The muhurath ceremony for acclaimed short filmmaker Malaka Dewapriya’s maiden feature ‘Circumforaneous’- ‘Bahuchithawadiya’, a tale on the dreams of present day younger generation was held in Colombo recently.
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| Produced by Manohan Nanayakkara |
Malaka Dewapriya |
Produced by Manohan Nanayakkara together with Asia Digital Entertainment this film is to be enacted by a young and a veteran cast which includes Kalana Gunasekara, Veena Jayakody, Laksman Mendis, Damitha Abeyrathna, Samanalee Fonseka, Sulochana Vithanarachchi, Rajitha Hewathanthrige, Geetha Alahakoon, Prasadini Athapaththu, Nimini Buwaneka and D.B. Gangodathenna.
The technical crew comprises of Chithaka Somakeerthi the cinematographer, Harsha Disanayaka editor, Suresh Harshajeewa make up, Sanjeewa Karunarathne set and costume designer and musical score written by Nuwan Withanage. W . Ravindra is production designer, Rohana Warnakulasuriya production manager, Nilukshini Gooneratne line producer and Lalinka Muthukumarana production executive.
Started as a student filmmaker, Malaka was able to re-establish the culture of short films by taking his direction to the international arena. His short film, Life Circle was screened at the 10th Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, in, Israel in 2004. His next Short film ‘Exchange’ was screened in Tokyo Short Shorts Film Festival in Japan 2004. His ‘Transference’ won him the Best “Silver Award” in the Short Films category at the Mumbai International Sport Movies and TV (FICTS) film Festival, held in India, in 2006. He has created nine short films and his works represented Sri Lanka that won awards from Israel, Japan, Netherlands, USA, Germany, India,Indonesia, Pakistan, Italy , Austria , Bulgaria and Cuba international film festivals.
“What I meant with the title ‘Bahuchithawadiya’ is - ‘an with many ideas’. This is an analysis of human relationship specially in the midst of social media like skype and Face Book in the post capitalistic era,” Malaka described his maiden attempt in cinema.
The subject matter may not attract a mass audience but it points to a target audience who will share the thoughts of my generation. But that does not mean the film is not for a majority. This is a quality of post modernist art, he added.
“Generally art does not fall on to popular discourse but to a rational one. When Dr. Dharmasiri Pathiraja made films his contemporaries said, what he was making was not cinema,” he added.
Representing the latest generation of filmmakers of Sri Lanka, Malaka says that it is vital to have an alternative art culture to develop the art. “Art cannot be developed through the mainstream alone,” he said.
Today the mainstream art plays the role of indirectly supporting existing political culture and justifying the system of government. It is a tragedy that not only the television, and the think tank of the universities but respected artists in cinema too has joined the brandwagon.
Malaka was grateful to his producer Manohan Nanayakkara for accepting his script and decided to produce it. “At a time when people have given up hope in cinema and specially alternative cinema and have considered cinema as a risky business, I am really thankful to Mr. Nananayakkara who came forward to realize my dream of making this film a reality,” Malaka said in a appreciative note. |
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