Ratagedara searches teen brigade for debut film

Award winning tele director, makeup artiste, teledrama director and film journalist, Dayaratne Ratagedara is busy hunting a group of fresh teen faces for his maiden directorial venture in cinema. Over the last few weeks the experienced director was searching through the medium of newspaper advertisement for nearly fifteen teens aged between 15 and 18 years but has failed to make a single selection.

"In my first attempt at cinema I want to start with a completely new set of actors and actresses but they have to be talented and know what they do," says Ratagedara speaking on his latest venture. Director of popular and award winning teledramas 'Dekethi Muwahatha' made around the fall of the leftist movement in Sri Lanka and 'Bogala Saoundaris' story of a historical character were highly acclaimed by the TV audience.

Dayaratne Ratagedara's connection to cinema goes as far back to the time of Dr. Lester James Peries' 'Madol Doowa" where Ratagedara played one of the children. Later as a youth Ratagedara wanted not to be a star only but to join the technical crew as a makeup artiste. Trained under Hilton Mendis and Ebert Wijesinghe, Ratagedara worked as an assistant makeup artiste in a large number of films including 'Gehenu Lamai', 'Puran Appu' and 'Thawalama'. During this period Ratagedara also worked in stage productions and in fact the first Youth Award for make up artiste at the drama festival organised by the National Youth Council was won by Ratagedara. In 1978 he made a stage play ‘Garu Lisi’ an adaptation of ‘Burning Bright’.

Dayaratne's talents was not limited to makeup brushes. He was seasoned with writing about cinema and joined 'Surathura' film newspaper as a feature writer. Later he joined 'Sithsara' as a subeditor. While writing on cinema Ratagedara learned filmmaking by working as an assistant director under well known directors including Tissa Abeysekera and Sunil Ariyaratne.

The year following the introduction of television in 1982, Ratagedara had the rare opportunity of joining Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. There he was privileged to work under veterans in the local teledrama drama scene. 'Dhamma Jagoda's 'Palingu Menike', Parakrema Niriella's 'Yashorawaya', Titus Totawatte's 'Rankahawanu, Lucian Bulathsinghala's 'Tharadevi' and Janaka Mallimarachchi's 'Wassanaya Nimawiya' were the few directions where he played the role of assistant director.

Ratagedara's maiden effort in small screen one episodic 'Eka Wahala Yata' based on a script by Somaweera Senanayake was awarded best director and best actor to late G. W. Surendra.

Following this Ratagedara had the opportunity to study TV in Malaysia and West Germany.

Back in the island Ratagedara made a number of teledramas 'Raigam Yaluwo' which was entirely shot in a studio and setting within Rupavahini Corporation premises. Ratagedara's controversy ridden serial play 'Mahamera Pamula' starring Malani Fonseka and Tony Ranasinghe was banned and this is reported to be the first teledrama that was stopped by the authorities.

‘Dekethi Muwahatha’ a story of a leftist leader was a juncture in Ratagedara's journey. ‘I was able to defeat the popular belief and proved that politics is a theme where we can make teledramas’ says Ratagedara with confidence.

His next master production was 'Bogala Soundaris' a character story of a common man which won the hearts of TV audience. The drama won most of the awards at the Sumathi Teleaward that year. For nearly last six years Ratagedara is making the poyaday drama "Sitha Niwana Katha' based on the scripts written by Somaweera Senanayake and it reaches 62nd episode on the next poya day.

Having held the post of Unit Head of Channel Eye, Ratagedara is presently the head of Youth Unit which was started on the direction of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Under this unite number of popular programmes like 'Waltz 33000' are being presented to the TV audience.

Speaking on his new venture the film titled "Sulanga Wage Evidin", Ratagedara said "whatever I did at the back of my mind was to do a film one day and now I have got the opportunity. The film is produced by Shantha Sujeewa Hettiarachchi and Mala Hettiarachchi and scripted by Dileepa Jayakody. Ratagedara is anxious to start shooting in April in the locations in Mahiyangana, Dambulla, Kandy and Colombo.

Ratagedara invitesteenagers who have a talent in acting to contact him on No. 30 Diyakadahina Road, Thalapathpitiya, Nugegoda or telephone 0777482476.

‘I want to do something different in my direction for the cinema’ said Ratagedara with much anticipation.