'Senuri' goes in search of a father
"Senuri", the story of child who craves for the warmth of a father will be telecast every Friday at 8.35 pm on Rupavahini channel.

The teleplay based on a novel written by Edward Mallawarachchi is produced by Janaka Suranjith De Silva and directed by Gamini Ratnasiri.

Senuri a four year old child is a pre-schooler, whose father was a flying officer who had disappeared during an operation in the north. She awaits eagerly for the day her father will return. Not wanting to tell Senuri of her father's deatah Heshani, Senuri's mother pretends that her father is abroad.

Kokila, a young media presenter is popular with the young ones for his impressive radio and TV programmes. Haresha his assistant is popular due to Kokila's popularity and are in love. In the competitive world of media their programmes are popular.

One day when Kokila goes to pick up his niece at the international school he meets Senuri. Senuri asks him to carry her as she sees that Kokila resembles Senuri's father. Kokila does so and hugs her while rejecting Heshani's objection since he realises that a refusal will be detrimental to little Senuri.

Heshani gets to know that Kokila is engaged to be married but they meet each other due to the child. Heshani suffers from an eye complaint and Kokila seeks to help her.

Although Kokila does this with compassion Haresha his fiancee objects. His sister a teacher too is angry because of his connection with a widow having a child. She thinks it will blight his future.

Haresha's brother a lawyer hears the news that Kokila is carrying on with a married woman.

Kokila's mother Mrs. Inimankada gives her consent to the marriage forgetting the religious differences because she was happy that her son would be married to a affluent family. This problem with Heshani upsets her.

Heshani is hospitalised due to her eye condition. Despite his mother's objection Kokila brings Senuri to his home. Kokila's mother at first resents this intrusion but gradually succumbs to the child's caressing.

Her five children are married and gone abroad she need someone to love and this child fills her needs. She had someone to share her routine now and Senuri too loves her.

Haresha is sad due to this development. Kokila has a conflict with his employer over a controversial programme and he resigns.

In the meantime Haresha is given a scholarship. At first she expresses her reluctance but later Kokila persuades her to accept it.

Heshani has to suffer many heartaches yet she bears them because of Kokila.

Haresha meets Heshani on the day she was to leave for Germany. She stakes her claim to Kokila clearly with Heshani.

When Kokila goes home to take Heshani to the hospital after leaving Haresha at the airport he finds that she had already left home with the child.

Kokila comes home to find a letter written by Heshani which makes him as well as his mother depressed at the loss of Heshani and Senuri.

The cast in the miniplay are Roger Seneviratne, Dilani Abeywardena, child actor- Panchali Kaushalya, Hyacinth Wijeratne, Sunitha Wimalaweera, Ananda Wickremage and Biyanka Shayamali.

'Arumosam Wehi' focuses on children
By Susitha R. Fernando
"The Fancy Rain" (Arumosam Wehi) the third directorial effort by Priyantha Kolambage will be released on National Film Corporation circuit from this month.

His two earlier films namely 'Dehana' and 'Vimukthi' were both released in 1994. In the latest film he focuses on children.

'The Fancy Rain' is woven around a circus team that came to a remote village a few decades back and highlights the changes that had taken place in the traditional lives of the people.

The circus puts up its tents in the playground used by the village children and this displaces them without a proper place to play.

The film thus depicts how the traditional village undergoes changes with this intrusion. Around the circus ground the villagers erect trade stalls thus causing a change in the traditional lifestyle of being farmers. Circus itself is a source of conflict to the village as its youngsters begin thieving to get money to see the circus. The villagers realise the prise they had to pay for having this circus in their village.

Meanwhile the plot thickens when the manager(W. Jayasiri) makes plans to own the circus team. 'Arumosam Wehi' focuses on the central figure "Bindu", played by Mahendra Perera, the clown of the circus who is being ill-treated by the Manager.

He secretly plans to get away from Bindu first to realise his goal before the arrival of the owner. But Bindu who has a liking for the owner opposes the manager's plot.

Meanwhile Bindu with Laila, a girl artiste in the circus befriends the children in the village and volunteers to teach them circus acts. However Bindu meets with an accident while performing as a result of a plan by the scheming manager. He falls from the swing and breaks his back. This could affect his livelihood.

When he recovers according to a ruse by the Manager he is falsely accused of stealing some money from the manager and is locked up.

But Bindu's friend Laila with the children's help crushes the allegations against him and "Arumosam Wehi" ends on a happy note when the circus owner comes to realise who the real thief was.

Asked about the title and the film Priyantha said "the word fancy is related to something that brings happiness but this is not a permanent happiness. Even among these fancies there are saddening sides. Likewise the lives of the very people in the circus who labour to make others happy are full of misery.

"Circus is used as a tool to enter the children's world" said the director who made the initial script as far back as 1987 under the title "Kurumitto" (Dwarfs).

Set in Nachchidoowa in Anuradhapura there are some superb photographic shots.

Playing the main role of Bindu Mahendra Perera gives a fine performance of a circus artiste convincingly. Others in the stellar cast with him are W. Jayasiri, Nuwangi Liyanage, Wasantha Wittachchi and a host of child actors who display their acting abilities.

In the technical crew is art director Athul Sulthanagoda, screen play is by Jayantha Kolambage, and Suminda Weerasinghe handles the camera. Samantha Perera as a first timer handles music direction while lyrics have been written by Nilar M. Cassim for 'Arumosam Wehi'. The film is produced under the sponsorship of National Film Corporation.

The film represented Lanka at the recently held 33rd Film Festival of India in New Delhi.

Although the plot is simple and easily understood Priyantha Kolambage has achieved his objective in making an entertaining film for children.

'Surapurata Kanyaviyak': Mario's new film
'Surapurata Kanyaviyak' directed by Mario Jayatunge is now being screened at Ritz in Borella and other cinemas.

The main roles are played by Dilhani Ashokamala, Veena Jayakody, Suresh Gamage, Gayana Sudarshani, Manel Wanaguru, Sureni Senarath and Menike Attanayake.

Nimal Nakande handles the camera while Kumarasiri De Silva has done the editing. Musical score is by Sara Wickrema.

The film is produced by Roshan Meraj Yaseen for S. Y. films. Story, dialogue and screen play is by Mario Jayatunge.

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