• The carnival of next millennium
• History created in South
• Sridevi's 100 feature films
• OO
• Evaluating Rukmani's role in films

The carnival of next millennium

'Sirasa Carnival 2000', specially designed entertainment event will come alive at BRC grounds from September 6 to 11.

"Sirasa Carnival 2000" will be a carnival with many novel creations in entertainment. There will be different areas where people can enjoy with their families or by themselves. These areas are specially designed according to age groups. This is the first of 12 such carnival projects organised for the Millennium celebrations by Sirasa TV.

Adult entertainment area is for people over 21 years and is designed to keep our younger generations away from tobacco and beer. Sirasa Carnival 2000 will not sell tobacco or beer in stalls but those above 21 years can buy them within this adult area. This adult area will constitute of pool tables, soft gambling games, Karaoke competitions, D.J. Music promotions, dance items, virtual reality etc.,

The children's entertainment area will constitute of favourite Disney characters, wonder clowns, video games, fun bouncers, candy shops etc.

The family entertainment area where people can enjoy with their families, will be full of entertainment and will include a roller coaster, galaxy and other jet rides, mini trains, merry-go-rounds etc. On all six days block buster movies will be screened on two giant screens.

Popular programme Rasa Risi Gee with Narada and Thanuja will be recorded live from each of these carnivals. Mega musical concert featuring X'periments, Corrine, Ronnie, Bhatiya and other artistes will be staged on Friday, September 10.

The popular band Dream Team will perform at Carnival 2000 on Saturday, the final day

A grand discotheque with Yes FM Guest DJ's will operate at the carnival on all 6 days. Giant screens, special effects, movies and many other activities will be featured at this discotheque.

Idea and concept is by Sanjay Perera, head of Aquarius Entertainment's (Pvt) Ltd. Direction of this project is by Nimal Lakshapathiarachchi, Director of MBC and Sirasa TV. Project Executive of this mega event is Mohan Thilina Perera, who's a populer personality in the local entertainment field and popularly known as D.J Mohan among the party lovers.

History created in South

By Sanath Weerasuriya

A musical ballet 'Sahasra Yathra' reflecting Sri Lankan history from King Vijaya's arrival in 544 B.C to date is now under production off Ahangama beach in Galle district.

Fifty feet high and fifty feet long model yacht exactly according to Vijaya's Yacht in Mahawamsa was created and King Vijaya with his gang and Kuveni with her servants were on the beach in Ahangama, when the first set of filming was done on last week.

Roshan Pilapitiya plays the role of Vijaya and Anusha Damayanthi plays Kuveni in the musical 'Sahasra Yathra'.

The re-creation of the script of history was done by Prof Sunanda Mahendra and the music direction is by Premasiri Khemadasa. The visual direction is from Srimal Wedisingha of Swarnavahini.

'Sahasra Yathra', reflecting the Sri Lankan history, features more than 250 actors and actresses through 2500 years today.

This will be the main theme at the millennium celebrations at the Galle Face Green on December 31.

A massive stage made up as a model Sigiriya rock will be set up at Galle Face which will feature more them 40 top artistes from 10.00 pm to the new Millennium.

Sanath Nandasiri, Victor Ratnayake, Rohana Baddage, Sunil Edirisinghe, Indrani Perera, Malani Bulathsinghala, Nirosha Virajini, Malkanthi Nandasiri, Mariazelle Gunathilake, Ronnie Tattaya, Edward and Charitha Priyadashani Peiris, Jagath Wickramasinghe, Kamal Addararachchi, Champa Kalhari, Sanjeevani Weerasinghe, Saman de Silva, Ishaq Mohideen Baig and some of the big names are to be featured at this mega show.

This model Sigiriya rock type stage, which reflects all the major eras of Sinhala history - A'pura, Polonnaruwa, Yapahuwa, Dambadeniya, Kurunegala, Gampola, Mahanuwara and Kotte will be 160 feet long, 140 feet wide and 90 feet in height. This massive stage will be made out of fibre glass and top Indian designer Sabu Cyril will be responsible for all the creations of the stage.

Thilak Hapugoda and his music makers will handle all the lighting systems under one of the top lighting directors from Bollywood, Benny Mathews.

At the show more than 750 compulterized bulbs and about 175 voice columns and speakers will be used

E A P Edirisingha Group has budgeted Rs.70 million for this whole millennium project .

Sridevi's 100 feature films

In a career spanning over two decades Sridevi has reached one hundred feature films in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages.Sri devi visited Sri Lanka several times in the early eighties.

It was when she worked with Malini Fonseka in the Indu-Sri Lanka co-production ' Pilot Premnath '. which was filmed entirely in Sri Lankan locations. She appeared opposite Sivaji Ganeshan, Malini Fonseka, and a number of South Indian stars in this film. A.C.Thirulogachander and Joe Dev Ananda co-directed this film and its Sri Lanka producer was D. M. Chandrasena.

While working in 'Pilot Premnath' Sridevi visited many parts of our country.

