Tale of a tea estate

Director Malith Hiranya's 'Gira Shikara Meda', a story woven around a family of a wealthy tea planter is now being telecast every Wednesday at 7.30 pm on Rupavahini channel.

In the cast, Veena Jayakody, Buddadasa Vithanarachchi, Sriyani Amerasena, Ruwan Wickremasinghe, Amila Abeysekera, Sumana Wanninayake, Sunitha Wimalaweera, Edward Gunawardena, Suramya Mapitiya, Kumara Thiramadura, Saddha Uthpala Kandage and Victor Ramanayake play the key roles. The twenty three episode teledrama introduces three Norwegians Rogue Suwain, Iyna Suwain and Nicholai Suwain.

Thomas a foreigner owns a tea plantation in the hill country. Making visits regularly he supervises the factory and treats his workers well. Dasanayake handles the management of the plantation. His wife is Nelka and the son is Kosala. Saraswathi, a widow lives with her educated son, Neelan. Neelan and Kosala are buddies and the latter helps his friend. But the Dasanayake's are against their friendship and their son's help to poor Neelan. Doing their education well, both Kosala and Neelan are selected to the university.

Thomas's daughter Lisa and son Niko visit the tea estate. Thomas is a widower. The Dasanayake couple plans to make their son the future owner of the estate. In order to achieve this they try to propose Kosala to Lisa. But the two youngsters are only friends.

Lisa meets Neelan through Kosala and she is impressed by his talents and kind heartedness. The trio get closer to each other and all attempts by Dassanayakes to break their friendship fails.

Determined to support Neelan, Lisa asks her father to find him a job. He gets a job in the estate. However Dasanayake, the manager is against the way Thomas treats the workers in the estate. Dasanayake is of the view that the workers should not be treated on equal status. But Thomas informs Dasanayake that to develop the plantation that the workers' grievances should be understood and treat them well.

One day Thomas meets Neelan and is impressed by his performance. Following this Thomas makes a visit to Dassanayake and reveals his plans for the future management of the tea estate. He has decided to handover the management to Kosala and Neelan. He is of the view that the future management of the estate should be handed over to the talented younger generation. He further proposes that he and the Dassanayake couple should go to a foreign country and take a rest. Thomas also proposes that Lisa should go abroad for her higher education. But she prefers to do her studies in Sri Lanka.

Having handed over the management to the two young men Thomas and the Dassanayakes leave the country. Thomas advices Kosala and Neelan to help each other and leaves the country with Lisa.

Will the two friends be able to accomplish the job entrusted to them? Will they be able to face the challenges in the management? What is the future of Lisa? Answers will be given as 'Gira Shikara Meda' unfolds in its last episode.

Neil Ananda Gajanayake scripted the miniplay, camera by Aruna Lunuwila, art director Suneth Nandalal, edited by Pujitha Kanchan Ameratunge and make up by Sudath Weerakkody. To the lyrics penned by Wasantha Kumara Kobaweka and music of Navaratne Gamage Uresha Ravihari did the playback.

Produced by Rogue Suwain and Janaki Suwain the teledrama is directed by Malith Hiranaya.