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Rahubedde
filming in New Zealand Carl is a university
lecturer. While living in New Zealand they get caught up in a nuclear
war. The whole country is devastated by this nuclear war. It is
announced that the nuclear dust is fatal and would cause death within
a limited time. Veronica is trapped in a room with the children.
All the while Carl is trapped in a Nuclear Prevention Centre with
a young European girl and he is prevented from leaving the Unit.
He is informed that everyone who lived in his humble hometown had
passed away. During this time he has an affair with the European
girl, with whom he is trapped in the centre. Veronica in
the meantime is doing all she could to save her life and the children's
too. Sara, who lives with them is working with her stepmother and
tries hard to help save her step siblings. Carl and the
European girl has a daughter together and after seventeen years
they decides to come back to Carl's humble hometown. They are amazed
by the after effects of the nuclear war. New Zealand-
Sri Lanka joint cast for the major roles in 'Sara' include Duleeka
Marapana, Ama Wijesekara, Keerthi Pasquel, Benjamin Mitchell. Alex
Lee, Anastasia Smirnova, Duneeshya Gunasekara. Scripted, produced and co-directed by Sumithra Rahubadde in association with Sudath Devapriya the tele-play is edited by Ravindra Guruge. Music director for the tele is Tharpathy Munasinghe. 'Thahanam
Gaha': A film with a political flavour The two children
in the Wijewardena family, Sarath the eldest is a lawyer by profession
and wants to follow his father's political lineage. Wasantha the
youngest is still a student. After the death of Wijewardena, Helen
lives along with a servant named Sumana. Living in an estate belonging
to the family the two sons look after it. Wasantha, young
as he is, falls in love with a school girl, Nirmala (Dilhani Ekanayake)
who lives with her mother, Seetha (Anoja Weerasinghe). Looking after
the property inherited from her dead husband Seetha was widowed
in her youth and her beauty had not faded yet. In fact she has a
good taste for arts and quality music. Hearing of
her daughter's affair Seetha one day invites Wasantha to her home.
Wasantha takes his only brother too for the journey and Seetha satisfied
with the two brothers approves of the affair. The two brothers who
regularly visited Seetha's family become close friends of the two
women. But Sarath who has similar taste as that of Seetha develops
an affair with Seetha despite strong objection from his younger
brother. Conflict between two brothers prompts Wasantha to leave
his brother. Meanwhile Seetha who had earlier been approved of the
affair between Wasantha and her daughter now comes to oppose it.
But the youngsters wed in secret and Sarath who desired to follow
in his father's footsteps begins to dabble in politics but does
not achieve much success due to lack of experience in working with
the people. Despite many upsets Sarath is finally pitted against
'Punchibandara Dissanayake' a right wing politician and a brother
of Seetha's late husband who is also an influential businessman
in the area. As the election
fever rises Puchibandara uses Sarath's illicit affair with his brother's
wife in the campaign to attack the left leaning candidate. Not only
from out side even within the party Sarath is criticised for his
bad conduct and poor performance in leadership. However Sarath loses
the election and Punchibandara is elected to parliament. Disheartened
Nirmala who failed in her attempts to stop the affair between her
mother and Sarath, commits suicide. Wasantha following the death
of his fiancee too commits suicide. Though losing everything Seetha
and Sarath continue with the affair which was disapproved from everyone.
Selling all the property she inherited by her legitimate husband
Seetha leaves the village with Sarath. Helen, the disheartened mother
after the death of her younger son and the illicit affair carried
on by her elder son, decides to go in search of her own freedom.
Thus "Thahanam Gaha" depicts the end of an era of great
political ideology due to the individual failures of its unfitting
leaders. Razi Anwar,
Cyril Wickremage, Shashi Wijendra, Indrajith Navinna and Srimathi
Heenatigala are also in the cast in the film in which the story,
screenplay and direction was done by Christy Shelton Fernando for
the production of Ranjith Perera for Winson films. Andrew Jayamanne handles the camera and Elmo Halliday is the editor. Visharadha Nanda Malani, Ivor Dennis, Karunaratne Diulgane and Pradeepa Dharmadasa rendered their voices to the music direction of Sarath Wickrema.
