‘Aloka Udapadi’ acclaimed at UN Vesak celebration
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Sri Lanka movie ‘Aloka Udapadi’ (Light Arose), revolving around the story of the recording of the Buddha’s Dispensation, in written form, after long centuries of oral tradition in a turbulent historical backdrop, won much acclaimed at the United Nations 2015 Vesak celebration held at Bangkok in Thailand recently.
The Vesak celebration was held at the biggest Buddhist universityMahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University and the international cultural festival at the celebration on May 28 was opened with the film directed by by Chathra Weeraman and produced by Thusitha Wijayasena. Since the Vesak was declared as an international holiday in 1999, every year the celebrations are conducted with cultural events.
The film screenplay written by Saman Weeraman is about the leading Sri Lankan Buddhist monks, who recorded the sacred word of the Supreme Buddha in writing, while the land was aflame with war and famine, in the days of the Sri Lankan King Walagamba, 2100 years ago.
King Walagamba, the central character in this film epic who ascended the throne in 103 B.C. is the son of Saddhatissa, younger brother to King Dutugemunu. King Walagamba became King at a time when the Kingdom was in the grip of a series of multi-pronged threats. Driven to rule in two sessions, King Walagamba’s first spell of rule, was shattered, in just three months after he assumed Kingship, by Cholian invaders.
The main cast of ‘Aloko Udapadi’ includes Uddika Premarathne, Dilhani Ekanayake, Nirosha Thalagala, Roshan Ravindra, Menaka Peiris, Mauli Matheesha, Nayana Manujitha, Dineth de Silva, Ajith Kumara, Nihal Fernando, Kapila Sigera, Dilip Manohara, Cletus Mendis, Darshan Dharmaraj, W. Jayasiri, Buddhadasa Withanarachchi and Janak Premalal.
Behind the screen director of photography is Prabath Roshan, music director is Milinda Thennakone, Shan Alwis is the editor and Sasika Ruwan Marasinghe is sound designer.
