• Chandimal in Nuwara Eliya
• Bonsoir at Pinnawela Orphanage
• Matrix-II
• Roy's 'Pem Kekula' will blossom soon
• Sri Lanka's 'Saroja' to compete at Houston Film Festival
• Listen to Ricky's English
• 21st Century Peter

Chandimal in Nuwara Eliya

'Chandimal and the Second Connection' again will be in action at Nuwara Eliya for the coming holiday season.

This is Chandimal's thirteenth year in Nuwara Eliya during the holiday season and will be playing at the Grand Hotel from April 8 to 20. Chandimal and the Second Connection was in Doha last week for 'SriLankan Airlines Awards nite at Sofitel Hotel.

This was the Band's second tour to Doha.

This time the tour was sponsored by SriLankan Airlines and I would like to thank the sales manager of SriLankan Airlines in Doha Chanaka Olagama for sponsoring the Band for this exclusive awards nite', Chandana said.

Bonsoir at Pinnawela Orphanage

Bonsoir's Kumar de Silva and Yasmin Rajapakse invite you to join them on a day-trip to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in the company of Senerath Gunasena, Director of the National Zoological Gardens under whose purview fall both the Pinnawela Orphange and the Dehiwela Zoo.

Trundling across the countryside, you will see how French conservationists come up with creative ways to make man's needs compatible with those of nature by constructing highway bridges to protect animals.

Then a quick chat with Dr. Jean-Yves Collet, a French wildlife film director and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine about 'The Macaque Family', his acclaimed film on the monkeys of Polonnaruwa.

While at Pinnawela, you can walk around the Elephant Orphanage, join the 62 pachyderms in a refreshing dip in the Maha Oya and then go across to an adjacent 35 acre block of land where Sri Lanka's second zoo (and this country's largest) will be established.

Linking up with France, will be visits to the Vincennes Zoo south of Paris where animals are seen in their natural habitat, a report on the illegal trafficking of animals, and special animal stations at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

On Monday at 8.00 p.m. on ITN.

Matrix-II

'MaTrix-II', a discotheque will be held at the Legends on March 31 at 10.00 pm onwards.

MATRIX, a disc with a difference, was held for the first time in Colombo last September and was a grand success.

This innovative Disc is organised by the Rotaract Club of Colombo.

The official newspaper is TV Times and the official radio station for the event is Sun FM.

So keep listening to it everyday 'cos you might win a couple of ticket through on air competitions.

There will be a lot of competitions happenings. You can win some super prizes So be there to be a part of the action. Friday the 31st of March at the Legends.

Roy's 'Pem Kekula' will blossom soon

By Nilika de Silva

A winning venture is underway as the finishing touches are added to 'Pem Kekula', a hilarious comedy film directed by Roy de Silva and produced by Darshana Films.

This comedy promises the whole family two hours of fun-filled entertainment, as Director Roy de Silva attempts an experimental 'stunt' as it were.

Casting serious actors and "stunt stars" to play in a comedy, Roy sets out to prove that an actor cannot be type cast and caged within one character as is very often done in Sri Lanka. Nobody really can know the potential for humour which exists within the person, says, Roy who stresses that an actor must be versatile.

Humour lies often in the unexpected. Therefore, the actors themselves when they are no longer the "everyday joker" who slowly tends to become a caricature, acts himself in a manner unexpected from him. A "dushtaya" (villain) need not always be a "dushtaya" and a "hero" need not always be a "hero", stresses Roy.

"As long as I live, my life is in cinema!", says Director, Roy de Silva who counts 36 years experience in cinema. His films include 'Cherio Captain' - the first Army Comedy, 'Soorayan Athara Weeraya', 'Okkama Kanapita', 'Re Daniel, Daval Migel' Part 1, and Part 2 ,which is to be released by the end of this month.

His film 'Re Daniel, Daval Migel,' was the Sinhala film that collected the highest ever at the box office, and with 'Pem Kekula' Roy is once again preparing to give the Sri Lankan public another rib tickling box office hit.

The story centres around three very successful businessmen, "good buddies" who get bitten by the mid life bug and want to get some entertainment back into their lives. So after packing their wives off to 'Dambadiva' the three attempt to recapture their bachelor days, and plan a trip out of Colombo. The driver they hire convinces them to go to Hikkaduwa, simply because his girl friend is working at a hotel there. And that's when the action begins.

On this "mad tour", the 'would-be-young-mens' imaginations start to run wild, dancing, courting, fighting, they woo the girl ,who loves them 'only'! Things start getting sorted out only when the men realise "There's no life, without the wife."

"We need this type of films," says Stunt Director and Actor, Robin Fernando, who has acted in over a hundred films adding, "We have forgotten the fact that we have to compete with international films. This is a film which you don't have to go back to the bus halt and think what has happened." "I'm positive it will be a success as the trend is for light entertainment," says Wilson Gunaratne of 'Nonawaruni Mahathwaruni' fame.

"This is my first comic role in a film." said Wilson.

"It's a challenge to act in a comedy film," says Sanath Gunathilake. "In a way it's very exciting. This is my 23rd year in the film industry" says Sanath who has done close upon100 films.

W. Jayasiri who has 35 years of acting experience says when you act there is no difference between comedy and serious, "I think the most important thing is that we entertain people," Jayasiri adds.

