TV Times

TV Times

‘Wind’ blows away Benette
By Susitha R. Fernando
Benette Ratnayake of ‘Aswesuma’ (The Compensation) fame is almost nearing the completion of his second cinematic venture ‘Sulanga’ (The Wind). It is in the postproduction stage having completed filming and editing.

Woven around the universal theme of love the film is a cinematic revelation of connection between love and the work of the human mind. Revolving around four women from different social categories; an uneducated female, a young girl who had passed her Ordinary Level exam, a graduate and the other a professor. The theme of the film being love it brings out the different reactions of different people to love. Love it is said, is common and universal.

“My aim was to give a broad interpretation to how the mind works once one gets attracted to the opposite sex or falls in love”, the award winning director said. There is no one who has not experienced love at one stage or the other of life. Thus it runs like a thread in everyone’s life, Benette continued elaborating on his work. The theme is presented using simple cinematic treatment which anybody can understand.

Having handled a film about a serious issue in “Aswesuma” which won him even international acclaim Benette’s response to why he chose love as the theme for his second film was, “This is not a film woven around a simple love story. It discusses how the human mind works when in search of love.”

Speaking about the selection of the title ‘Sulanga’he said, love cannot be seen but only felt. So was the wind. At times wind can be a gentle breeze and the same wind at another time could become a monstrous storm which could destroy life and property. Love, it must be understood possesses the same power.

The film stars Sanath Gunathilake, Dilhani Ekanayake, Palitha Silva, Chandani Seneviratne, Sriyani Amerasena, Roger Seneviratne, Rangana Premaratne, Sanoja Bibile, Semini Iddamalgoda, Gayani Gishanthika, Jagath Chamila, Daya Alwis and Sarath Kotalawela.

With ‘Sulanga’, Benette Ratnayake introduces a number of fresh faces to the cinema. Sathya Erandathi Ratnayake is introduced in a lead role while others Udara Ratnayake, Sujani Saman Kumari, Manuki Hettiarachchi, Manisha Jayawardena and Dewmini Danya Alawatte play their maiden roles on the silver screen with this film.

The technical crew included B. Wishwanath as cinematographer, Lal Harendranath as art director, Ravindra Guruge as editor and Ranjith Wickremasinghe as art director. The lyrics of Sunil Ariyaratne have been set to music by Rohana Weerasinghe.

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