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TV Times

'Tharupaba': Love life of a journalist
'Tharupaba' is the story of a daring journalist who is caught up in a triangular love affair, now being telecast every Monday at 9 pm on Swarnavahini channel.
The story revolves around a young girl Tharupaba Senanayake, who was born into a wealthy family. As a result of her father's excessive spending they lose their huge ancestral home and all what they possesed. Tharupaba's mother separates from her husband to live in a small house with her two children. She earns her living by dressmaking.

Paboda Sandeepani and Channa Perera in a scene from ' Tharupaba'

When her mother becomes ill Tharupaba joins a newspaper as a journalist. The chief editor and the proprietor of the newspaper is Sudam Prathapasinghe. Sudam is a shrewd and dynamic man who would achieve every goal in his life at any cost.

Saramith Rukmalwila is a popular singer who suddenly disappears. Sudam finds out that Saramith has disguised himself and is spending a solitary life in Kandy. He wants Tharupaba to write an article about Saramith. She takes it as a challenge.

While Tharupaba gets ready to meet that challenge, Sudam invites her to visit his home. Tharupaba goes there with her mother. On her visit Tharupaba gets acquainted with Sudam's fiancee Krishani.

Tharupaba goes to Kandy and meets Saramith by using a ploy to deceive him. She learns that he disguised himself after his wife Chapa deserted him. Tharupaba manages to convince him to come out of his retirement. She writes a brilliant but factual article on him which is appreciated by everyone.

Meanwhile Tharupaba is aware that Sudam has an idea about her. It unsettles her. Saramith also tries to get close to her, which makes Sudam angry. Sudam blames Tharupaba. She is confused by his strange behaviour.

Sudam, Tharupaba, Saramith and Krishani are caught up in a web of love and deceit.

The major cast in 'Tharupaba' are Rangana Premaratne, Paboda Sandeepani, Channa Perera, Semini Iddamalgoda, G. R. Perera, Malani Ranasinghe, Sanath Wimalasiri, Prasannajith Abeysuriya, Sandeepa Sewmini and Vindya Madhushanika.

Restrospective of Pathiraja films in Singapore
By Susitha R. Fernando
The 16th Singapore International Film Festival scheduled to be held from April 21 to May 3 will have a special focus on Sri Lankan cinema.

The Retrospective will be one of the festival highlights. This will be the first ever international retrospective of Pathiraja films and is sure to draw interested film viewers. This exposure is in recognition of his ground breaking work in the Asian region, which has hitherto not received the place it deserves. 'Ahas Gawwa', 'Bambaru Avith', 'Para Dige', 'Soldadu Unnehe' and 'Ponnmani' (Tamil) will be screened in the retrospective.

Asoka Handagama's 'Thani Thatuwen Piyambanna' will be screened in the competitive section titled Silver Screen Awards. Boodee Keerthisena's 'Mille Soya' and Professor Sunil Ariyaratne's 'Sudu Sevaneli' are included in the Asian Cinema Section.

Dharmasena Pathiraja will serve on the Silver Screen Awards and Ashley Ratnavibushana will serve on the FIPRESCI/NETPAC joint Jury.

The Asian Film Centre has coordinated the Sri Lankan package of eight films. A Retrospective of Dharmasena Pathiraja in an international film festival has been a dream of AFC for many years.

The screening schedule will be as follows: 'Bambaru Avith' on April 23, 'Paradige on April 26, 'Ahas Gawwa on April 28, 'Ponmani on April 29, 'Soldadu Unnehe' on May 01, Mille Soya on April 26 and Sudu Sevaneli on April 27.

Dharmasena Pathiraja emerged as a political conscious film-maker in the early seventies. His debut feature was 'Ahas Gawwa' made in 1974 produced by Mitraratne Herath. The film broke new ground with its urban lower middle class emphasis. It was considered as the pioneering effort towards the alternative film making in Sri Lanka. Three young men have to face the realities of adult life as they move on from youthful frolicking to battle issues of unemployment, restlessness, and the allure of the city.