Lahiru, the star in 'Damini', Jayantha Bopearachchi, says that Roy de Silva was his 'guru', when he first studied cinema in 1988 and therefore he's very happy that his first film appearance is under the direction of Roy.

'First timers' on the sets with Sanath, Upali Keerthisena, and Mangala Premaratne, said they felt they were lucky to be working with stars of the calibre of Sanath Gunathilake, Wilson Gunaratne, Robin Fernando and Wilson Karunaratne. They added that all the stars had been very supportive, not looking down upon them as amateurs.

The star studded cast of 'Pem Kekula' comprises Sanath Gunathilake, Wilson Gunaratne, Robin Fernando, Jayantha Bopearachchi, Dilhani Ekanayake, Sanoja Bibile, W. Jayasiri, Wilson Karunaratne, Ronnie Leitch, Suwineetha Weerasinghe, Angela Seneviratne and Kumari Dissanayake.

Direction and Script is by Roy de Silva. The story is from Buddhi Keerthisena.

Art Director in this film is Suneth Nandalal and the cinamatogrpher is G. Nandasena. Editing -M.S. Alimann, Production Executive Daminda D. Madawela. Assisted by Nalaka Ratnayake and Nilantha Perera.

Music is provided by Somapala Ratnayake and Make Up by Sanjaya Nipunaarachchi .

Sri Lanka's 'Saroja' to compete at Houston Film Festival

Award winning film "Saroja" which was selected to compete at the 33rd Annual Worlfest-Houston International Film Festival is to be screened at the public screening section of the festival from April 7 to 16.

The film directed by Somaratne Dissanayake and produced by Renuka Balasuriya is among the 45 feature films which have been selected from all over the world. The forty five films will compete for the Gold, Silver, Bronze and for the best film in the festival. Representing Sri Lanka for the first time "Saroja" will compete in the sections of film for the family and the children, maiden feature film of a director and for the foreign film.

Earlier the film was awarded as the best film chosen by the audience and best Asian film at the Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh and chosen for the competitive section of the Kerala and Singapore Film Festivals.

The awards ceremony of the Houston International Film Festival will he held on April 15.

Listen to Ricky's English

By Sanath Weerasuriya

'Listen To The Original Music,' the competition with difference; had a massive response from the local music lovers.

We will be announcing the winners of the very first competition on Mariah Carey of March 12 next week.

This week's star is Ricky Martin.

'Listen To Original Music' competition is organised by TV Times in association with 'Sony Music and Maharaja Entertainments Limited. 'Listen To The Original Music' brings the local music fans an opportunity to win original CD and Cassettes every week, of great artistes like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Ricky Martin. Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond and many more.

All you have to do is to go through the Ricky Martin story and answer the simple question on the coupon.

The entries should be sent by post to reach the address given below on or before April 5.

Listen To Original Music Contest No. 3.
C/o Maharaja Entertainments (Pvt) Ltd.,
330, T.B.Jayah Mawatha,
Colombo - 10.
Tel: +94 1 672425-8, Fax: + 94 1 699070

E Mail: me@Igo.lk

All the entries must be originals and no photocopies or faxes will be entertained. All correct entries will be drawn by a panel of judges.

Employees of Sunday Times and Maharaja Entertainments (Pvt) Ltd and their family members will not be entitled to take part in the contest.

The decision of the judges will be final and the names of the winner will be announced in the Sunday Times.

More than a billion viewers in 187 countries across the globe felt the power and energy of Ricky Martin's electrifying performance of "The Cup Of Life" at the l999 Grammy Awards ceremony; "La Copa de la Vida," the official song of the World Cup France '98. This song has been a No. 1 single in more than 30 countries.

That same night, Ricky's latest full-length Latin recording, Vuelve, won the Grammy for Best Latin Pop Performance. With his magical career-defining performance, Ricky Martin - an international superstar who has sold more than 15 million records worldwide and packs stadiums from Buenos Aires to Beijing to New Delhi and beyond - was suddenly a recognizable name and presence in more than 24 million US households.

Ricky Martin, his first English language album is the next step in the evolution of this remarkable talent. "It's all about communicating," Ricky says by way of explaining his decision to record in English. "I will never stop singing in Spanish - that's who I am - but this was always part of the plan." A labour of love and passion, Ricky Martin has been two years in the making.

"I was not going to release this album until I was completely content with what I'd be presenting," admits Ricky, the consummate professional and painstaking artiste.

"I want to listen to my music in 30 years and say, 'Great album!' The time for this album is now not because I'm ready now and I wasn't before, but because now the music is ready."

The first track off Ricky Martin is "Livin' La Vida Loca," a sensuous celebration of life driven by a loaded rock bass line, sexy-smart lyrics, raw vocals and pulsating rhythms.

According to Ricky, "that's the single because I want to say, 'Hey! Boom! I'm here! Check this out!' The song has a little bit of Latin, a little bit of ska, a little bit of rock there's even a little bit of the '60s, sort of a James Bond sound."

21st Century Peter

'20th Century A.D.' a popular band led by Peter de Almeida has changed its name to '21st Century A.D.'

"I thought I should change the name of the band to keep with the new millennium . Also we have decided to cater for the younger generation too" Peter said

'21st Century A.D' now comprises of Peter de Almeida on keyboards, Ravi Jayawickrema on drums, Sameera Weerasingha on bass and Sudath Mannapperuma on lead guitar

They will be in action at a popular night spot in Colombo.

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