Coronation of ‘King Siri’

By Susitha R. Fernando

Director Somaratne Dissanayake	Producer Renuka Balasuriya

Somaratne Dissanayake's latest direction 'Siri Raja Siri' (King Siri), a tale of a child from a rural background who is selected to a leading college in the town and the challenges he had to face thereafter will be screened from March 6 at Savoy Wellawatte and other 35 EAP circuit cinemas. Another children's film with a message to the world of adults, 'Siri Raja Siri' alias 'Kiriibbanaare Maharajathuma', Somaratne Dissanayake yet again introduces another talented child Kokila Jayasuriya to the cinema.

Sirimal played by 'Kokila', an11 year old boy from a very poor family in a remote village, obtains the highest marks at the year five scholarship exams, and enters a star college in the city. As he has to mix with classmates from rich and high class families Sirimal encounters a lot of social and financial challenges. He gets selected to play the lead role as the king in a school stage drama, and now, his biggest challenge is finding money to make the royal costume.

The film shows the two different worlds of the children of well-to- do and powerful parents but who have no connection to the country's culture, language or way of living as opposed to the talented children coming from the rural, under privileged background who have respect for culture and tradition. The film also is critical of the system of education and the type of generation produced specially by the privileged schools in the country.

As in 'Suriya Arana', director Dissanayake proved his ability to capture the rural beauty of this county with the help of cinematographer Channa Deshapriya. Rohana Weerasinghe's score with soothing melodies with traditional music styles is effective and rendition of Edward Jayakody's voice has added much colour to it.

Speaking to the 'TV Times' director Somaratne Dissanayake said the film is partly his own experience as he too came from a remote school to a town school.

"I was inspired to do this film by a short story written by Srilal Nanayakkara sometime ago. It was about a child who passed the scholarship examination and came to town for higher education," says Dissanayake.

And everything that I have captured in my film is relevant to the present."Parents would do anything to admit their children to popular schools.

They will change their addresses and teach the children how to lie,"."Of all the films I did about children, 'Siri Raja Siri' is a film that appeals to the children's world very much," explained director Dissanayake.

Crew

Assistant Director Daminda Madawala
Music Rohana Weerasingha
Art Director Lal Harendranath
Sound Kalinga Perera
Editor Ravindra Guruge
Cinematographer Channa Deshappriya
Producer Renuka Balasooriya
Story, script and directed by Somaratne Dissanayake

Cast

Kokila Jayasuriya Jayalath Manoratne, Mahendra Perera
Dilhani Ekanayaka, Sanath Gunathilaka, Sharanya Jayakody (child),
Chandrasoma Binduhewa, Giriraj Kaushalya, Prasannajith Abeysuriya,
Rohana Beddage, Rathna Lalani and Sampath Tennakoon.