sanda Yahanata".

Playing key roles the duo Sanath Gunatilake and Sabitha Perera reappear on the silver screen after six year absence in this film which comes out with a theme that is appropriate to the present society. The story of the film "Sanda Yahanata" revolves around a girl whose future is decided not by her but by the powerful hand of violence that is empowered with the political victory.

Viveka (Sabitha Perera) the grama sevaka of the village is the eldest in a family where there are four girls. Jagath Hathurusinghe (Sanath Gunatilake) supports a politician in the area and he is interested in Viveka. But she opposed his advances due to several reasons including different political ideology. She also personally dislikes him. But the reason for the girls opposition to his entreaties are not understood.

The politician supported by Jagath is Cletus Mendis.

Jagath now empowered with the political power continues with his idea to get the approval of Viveka by force. Viveka has no power to fight against male dominance and political power of this society and all personal animosity against Jagath becomes ineffective. While the story continues the film ends in a tragedy. Though the story revolves around politics it brings the audience to another angle of it.

Speaking on the theme director Mohammed Niyaz said that the experience he has gained as a practicing lawyer and who had done deep studies on the criminology has led him to depict how political violence has disturbed the day to day lives of this society.

The cast of the film includes Palitha Silva, Cletus Mendis, Roshan Pilapitiya, Senaka Wijesinghe and Rashmi Paboda.

In the technical side, Lala Wickremerachchi is behind camera while the film is edited by M.S. Alamn. Sarath Wickrema had directed music. The film is to be released in June.

Saroja stresses ethnic unity

'Saroja', the children's film directed by Somaratne Dissanayake will be released in the fifth circuit from March 10.

The Saroja story speaks of ethnic unity and it is mainly a children's film. Saroja (Nithyavani Kandasami) is a Tamil girl. Her father is a terrorist and one day their home is burnt, and Saroja's mother is dead. Due to the army operation Saroja's father is wounded and they run away to the jungle. They enter an adjoining Sinhala village.

The father and daughter meet Varuni (Pramudi Karunaratne), the daughter of the village school teacher. Varuni is also of the same age as Saroja, but they cannot understand each other due to the language barrier.

But gradually a strong bond of friendship between them builds up. Varuni pleads with her parents and with much difficulty succeeds in providing accommodation for Saroja in their home. Later Saroja's father is also given shelter in the house.

However, suspicions arise among Police and Army officers resulting in the family being subject to various types of obstacles from the forces. Suddenly Saroja's father is killed by a terrorist.

Varuni's father is given a punishment transfer to another remote village school. The family too leaves, the village along with Saroja who is now treated as a family member.

'Saroja' has won the Viewers award for 'Best Film' and the credit as Best Picture of Asian Films at the 'Dhaka International Film Festival last month.

Children Nithyavani Kandasamy and Pramudi Karunaratne play the main roles in this film produced by Renuka Balasuriya. Vocalists Nanda Malani and Edward Jayakody have rendered their voices in this film.

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