Nimanthi

Niyaz on violence in society
By Susitha R. Fernando
Mohan Niyaz's latest work "Kalu Sudu Mal" deals with todays trend of killing of VIPs and politicians. It is to be released from May 23 on prestigious circuit theatres.

Being the director of several popular films like "Yasoma", "Blending" and "Sanda Yahanata", Niyaz in his recent film tackles a true incident that took place not a long time ago.

"The story is similar to the killing of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who became a target of a couple of suicide killers" Mohan said speaking on his latest attempt.

The story unravels the tragic love story of two suicide killers, a boy and a girl while they were on a deadly mission. Attracted to each other in midst of the fatal business the couple faces an indecisive moment in the line of duty. Scripted by the director himself, Mohan said this was not an alien experience for us.

"Living in a country which is famous for the most dangerous suicide killers this is a very close experience for us" Mohan explained. Asked how he got the insight into a rare experience of a suicide killer, Mohan said "I had to do a lot of experiments at the pre-production level. I went on speaking to people who had the experiences in handling this unique section of people who dared to pay with their lives for a cause.

"I closely associated with some senior police officers who had talked to the suicide killers who had failed in their attempts," said the young director on the novel theme he had selected to base his film on. Filmed in places in and around Colombo, Kandy, Nawalapitya and Kirinda, Niyaz said it was a big task to complete the film. "The shooting took over six months with some stunt scenes which proved to be real uphill tasks have experienced in my whole career in film making" Mohan told the TV Times.

In the lead Kamal Addararachchi and Dihani Ekanayake play the roles of the suicide couple who are caught up in an emotional situation in midst of a dangerous mission of killing an important man. Others in the stellar cast are Yashoda Wimaladharma, Veena Jayakody, Linton Semage and Senaka Wijesinghe.

Camera has been handled by K. D. Dayananda, art director is Ranjith Silva while M. S. Alimann is the editor of the film. Priya Suriyasena and Samitha Mudunkotuwa had done the play back singing to the lyrics of Sunil Ariyaratne and music direction of Sarath Wickrema.

'Sex & the City'
'Sex & the City' is on every Tuesday at 8.00 pm on HBO HBO, populartv channel is brought to you by Comet Cable, the premier pay television network in Sri Lanka.

Fans of HBO's 'SEX AND THE CITY' on Comet Cable will be excited that the popular series is back with a brand new season premiering May 14, at 8.00 pm and every Tuesday Night thereafter for a period of 17 weeks. After winning the prestigious Golden Globes for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy (Sarah Jessica Parker) for the third year in a row SEX AND THE CITY is hear to stay.

So what's the new season all about? What can we expect after a three season winning streak? Looking back at the earlier seasons it seems that the show has evolved in the way a relationship evolves. Season One was like the first meeting, the first date is where you notice the way they look or how they dress. You begin to learn a little but about how they react to the world around them and their sense of humor about it. Season Two is like the early dating period is where you start to get to know the girls and learn about their past relationships, stories and what they care about. And Season Three is beginning of the real relationship where it echoes the time in a relationship where everything becomes more of a challenge and how they make mistakes.

Based on the evolving theory Season Four is all about moving on, in big step and sharing life with another person where it can be scary and awkward but also deeper and emotional and comforting. You're risking more, and you have a little more to lose, but you are also growing. Thus, along the lines of a greater maturity and more serious issues for its characters, the creator of HBO's SEX AND THE CITY, hint that one of his leading ladies may be pregnant in this season.

In Season Four we will see the return of a newly "made-over" Aidan, Carrie's too-good-to-be-true boyfriend from the last season. While things did not work out previously because Carrie cheated on him with Big, we're going to see Carrie reach a new level of understanding with both Big and Aidan.

Meanwhile Charlotte also learns to stand up for herself a lot more in this season and attempts to start life anew with Trey, the husband whom she was separated from in the last season. Samantha, the oldest and least inhibited of the lot, continues her wicked ways while Miranda tries to be happy for Steve as he finally sets up his own bar.

So, make a date with the glamour ladies on Comet Cable as HBO's SEX AND THE CITY every Tuesday night at 8 pm, starting on May 14, only on HBO!

'Bonsoir' on food industry
This week's Bonsoir produced by Dilini Jayamanne, features the evolution of the food industry with a variety of modern trends in meal preparation. The programme line up includes a visit to a Chocolate fair, a sweet museum, a recipe of sweet bread in France and the evolution of the French sandwich.

