Young director Suneth Malinga Lokuhewa’s maiden film ‘Sinhawalokana’, blending to different eras of the country pre-independent and post-independent, 2009 and depicting cricket history of Sri Lanka will be released on EAP circuit cinemas from January 14.
Coinciding with the 2011 Cricket World Cup, ‘Sinhawalokana’ is to boost cricket fever in the country depicting that it is no more a game of the white or the west but of the black and the east.
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Director Suneth Malinga Lokuhewa |
Raini Charuka in a scene from 'Sinhawalokana' |
Sinhawalokana marks the maiden appearance of Dilon Jayasinghe Menaka Rajapaksa and singer Rainy Charuka Gunatillake, the daughter of talented musician Rukantha Gunatilake. Others in the cast include Sanath Gunatilake, Clitus Mendis, Damitha Abeyratne, Kanchana Mendis and Dilhani Asokamala who make guest appearances. Others in the cast are Pubudu Chathuranga, Ashen Manjula, Kumara Thirimadura, Sarath Kothalawela, Dharshan Dharmaraj, Wasantha Kumarawila, Janaka Rupasinghe and many more.
Cricketer Tilakaratne Dilshan also plays a major role in the film.
Set a few months before the 1948 independence, the film begins with a scene where a group of youngsters in a rural area playcricket. A group of young Europeans who see this mock at the way they are playing.
Later the Europeans invite the Lankan group to play a match with them and locals undergo a humiliating defeat in the presence of the entire village. Angered by this, the young Sri Lankans challenged them to have another three-day match in three months’ time on February 1, 1948. The entire village including the elders and Village Headman disapprove of the young men’s challenge at the Europeans. They scold him saying that it was foolish of him to do that. However the youngsters were determined to some how defeat the Europeans. In the meantime the Village Headman schemes to take advantages from the Europeans who come to village by providing them special facilities.
Bouncing history forward, the film brings the young village cricketers to the present and they meet a member of the present Sri Lankan cricket team who is willing to help them win the match against the foreigners.
For three months he trains them with his novel cricket experience and now the village boys are armed not only with various sliding, diving, hook, sweep, reverse sweep and scoop but also swing arm bowling, doosra, roman and the slow ball. And they get back to history on February 1, 1948 to play the match against the Europeans.
Playback singing is by Rukantha Gunatilake, Amarasiri Peiries, Rainy Charuka Gunatillake, Dilan Lamb, Ruwan Hettiarachchi, Sanka B and Nithin Gunaratne to the tunes of Rukantha, Ravi Hansa Wetakeota and Dilan Lamb.
Production manager is Palitha Tennekoon, make up by Tharaka Adhikari, dialogue Kapila Kumara Kalinga and art direction is by Eheliyagoda Sumathipala. Cinematographer of ‘Sinhawalokana’ is Prabath Roshan and editor is Praveen, media coordinator H . M. Sugath Sisira Jayaratne while producers are Rohan de Silva, Pasan Chandrasekara and Dilan Lamb.
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