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TV Times

‘Sathyaya’: Out to thrill
By Ramesh Uvais
Today, teledramas have virtually become part of people’s lives but in most cases the themes appear to be centering only on romance or family conflicts seen in different perspectives. In this backdrop, the latest tele drama that is unfolding on Swarnavahini every Monday at 9.30 pm, comes as a fresh waft of breeze in action packed episodes.

Talented film maker Boodee Keerthisena (Vishvanath Buddhika Keerthisena) of Sihina Deshayen and Mille Soya fame, enters the small screen arena with Sathyaya, based on his own story with himself at the helm of direction and scripting. Significantly, Sathyaya (Big Red) comes with English sub-titles right throughout the serial for the first time here.

‘This will certainly be a new experience for the Lankan audience. The action-packed thriller is filled with suspense and all in all, it was a major challenge,’ says Boodee who is a BFA graduate in Film and Video from the School of Arts in New York City.

The story revolves around a young man, who witnesses a gruesome shoot out between two underworld factions. The fierce battle ends with one person being killed in the shoot-out. This young man who witnesses the crime, photographs the whole episode. The gang then follows him to get the photographs. Meanwhile, the police also begin to follow this young man after receiving a tip off that he had some links with the killing. This young man faces unexpected problems trying to escape from the grip of the ruthless gangsters and the police.

One day, he posts the vital photos to one of his girl friends but the gang and police come to know about it. Now the gangsters and police frantically hunt for the young man and his girl friend. The story depicts the endless hardship and struggle the two undergo to take cover. It becomes a snowball as the suspense unfolds with lots of quizzes. There always emerges an open question with unpredictable twists and turns.

The main story flows but the sub plots may tell you a different tale at the end of each episode. Will the truth surface in the end? Will the underworld gang destroy the two?

Asked about his switch from the big screen to the small arena, Boodee says ‘Who says that the television arena is small? It‘s big and really big. Big or small is not gauged by the money that is pumped into the ventures but it’s the mass appeal that matters. Going by the mass appeal for films and tele dramas today, I feel TV is definitely big.’

The Sathyaya cast includes Mahendra Perera, Sandra Mac, Saman Athudahetti, Daya Alwis, Derek Wickremenayake, Kaushalya Fernando, Wijeratne Warakagoda, Susila Kottage, Roshan Pilapitiya, Wasantha Moragoda, K.A. Dharamsena, Sampath de Kretzer, Brandon Grero, Chamila Peiris,Rozanne Diaz, Iresha and Upali Keerthisena.

The other credits go to Stunt Director Brandon Grero, Production Manager Thilak Jayakody, Line Producer L.S. Chandrasekara, Make Up Samarasiri Kadanage and Wasantha Wittachchi, Art Direction Lasantha Udukumbura and Narada Alahakoon, Assistant Director Wimal Deshapriya, Editing Sampath Jayasinghe, Special effects Dhanesh Kuruppu, Music Lakshman Joseph de Saram with additional scores by Jananath Warakagoda, Director Photography K.A. Dharmasena with Boodee handling the camera and Costumes by Odel.

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