Then there is also the visuals of the launching of the French dairy product; Elle et Vire for the first time in Sri Lanka by Golden Palate. Why not give this new product a try: so to get a few tips about all of this you got to watch Bonsoir on Monday at 8.30 p.m. and Sunday at 3.30 p.m. on ITN.

EFL on Radio
Environmental Foundation Ltd.(EFL) launched a Radio programme "Mihimadale Api' on April 21, at 9.30am. It will be on air once a week as an Environmental News Magazine, which will feature environmental news, and public too can receive publicity to their environmental activity and get the answers to environmental problems.

An easy question will be asked in the end of the programme and the winner will receive Environment related literature. EFL hope to give a chance for the listeners to call up the programme to express their ideas as well.

Please send news about environmental activities, campaigns, seminars and workshops organized by companies, institutions, or organisations. EFL said they will be more than glad to give publicity through EFL Radio programme.

Remembering Ivan
The second death anniversary of Ivan Jayaratne will be on May 18.
Mr. Jayaratne was a well-known figure in the Sri Lankan music scene. He was popular as a one of the best saxophonists in Sri Lanka.

He played sax, flute and Keyboards too. He was a member of top bands in Lanka namely Spitfires, Peddlers, Pink 'n' Purple, Paragons, Cats Eye, Summer Set and Oceanites.

He was with the Jetliners for a short period, before they left for Hongkong.
He then proceeded to India/Bangalore, and played with a Sri Lankan band there, in the late sixties.

He started his career by forming his own band "Country Boys" in the 70s.
He has released a few cassettes to his credit and has arranged and provided music for many popular artistes for audio cassettes. He was also instrumental in directing/providing music for Nimal Jayamanne's cassette "Ranpotathelambuwa Maniketa" which made Nimal Jayamanne popular overnight. Just prior to his sudden death, he composed another new tune for Nimal, for a duet.

Ivan has also provided music for his wife Lilanthi Jayaratne's maiden cassette titled "Mother Lanka", which includes three of his instrumentals too. He has also composed instrumentals, the most popular being "Split" which is played over SLBC.

He renamed his band "Honky Tonk" (just prior to his sudden demise) comprising himself on Keyboards/sax/flute, Ranjan de Silva on keyboards/vocals and Jithendra Jayaratne on vocals, with Ivan's wife Lilanthi teaming up as female vocalist, on and off.

Ivan Jayaratne is the father of Kay Jay (now in Germany) who was also in the music scene prior to her marriage to Ushan Gunesekera of the group Friends.
'A cassette will be released in his memory in the near future' said Lilanthi Jayaratne the widow of Ivan.

Kylie goes single
Who needs a man? Apparently not Kylie Minogue who now joins singletons Dido and Britney Spears. She announced today that she has split from her model boyfriend James Gooding.

Kylie issued a statement citing the reason as hectic work schedules making it hard for the couple to maintain their relationship. According to The Sun, Kylie's statement reads "They decided to concentrate on their friendship. They still love each other and it is an entirely amicable split. There is and never has been any truth to marriage, pregnancy or infidelity stories. Therefore they play no part in this decision."

Her past boyfriends included the late INXS singer Michael Hutchence and Jason Donovan. The 33-year-old singer said "I would quite simply not have made it through the past two years without the love and support that James and I share. This has been a very difficult and emotional decision to make, but we feel that it is appropriate at this time." Feelings were mutual for ex-lover Gooding, "I feel we are both better people for knowing each other. Kylie has been a wonderful influence in my life. She will always be special to me, but we both need time for ourselves right now."

Kylie's is currently on a U.K. tour while Gooding is preparing a photographic exhibition at the Barbican Art Gallery in London.
Watch Kylie On music Television on ETV

2002, the year of sequels and follow ups
By Harinda Vidanage
The year 2002 will be a feast to the movie crazed fans as the year will feature release of some block buster movies of which many are sequels of movies that have been screened and were hits.

The "Star Wars", "Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter" are movies that mesmerized fans throughout the globe. Episode two of Star Wars titled "Attack of the Clones" will be released in Hollywood on the 16th of May. According to cinema critics and die hard star wars fans the Star Wars episode one did not stand up to expectations of director George Lucas but the attack of the clones is identified as the return to form of the veteran science fiction director.

