‘Sathara Denek Senpathiyo’ a fact and a fiction from Jayantha

Yasodha takes on a hot seat in the historical tale 'Sathara Denek Senpathiyo,' is set to be a definite hit on the small screen, featuring an award winning cast and crew, with a gripping storyline that runs parallel - being based in 360BC and modern times.

Directed by vibrant and dynamic Jayantha Chandrasiri, the teledrama is inspired by King Buddhadasa, who was renowned for his innate knowledge of native medicine and healing touch. Based both on fact and fiction, the characters depict the past and the present created through research and imagination.

An unique teledrama, comprising 25 episodes, aims to show the audience the necessity of holding onto traditional Sinhalese customs and values. It takes the viewer on a journey to ancient times, running parallel to the present, with a fascinating storyline that is both relevant to modern society as well as showcasing a moral that the audience can appreciate. The essence of the story is a reflection of the knowledge relating to traditional, indigenous medicine our forefathers had, and of how we, as a modern day society has moved away from this to more conventional western medicine. It is to be telecast in September 2007.

Speaking on the backdrop created for the teledrama, Chandrasiri said; ‘Sri Lanka was the land where there was a very unique king called Buddhada who had the power of healing people by touch. What inspired me is the fact that he was a man of paradoxes, being both a healer and a king. When you are a healer you are obligated to treat the poorest of the poor to the wealthiest of men, whereas when you are the king, you are expected to keep your distance from the common man and rule from afar.

The first storyline is based on a doctor, who was known for his knowledge in indigenous medicine, and who helped by his wife, treated the patient and not the disease. The connection is that he worked at the hospital, which had facilities to treat people from ten villages, built by King Buddhadasa." It stars Jackson Anthony, who makes a guest appearance alongside the four main characters, portrayed by Sriyantha Mendis, Yasodha Wimaladharma, Roshan Pilapitiya and Mahinda Perera. Nuwan Jayatillake produces the teledrama, while Ruwan Costa is the cameraman. Locations for the teledrama include Galewala, Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle; Colombo and its suburbs. Another noteworthy feature is the daring role popular mainstream actress Yasodha is taking on. " I play the role of a prostitute in the parallel storyline where the four main characters are destined to meet. This has been a challenging experience for me as it is a role that is out of my comfort zone. I have always looked forward to portraying diverse roles and this has been something that I have looked forward to," she said.

The essence of this is that we are taking on a well researched issue and teaching society of the importance of embracing what is our own." The teledrama has used a variety of camera and lighting techniques to be able to showcase the scenes portraying the storyline set in 360BC, which was an imperative for the director. Using his meticulous research skills, Chandrasiri also did research on the background, to portray the settings as well as create the characters as accurately as possible.