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by Ruwini Jayawardana
Promising director Bennett Ratnayake had concluded shooting his
latest cinema project ‘Ira Handa Yata’. The last few scenes were shot in
the wilderness of Welikanda and Thoppigala which were once in the
clutches of the LTTE for nearly three decades.Though the team faced many
hardships on locations as they fought against the lack of facilities,
heat and in dangers amidst elephants, bears, snakes and other creatures
of the forest they emerged with wide smiles of satisfaction after a job
well done.
 After shooting for a continuous 55 days in locations like Dambulla,
Batticaloa, Kalpitiya, Udappuwa and Thrikonamadu (which was dubbed one
of the vast lands which occupied one of the Government’s dairy farms in
the past), director Ratnayake cannot put up his feet and relax yet for
the clips have to be edited and given finishing touches before it joins
the queue.
“We are looking to release the film at the end of the year. Some of
the locations we have included in the movie had been actually the
setting that the conflict took place. Some of the actors themselves are
from the army and we have absorbed some of the real-life incidents of
the army and LTTE into the movie. I have never shot in one location
twice.
Thus each and every scene is unique,” Ratnayake enlightened the
Sunday Observer ‘Magazine’.‘Ira Handa Yata’ deals with an incident which
unfolds during the conflict era. It focuses on the plights of Mahasen,
Rakitha, Rekha, Bhanu, Thirukadevi and many other individuals who came
into contact and formed relationships beneath the shadows of terrorism.
The filmmaker hopes to address the minds and hearts of the public who
live in mutual cooperation within the web of the multi ethnic and multi
religious spheres of the island.The script is written by director
Ratnayake and Sarath Gamlath. Saumya Liyanage, Udhara Rathnayake, Tasha
Dharshani, Kaushalya Fernando, Damitha Abeyrathne, Chandani Senevirathne,
Suvinitha Weerasinghe, Bimal Jayakody, Mahendra Perera, Palitha Silva,
Veena Jayakody, Jagath Beneragama, Suminda Sirisena, Roger Senevirathne,
Rangana Premarathne, Ajith Lokuge, Sathishchandra Edirisinghe, Kumara
Thirimadhura, Bagnya Rathnayake, Sheryl Romesh Decker and others portray
roles in the movie which is produced by Samanmalee Hewamanna, Oliver
Fernando, Ruwan Jayasinghe, Vijitha Herath and Dilan Fernando.Another
significant feature of the movie is the fact that an academic text
focusing on contemporary cinema and the script of the movie will be
released to coincide with the film release.
The book which will be titled ‘Ira Handa Yata Cinema Nirmanaya Saha
Samakaleena Deeshiya Cinemava’ will be edited by Deepthi Wijethunga and
Hemali Wijerathne. The proposed plan of the book was presented to the
director at the location in Welikanda and he in turn presented the
script of the movie to the editors. The book will also comprise a series
of articles written by movie critics and incidents which took place
while the movie took shape. Readers can get an idea on how painstakingly
hard a team has to work to give life to a quality production.
Pic: Saman Sri Wedage
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