The Harry potter fans are for a treat with the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on November 15th. The follow up to Sorcerers Stone feature the challenges that Harry and his friend face at the second year of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry .

The Year 2002 will end with a bang with the release of the sequel to the award winning Lord of The Rings Fellowship of the Ring on 18th December 2002. The sequel is titled Two Towers and will portray the quest of Frodo the hobbit and his friends to destroy the evil powered ring.

Never-the-less the year will feature sequels and follow ups to many other popular movies such as the animation wonder Stuart Little 2, The Will Smith Tommy Lee Jones combination of Men in Black 2 and Austin Powers 3 The marvel comic super hero Spider Man is back. The movie was released on 8th of May. Steven Spielberg also has his say this year with the Sci Fi Movie Minority Report being released on the 28th of June featuring Tom Cruise in the lead role.

All in all movie fans of all ages and diverse interest can expect a year of great movies ahead with good movies such as the Blade 2, Resident Evil, We were soldiers and Black Hawk Down already released.

'Issaraha Gedara': tale of two families
"Issaraha Gedara" (Front House) is yet another film portraying the family problems that most households experience today. The Gunaratne family live on Ekamuthu Avenue and Liyanage's come to occupy the opposite house. Gunaratnes have been resident on the lane for quite some time while the other family are newcomers.

Gunaratne the head of the family lives with his wife Karunawathi in retirement. Their eldest son Ananda becomes a cripple after a fatal accident and his wife has left for West Asia in search of the pot of gold. The only daughter in the Gunaratne family Ruwani works as a 'sales girl' while her younger brother, Nirmal dreams of being a musician.

The story begins with the Liyanage family coming into occupation of the front house to Gunaratne's. The family is headed by Jinadasa, a government employer and his wife is Chithra. The couple has got three daughters in Manel, Nelum and Olu. 'Manel' who is married to Anura, a businessman continuously clashes with the husband over their not being blessed with a child finally returns to her parents. Manel's mother is determined to get some means of subsistence for her daughter from the ex-husband, but Manel is against this move.

The mother's efforts to get suitable partners for her daughters fail in the face of the failed marriage of her eldest daughter. Nelum the second girl in the family is playful while 'Olu' the youngest is studying to be a dancer and is completely different from her other two sisters.

One day Kumari, wife of Ananda suddenly returns from abroad. On her way stopping the vehicle by the roadside Kumari secretly drops a parcel in to a near by dump in front of the lane. However, Chitra, wife of Jinadasa in the front house happens to see what Kumari did.

Saparamadu, the landlord of Jinadasa later brings a child found from in dump to the front house. Seeing the child Manel who had suffered a lot not having a child decided to adopt the child in the face of much objection from her mother.
Handing over the child to Manel, Saparamadu on his way back tells about his find and what happened later to Gunaratne family. Kumari gets upset with the news.
In addition to the characters in the two families is Narada the young playboy of the lane.

Though everyone know him as a liar no one had escaped his tricks. Narada wants to carry on with both Nelum and Ruwani the girls from the two families at the same time. He is successful because of his pranks.

But Narada realises that he cannot continue with his trickery when he heard that Nelum has started an affair with Suresh, a photographer. Ruwani remains faithful to him but Narada realises that he is more interested in Nelum than in Ruwani.
Meanwhile Olu the dancer and the youngest daughter in Jinadasa family secretly listen to the music played by Nirmal the youngster in the Gunaratne family and starts enjoying it. Both interested in the aesthetic field the two youngsters fall in love with each other but keep this as a secret.

The story in 'Issaraha Gedara' takes a dramatic turn when Vipula with whom Kumari had an affair while she was abroad demands his child. When Kumari refused to tell the truth Vipula aske her to come with him leaving her crippled husband. But Kumari is not ready to do this. Instead she gets friendly with Manel in the front house and visits the child, without a mother being taken care of by Manel.

Filmed in and around Bandaragama the teledrama consists of a number of episodes. The cast in "Issaraha Gedara" are Roshan Pilapitiya, Dilani Abeywardena, Damitha Abeyratne, Nimanthi Porage, Sanath Wimalaweera, Menike Aththanayake and Sandeepa Sewmini.

he teleplay is screened every Saturday at 8.30 pm on ITN. It's directed by Chandraratne Mapitigama and produced by Thusara Peiris