Sri Lankan filmmaker Balu Mahendran, now settled down in Chennai cast her in one of his most ambitious productions ' Sadma' (1983) She played a role of a school girl on a picnic who was raped and forced into a house of ill fame.

Sridevi is a star who made her debut as a child artiste playing the role of Murga. The director wanted her hair cut for the role but as she was a school girl the idea was dropped and instead a wig was used. Her first Hindi film was 'Julie' (1975). Her first role as an adult was three years later in 'Solwa Saawn '.opposite Amol Paleker. However the film didn't click, but she was not discouraged. May be that she was confident of hitting the ceiling as a film artiste some day when director Raghavendra Rao cast her in a Telugu film titled 'Himmatwala (1983). which was a remake of a Hindi film.She played opposite Jitendra in this film which was a box office hit. Overnight Sri Devi..became a star.. This was followed by 'Nagina ' which was another box office raker. Boney Kapoor's ' Mr India ' was another film which did well at box office levels Later she married Boney Kapoor and now the couple is blessed with a daughter, Jahnavi.

OO

By Kumaradasa Wagista

The versatile film actress Shabana Azmi has hit headlines in Indian newspapers once again. She has been assigned by renowned filmmaker Shaym Benegal to play the main role in his new film 'Harea Bhara'. It was Shabana Azmi who played the main role in Shaym Benegal's debut venture 'Ankur' nearly 25 years ago. Although this filmmaker made several films after 'Ankur', Shabana Azmi had no suitable role to play according to the scripts he had written. Another feature in this film is that like 'Ankur' this film too will be filmed at Hyderabad.

A favourite Bengali star Rajeshwari Sachdev has been selected to play the role of Shabana Azmi's daughter.

Shabana Azmi's other achievement is her winning the right to release 'Godmother'. For the first time she has played the role of a politician in this film.

The film relates the story of a village woman, who becomes rich and influential. Then she takes up to politics to fight evil forces in society after the sudden death of her husband.

An influential former Member of the Legislative Assembly thinking that the role played by Shabana Azmi imitated her own life, as it was reported in a local newspaper thought of taking legal action., which resulted in the female don going to courts. She was successful in executing an injunction against the release of the film.

However the director, producer and a few others persuaded the offended lady to see a special projection of 'Godmother' so that she could assess the real situation of the story. She agreed to the proposal made by the director and others. The projection was arranged and the offended lady along with her husband saw the controversial film. After the projection was over they agreed to file an application to courts for the withdrawal of the injunction.

Reportedly the lady was so delighted that she had said " if we knew about the film and its contents we would have helped the producers to make the film more realistic, even by way of giving the unit our own jewellery and clothing".

'Godmother' won 6 national awards this year, including the best actress award for Sabhana Azmi.

Although 'work in ' Godmother ' was completed in 1998 and passed by the censors the film was shelved due to this legal tussel, is now slated to be released in India in mid -September.

The film has also been nominated to participate at the Montreal film festival this year. National Film Corporation has purchased sole rights to exhibit 'Godmother ' in Sri Lanka. Nirmal Pandey, Milind Gunaji, Govind Namdeo and Suchitra Sen's grand daughter Ryma Sen makes her debut appearance in this film.

Vinay Shukla is its director.

Evaluating Rukmani's role in films

Arrangements are being made to pay tribute to our first screen heroine and song queen Rukmani Devi on her 21st death anniversary. Rukmani Devi was killed in a road traffic accident at Tudella in Ja Ela on October 28,1978.

Rukmani Devi the heroine of 'Broken Promise' (1947 ), the first Sinhala film, served as an actress continuously for three decades.

The Rukmani Devi Memorial Society has organised a seminar titled 'Rukmani Devi's Artistic Talents' to commemorate 21st death anniversary of this versatile film star. This event intended to be an evaluation of her contribution to the film industry in particular is scheduled to be held at Rev Fr Michael Rodrigo Memorial Hall, Members Centre, adjoining Fatima Church on Deans Road, Maradana on September 11 from 8.00 a.m.onwards.

Incidentally the Rukmani Devi Memorial Society will be 10 years old on this day.

Proceedings will commence after a Requiem Mass offered by Rev Fr Hiliary Peiris at Fatima Church for the repose of the soul of Rukmani Devi.

Film critics Edwin Ariyadasa, and Gunasiri Silva, journalists Dharmasiri Gamage, Sunil Mihindukula, Rupasena Silva and many others are billed to take part in the seminar.

An exhibition of film still photographs and newspaper clippings of Rukmani Devi will be declared opened by Film Actors Guild President Ravindra Randeniya before the commencement of the seminar.

Popular songs rendered by Rukmani Devi will be sung by members of the society in between the discussions.

Francis Wanniarachchi, Henry Priyashanta Mendis and Rupesena Silva have organised this programme on behalf of the Society. A short film comprising of visuals of Rukmani Devi's performances and singing edited by Tissa Nagodavithana will be screened at the conclusion of the event.

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