A cinematic carnival by the sea
Kushenya Fonseka
The beach and the carnival are two places where children would be fascinated. How wonderful it would be for a child to have both these in one place. This is what exactly happens in “Rukada Penchi” or ‘Little Miss Puppet’, the second film made by the two brothers Kalpana and Vindana Ariyawansa.
“Nobody in history has tried to have a carnival on the beach. Not even in Hollywood. I am fascinated with the beaches and I am also fascinated with carnivals. So we wanted to have a carnival on the beach for this movie,” says Vindana Ariyawansa who wrote and directed the film with his brother Kalpana. The majority part of the film is happening in this setting which was created by Bentota beach.
“The carnival we have created is not a carnival we find in Sri Lanka but in Europe where you find magicians, fortune tellers, gypsies and so many other wonder-making characters. And also puppet shows like those we have seen in Sesame Street. So the puppets play a huge part here and you find even man-size puppets in the film,”.
“Rukada Penchi” will be a crowd pleaser, created to give the mainstream audience a Disney like magically entertaining movie going experience,” says the young filmmaker who won awards for the debut ‘Premaya Nam’ which he made along with his brother.
Vindana also has added one of his pastimes to the film; quizzing. “The film is not only entertaining but educative as well. The protagonist is also a major quizzer,” says Vindana who is an award winning quizzer in the country.
However ‘Rookada Panchi’ is an original and authentic Sri Lankan film with its own identity. “But it is universally appealing and demographically any audience will get the magical experience by watching this movie,”.
Vindana and Kalpana with Jackson
“Children will have about ten years of childhood but it’s a question how many of children enjoy this period as a child,” says Vindana, stressing the importance of being a child and the childlike experience.
The two brothers who ventured into cinema with their debut ‘Premaya Nam’, a semi-biopic, have returned with mega budget movie.
“Since ‘Premaya Nam”, we developed four parallel stories. We didn’t want to have a baby step. Instead going step by step from low-budget films, we took the challenge to take giant leap forward and have this large scale, mega budget film,” says Vindana describing their project.
“Rukada Penchi” is completely a family, children story with magical and musical effects,” Vindana elaborates.
The two brothers wanted to create the visual styles of 1980s films by Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton. “You get this magical feeling in these films.
When you come out of the theatres with your life changed for the better” Vindana said.
Interestingly w representing the third generation of veteran actress Malini Fonseka’s family is entering the cinema playing the lead role in ‘Rukada Penchi’.
Others in the cast are Jackson Anthony, Dilhani Ekanayake, Dhananjaya Siriwardane, Umali Thilakaratne, Bandula Wijeweera, Dayadeva Edirisinghe, Niroshan Wijesinghe and Kushenya, Lakshika Deshan is introduced to cinema in this film. Malini Fonseka herself plays a cameo role acting as a school principal.
The film also has six songs, and music director Rohana Weerasinghe himself has written some of the songs.
The film was shot in October when the sea was not rough but shooting had to be stopped for a few days when there was a tsunami in Indonesia during which the sea water level even in Sri Lanka went high. “With water almost coming up to the set- the carnival by the Bentota beach–we stopped shooting for a few days,” says Vindana. In Bentota, some of the scenes were shot at Avani hotel.
‘Carnival by the sea’, the set that was created for the film.
From Bentota, the shooting location was shifted to Tower hall for the rest of the story. The film is in the process of post-production and the filmmakers have planned to released it by the second term school vacation next year.
While Kalpana Vindana Ariyawansa wrote and directed, the director of photography is Jaan Shenberger of the United States and film is edited, production designed and art directed by Kalpana Ariyawansa.
Casting, costume designing, and choreography are by Vindana Ariyawansa, lyrics and original score by Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe,while Jackson Anthony, Bandula Wijeweera and Sangeeth Wickramasinghe sing the playback.
Digital colorist is Jaan Shenberger who also handled the visual effects ‘Rukada Penchi’ and executive producer is Kularatne Ariyawansa. The film is a Ransara Pictures presentation.
| The tale of ‘ Little Miss Puppet’ 11-year-old Rangi is the only daughter of an upper class family, living in Colombo suburbs. Her favourite hobbies are quizzing and ventriloquizing with hand puppets. Suddenly, Rangi’s mother falls ill and her parents have to travel overseas to seek treatment.  Rangi and her only brother, 8-year-old Sasa are placed under the care of Rangi’s Aunt and her husband. Rangi’s uncle owns a five-star hotel on the Southern coast and he takes Rangi and Sasa to his hotel for a brief stay, along with Aunty and her 2-year-old baby. While staying at the hotel, Rangi comes across a carnival on the beach, located next to Uncle’s hotel, and goes there with Sasa without informing her uncle and aunt. Rangi and Sasa befriend the carnival owner, an entertainer named “Uncle Louis” and frequently visit the carnival under uncle and aunt’s supervision. From there, unfolds an adventure that changes both Rangi’s and Uncle Louis’ lives forever. | |