Late R. Muttusamy
was the Assistant Music Director for the first Sinhala motion picture,
'Kadawunu Poronduwa' (Broken Promise), which was released at the
Kingsley Cinema in 1947. Born on January
5, 1926 Muttusamy Master, as he was fondly known, composed music
for more than 225 Sinhala and Tamil films in Sri Lanka. Ramaya Muttusamy
hailed from the village of Nagarkovil in South India and was the
only son of versatile Malayalee musician Ramaya Baghwather. Little
Muttusamy who had practised on a baby violin enjoyed the rare privilege
of mastering the violin at the tender age of ten. Then R. Narayana
lyer, the music director of Kadawuna Poronduwa gave the opportunity
for Muttusamy to join his orchestra as the Assistant Director having
recognised his talents as a violinist. Later the South Indian producer
of the film had encouraged Muttusamy to visit Ceylon where his career
as a music director was firmly established. On October
20 1952 Muttusamy Master joined the state-owned Radio Ceylon's Tamil
Orchestra and in 1953 he joined producer Nayagam to be in charge
of his newly built Sundera Murugan Studio (Now SPM Studio) in Kandana.
During this period business tycoon-cum-film producer K. Gunaratnam
sought his services for the movies he produced. In 1953 Muttusamy
made his debut as a film music director with the Sinhala film Prema
Tharangaya. He received
an award for the Best Music Director for the film from the South
Indian Journalists' Association. This paved him the way to compose
sweet stuff for hundreds of films like Puduma Leyli, Ahankara Sthree,
Mathalan, Sandeshaya, Sithaka Mahima, Nalangana etc. Among the hundreds
of popular hits for which he composed music were Walpola's Honda
Hondama Weya Lowa, Lankaren Malak Pipee, Jothipala's Puruthugeesikaraya,
Haroon Lantra's Mage Namalee, Milton Perera's Winodawenna, Sujatha's
Aadare Mandire are a few hits that comes to our mind instantly.
Several South Indian and local singers have sung under Muttusamy's
baton. Dharmadasa, Lata, Jothipala, Angeline, Mohideen Baig, Sujatha,
GSB, Narada Dissasekera were some notable local singers while Pundit
Amaradeva had also read his violin under Muttusamy Masters' direction. In recognition
of his contribution to the Sinhala cinema and music scene, the then
Prime Minister, Sir John Kotelawela awarded him an honourary Ceylon
citizenship in June 1956. He re-joined the Radio Ceylon in 1958
and served there till January 1981. On October 7, 1961 he married
B.D.E. Neeliya Perera, who hailed from a well known Sinhalese family
in Kandy and had four children, Mohanraj and three daughters, Chitrangi,
Prasanna Vadhani and Keerthika. His only son Mohanraj of 'Apsaras'
fame is today a talented musician like his father. Apart from
being a Carnatic music teacher, Muttusamy Master was also a singer
too who rendered his voice in several Sinhala films. Some of them like Madura Yame, Giluna Soka Gange, Mage Desama Piyawee Unne are popular even today. In commemoration of 10th death anniversary ceremony was held June 1998 at the Elphinstone Theatre where first of his songs were sung under his son Mohanraj's music direction. The master tunesmith who rendered yeoman services to the silver screen passed away peacefully on June 27, 1988 at the Sulaiman's Hospital. |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Mrs. Rahubadde
is an award winning writer and was once the chair-person of the
committee dealing with Wijewardena Novel (script) competition section.
The story woven around 'Sara' is a 15 year old girl. Her father
is Carl Siriwardena and step mother is Veronica. William and Catherine
are her step brother and sister.
The film
is the second directorial effort of Christy Shelton Fernando and
is produced by Ranjith Perera.
