 Dhammika adds ‘fragrance to life’
by Ruwini Jayawardana
Sri Lankan moviegoers will see
charismatic couple Roshan Ranawana and Pooja Umarshanker acting opposite
each other again in Dhammika Siriwardana’s much hyped about ‘Suwanda
Denuna Jeewithe’ (The Fragrance of Life).
 The duo who made history acting in Udayakantha Warnasuriya’s top
grosser ‘Asai Mang Piyabanna’ take on the characters of Ayeshmantha, the
son of a wealthy businessman, and Rashmi, a young girl with a playful
streak in Siriwardana’s maiden attempt at movie directing.
Apart from directing Siriwardana had also written the screenplay and
produced the film under the Alankulama Films banner. ‘Suwanda Denuna
Jeewithe’ addresses the youth population.
“It explores themes such as how they should maintain a friendship,
help each other and if a relationship should end in marriage. Both the
young and old will find something worth pondering over in the plot,”
said Siriwardana who is known to give his best for any project he takes
on.
Though he first made his mark as a businessman, Siriwardana’s passion
for the arts led him to venture towards the entertainment sector. He
began producing teledramas with a number of renowned directors and after
passing his 19th production, he decided to try his hand at directing
teledramas.
‘Sidangana’ his first effort won applause. This motivated him to aim
higher and he decided to venture to the wide screen. Starting off with
‘Asai Mang Piyabanna’ Siriwardana also produced films such as ‘Rosa Kele’,
‘Gimhantha’ and ‘Paaya Enna Hiru Se’. “Directing teledramas had been
like a rehearsal for me but if you try to make a movie in the same
manner as a teledrama it will not be a success. Movie directing is an
entirely different matter,” he noted.
 “Roshan is the most charismatic actor in the field. I believe that
Pooja matches his frame and personality. They are both well suited for
the roles and have given their best for the project. The story revolves
around two individuals who meet while going through a rough period in
their lives.
“They find solace in each other’s company and soon a friendship
builds up between them. Later they realise that their feelings are deep
rooted and blossomed into love,” he said.
One of the key features of the movie is the concluding dance scene.
Over 200 actors and 50 well-known artistes dance along with Roshan and
Pooja.
‘Suwanda Denuna Jeewithe’ will be screening at EAP circuit theatres
soon.
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