Udayakantha flies with iron feathers
By Sanath Weerasuriya

Udayakantha Warnakulasuriya’s ‘Yakada Pihatu’ (Iron Feathers) will hit the Sinhala silver screen from August 15 in the EAP circuit. Ranjan Ramanayake, Anoja Weerasinghe, Dilhani Ekanayake, Semini Iddamalgoda, Sahan Warnasuriya, Suminda Sirisena, D.B. Gangodatenna, Menike Attanayake, Priya Ranasinghe, Wilson Karu star in this movie.

The story revolves around love, sorrow, pain, passion and killings. The lead role ‘Romash’ is played by Ranjan Ramanayake. Romesh, a major in the Army is on the run after killing the thugs who raped and murdered his fiancee on the eve of their wedding. He is befriended by Manuja, a widowed woman and her young son Pasindu.

They invite Romesh into their home in a remote village. In return for their kindness and hospitality Romesh helps around the house and property and does all the jobs a man would do. Manuja takes care of her elderly father-in-law who is stricken with a debilitating and embarrassing mental breakdown.
Romesh defends Manuja against the thugs sent by her in-laws who live in the adjoining properties.

They abuse and threaten her in an effort to force her to leave the ancestral home that she rightfully claims is hers to live in. Romesh tries to restore peace and harmony to Manuja’s life and to the life of her in-laws and the whole village. In the process he too slowly recovers from the tragic events of his recent past.
He repairs an old tractor he finds in the garage and with the help of the villagers he tills and re-plants the neglected paddy fields belonging to Manuja’s late husband.

The rice harvest is shared with everyone. He puts the village thugs in their place and earns the respect of the whole community. Gradually Romesh fills the gap in the lives of Manuja, her son and the villagers in his role of handyman, companion, protector and friend.

The different encounters Romesh has with Manuja, with her in-laws, with the villagers and specially with Pasindu, who begins to look on him as a surrogate father, helps Romesh to believe in himself again and hope for a better future. But the police and the army eventually catch up with him. He serves ten years in prison.

On his release, Romesh is uncertain about his future. With much anxiety and doubt he returns to the village wondering if he will be remembered after so long let alone be welcomed.

To his surprise and relief, Romesh is genuinely and warmly accepted by the whole village who turn out at the railway station to garland him and receive him back in to their fold. Romesh finally realises what makes life so beautiful. ‘Yakada Pihatu’ is produced by Soma Edirisinghe and Ananda Perera provided the musical background.