TV Times

‘Ranga Soba’ depicts the life of an actress

‘Ranga Soba’ a miniplay based on the biography of a famous Norwegian actress Liv Ulmann's ''Changing'' is telecast every weekend Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm on Swarnavahini channel.

Scripted by well-known writer, Sumithra Rahubadda, the teledrama is directed by Premakumara Jayawardane.

Director Premakumara Jayawardane

Sumithra Rahubadda

The star cast veterans from both silver screen and the miniscreen include Wasanthi Chathurani, Ravindra Randeniya, Iranangani Serasinghe, Anula Karunathilake, Neeta Fernando, Douglas Ranasinghe, Pradeep Senanayake, Kaushalya Fernando, Janaka Kumbukage, Grace Ariyawimal, Ama Wijesekara, Awanthi Aponsu, Gayani Fernando, Malkanthi Jayasingha, Susantha Chandramali, Gnananga Gunawardane, Bandula Withanage, Samanthi Lanerolle, Wasanthi Ranwala, Kumara Thirimadura, Daminda Samarakkody, Somasiri Alakolanga, Gamini Jayalath, Giriraj Kaushalya, Chamila Peiris, Gimhani Kawya Herath, Ayodya Ratnasiri and Bandula Sooriyabandara.

Namini Abeynayake is a girl who is dreaming to be an actress. Her mother Sardha categorically objects to Namini's idea, but Namini tries her best to achieve her objective. Her father is dead. Popular Cinema directress and her director husband come to her school and selects Namini for a character in their film. Namini takes the challenge without considering her mothers objection. Gradually, she becomes a famous actress and wins many local and international awards. She meets Doctor Positha Wakwella and they decide to get married, although Positha's parents object. After the marriage he starts sharing her lifestyle and her contacts with other artistes. Positha decides to divorce her and he succeeds.

Irangani sene from the teledrama

Namini tries to overcome this trauma and then she meets the renowned film director Visaka Devendra. He selects her for his new film. After sometime they get married and Namini gives birth to a daughter named Nupa.

Visaka is a person who wants the fullest love, but does not know that others also want to be loved. Meanwhile, a journalist called Mana comes to them and, Mana and Visaka develop a special friendship. Mana criticises Visaka and surprisingly he loves it. The marriage between Namini and Visaka comes to an end. Mana becomes the driving force of Visaka's life and Namini decides to live with her daughter.

Speaking about 'Ranga Soba', director Premakumara Jayawardena said "At the beginning we had doubt how a life story of a Norwegian actress is going to be adapted to Sri Lankan teledrama. "But we had faith in the script writer, Sumithra Rahubadda," said the director.

Ravi and Vasanthi

The most important point is that the script required a highly talented cast to do justice to the story, which is about a person who is still living. And I should be grateful to the producer Wasanthi Chathurani who did not hesitate to get the best cast,"

In the technical crew, editor Manjula Malwatta, art director Chandana Nishantha Peiris and camera handled by Thrishula Deepa Thambavita.

Indika Udara Lanka was the make- up artiste while Nadeeka Guruge composed the musical score.

Assisted by Wasitha Samaranayake Ranga Soba is produced by Wasanthi Chathurani.

Rahubadda on ‘Ranga Soba’

‘The story that one comes across in 'Ranga Soba' is common to any actor in any part of the world,’ script writer Sumithra Rahubadda on whose translation the miniplay was made said.

‘Liv Ulmann was really happy to hear that her biography was being translated into Sinhala’ Ms. Rahubadda said.

It was 1993 that I came across the biography of Liv Ulmann from a book I got from an Australian bookstall and I realised that it merited translation one day," she said. Having watched a number of films played by Ulmann, I knew about her life story. She is not just an actress. She is an Oscar nominee and was named as one of the best ten actresses in the world. In addition she lived with Ingmar Bergman for five years and played almost all the successful films he made.

‘Even though she lived with all the glamour as an actress, she faced the problems that any woman would face’.

As an actress she came down in all the interviews she faced but any actress who succeeded in the interviews could not come to the height she reached," the experienced writer stated.

‘And interestingly it is Liv Ulmann who looks after 85 year old Bergmann at present’ she stated.

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