'Bambaru Avith' was made in 1978 and produced by Thilak Godamanne. Based in Kalpitya - a fishing village this film demonstrates powerfully Pathiraja's desire to fashion a socially committed cinema.

'Ponmani' made in 1978 when Pathiraja was attached to the Sinhala Department of the Jaffna University. His only Tamil language film is about a starkly different socio-economic culture and political climate. Set in the northern city of Jaffna, it traces the fortunes and concerns of an economically depleted upper caste lower middle class family. The film was produce by Muttiah Rajasingham and the screenplay written by Kavaloor Rajadurai.

'Paradige' was produced by Thilak Godammane and made in 1980. This is a film about the instabilities of youthful urban life, its search for roots, and its lust for survival. It was based on a short story written by Ajith Thilakasena.

'Soldadu Unnehe' made in 1981, a film about four people, all exiles from society, bound together by ties of affection and mutual inter-dependence. It is produced by Dharmasena Pathiraja himself. This film shared the best film of the first three-decades of Sri Lankan cinema with 'Kaliyugaya' directed by Dr. Lester James Peiris.

Asian Film Centre will publish a booklet titled "An Incomplete Sentence: The films of Dharmasena Pathiraja" to mark this occasion.

Cineyatra-Film Festival in North
After twenty-five years, Sri Lankan Film Festival comprising Sinhala and Tamil films was held in North and East recently.

Seven works of leading filmmakers were screened at 'Cineyatra film festival' in Jaffna, Vavuniya and Batticaloa. Some of the directors too participated in the event. The films, subtitled in Tamil, were Lester James Peiris Nidhanaya, Dharmasiri Pathiraja's Ponmani, Vasantha Obeysekare's Theertha Yathra, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake's Bawa Duka and Bawa Karma, Prasanna Vithanage's Purahanda Kaluwara and Ashoka Handagama's Chanda Kinnari. The festival was organised by Trikone Art Centre in association with North East Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, and Youth Affairs and the Asian Film Centre.

Following the final screening at Prof. Kailaspathy Auditorium of the Jaffna University from March 26 to 31 a seminar and a discussion on Sri Lankan cinema was held with the participation of Dharmasiri Pathiraja, Vasantha Obeysekera, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, Ashoka Handagama and Ashley Ratnavibhushana, the president of the Asian Film Centre. In addition Prasanna Vithanage who participated at the festival had held several discussions on cinema with the participation of mostly the youth in Jaffna. Speaking on behalf of the organizing committee Ashley said, the last film festival is said to have been held in 1977. There was a very positive response for the festival this time.

'Wing Bird' wings its way to many lands

Inoka Sathyangani's maiden direction 'Wing Bird' ('Sulang Kirilli') has been selected to represent Sri Lanka at two other international film festivals.

The film was chosen for the final round of the official participation in "Women in the Director's Chair" section at Chicago International Film Festival- USA. Having seen over 750 directions around the world, the 60-member jury had unanimously selected 'Sulang Kirilli for the final round of the festival. Chicago IFF is one of the leading non-competitive film festivals open to both amateurs and professional film makers.

'Sulang Kirilli' will also be screened at the final round of the competitive section of the 21st Cinemateca del Uruguay- Latin American official participation in the International competition of the Best International film-2003.

Earlier the film represented Sri Lanka for the first time and was selected for the first 12 films at Tokyo International Film Festival in Japan. This is one of the five 'Grade A' category foreign film festivals.

In addition 'Sulang Kirilli' was also selected for six other festivals and it was chosen as one of the best five films in the Competitive section at the 33rd New Delhi International Film Festival. It became the official entry at the 26th Cairo IFF in Egypt, 29th Flanders IFF in Belgium and official entry to the final competitive section at 26th Sao Paulo IFF in Brazil.

The young filmmaker had been selected to participate in the four and a half-month workshop named "Residence of the Cannes Film Festival" (LA Rasidence Du Festival) to be held in France next year.

Meanwhile Inoka has finished writing the script for her second direction "Sanda Malak" (Blossom of the Moon) and is preparing for the pre-production work.

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