Yet another feather in Prasanna’s cap

Shyam Fernando is the ‘Man (Actor) of the Moment’. His excellent performance in ‘Premaya Nam’ continues to be talked about with raving reviews appearing in the newspapers regularly. 

A few days back he was adjudged the Best Actor at the Presidential Film Awards for his lead role in ‘Oba Nethuva Oba Ekka’ written and directed by Prasanna Vithanage, presently leading the list of contemporary filmmakers.

Shyam had earlier won the Signis Salutation for the Best Actor for the same role.

While ‘Oba Nethuva Oba Ekka’ was selected as the Best Film for 2015 at the Presidential Awards, the Indian actress Anjali Patil playing the female lead role was adjudged the Best Actress. She received the Silver Peacock Award for Best Actress at the International Film Festival of India in Goa in November 2012 and was also adjudged Best Actress at the Sarasaviya Film Festival held a few months back – also for the same role. 

She plays Selvi, Tamil girl from the plantations who marries Sarathsri (Shyam), a Sinhalese who has set up a pawn broking business in her area and the story revolves round their marital life.  

In ‘Oba Nethuva Oba Ekka’ Prasanna Vithanage continues his search for human issues affecting those affected by the civil war, as he did in ‘Ira Mediyama’.

It was after eight years that the Presidential Film Awards were held and for some reason, it was decided to give awards to films screened in 2015. Yesteryear filmmakers, actors and actresses as well as some others in the industry, and a few others among the contemporary artistes were also recognised. 

In a way there has been an excess of award ceremonies this year with a couple of TV channels joining the bandwagon, so to say. It’s only the Signis Salutation that had been conducted without a break for several decades always maintaining high standards in their selections. The Sarasaviya Awards were revived after over a decade a few months back.

Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunatilleka announced at the ceremony that the 2016 and 2017 awards would also be arranged in the near future. 

Judging from the comments by filmmakers, while awards can wait, it is more important to streamline the distribution channel for Sinhala films with the queue lengthening by the day. On the one hand, more and more youngsters are making quality films. On the other they use digital technology which is easier and quicker. 

Unable to find cinemas to screen them, they enter the international festival circuit. Only years later do the local fans get the opportunity to see these better quality films. Often they are screened at odd times like 4.15 in the afternoon on weekdays when people are still at work. As it happened to the much talked-about ‘Premaya Nam’ which was ready for over three years.

‘Oba Nethuva Oba Ekka’ was ready in 2012 and was screened at 12 film festivals prior to being released in Sri Lanka. 

Lester tops 98

The doyen of Sri Lankan cinema Dr. Lester James Peries celebrated his 98th birthday last Wednesday – 5 April. Though frail, he is up and about and recently watched the digital version of his first feature film ‘Rekava’ which was resurrected to mark its 60th anniversary.

Wife Sumitra told me that he had seen the film ‘Vaishnavi’ she had just completed on a story originally written by Lester. Later she had done the script with Tony Ranasinghe. She is not sure when it will be released due to the circuit problem. 

Lester’s last feature film was ‘Ammavarune’ – his 19th production completed in 2006. 

Looking back he can be proud about the youthful (and the not-so-youthful) film directors who have followed the path he created and improved on what he started. 

Let us wish him the best in health and happiness ‘Chirang Jayatu!’