Making Mumbai
Very much has been said about the very little information which has slowly seeped out of one of the most eagerly awaited releases from India for this year. Bombay Velvet is Director Anurag Kashyap’s most hyped and talked about film to date and is a nine-year dream finally in the making. With a lot of [...]
Lines and light, this is the house that Chamila built
A residence in Mattegoda is our first stop. Driving down the small lane we’ve been given an address for, we almost miss it and amble along until the architect gives us a call. “You just passed by,” he laughs. “Turn around.” From the outside it looks fairly ordinary. A brick wall has been manipulated to [...]
Stitching together a colourful past
In his heyday as a tailor, 76-year-old Esakkita Pillai Kathiravel would spend hours working the foot paddle of a Singer sewing machine in a comfortable room at “Braemer’, the residence of former President J.R. Jayewardene at Ward Place, making stylish and intricate saree blouses for the First Lady Elina Jayewardene. Being a much sought after [...]
Letters
War victory: Pay tribute but show no triumphalism The Government, for the fifth consecutive year, celebrated the war victory with all the pomp and pageantry that goes with it. ‘It is better to control yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours; it cannot be taken from you, not by angels [...]
Appreciations
Sithie Tiruchelvam We will forever remember you like a shining light She was “Aunty Sithie” to so many of us. Always laughing, always cheerful, loudly teasing and berating us, with unparalleled warmth and charm. He was “Neelan” to us, because although an “Uncle,” he was also a professional mentor to many young Sri Lankans [...]
‘Everything in life has to do with Chemistry’
He is near the top of the list of inventors in the United States of America, having more than 75 patents to his name. A sought-after speaker at industrial research groups and international meetings, his forte is surface colloid science which has a bearing on the daily life of men, women and children across the [...]
A home where you can wander through history
An old walauwa in Kandy now a cultural centre, Suriyakantha may be a little hard to find, but it’s worth the effort. The beautiful old building in Naranwala just 10 km from Kandy is packed with treasures, to which owner Jacques Soulié is a great guide. Here he answers our questions, sharing the highlights of [...]
A night at the opera with SOSL & Asitha
Sri Lanka’s leading tenor, Asitha Tennekoon, will be the soloist at the gala opera concert ‘A Night at the Opera’ on May 31 at the BMICH. The concert presented by the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka will feature operatic choruses, arias and overtures and is a memorial concert for Dr. Earle de Fonseka who was [...]
East-west exotic look at Lankan mission in NY
NEW YORK — When Aslam Hussein, one of Sri Lanka’s versatile fashion designers, arrived in New York on a Friday morning, one of the first things on his jet-lagged schedule was to track down a mosque for Jumma prayers. And so, when he held his first-ever fashion show in the U.S. last week, there was [...]
Metho voices to soar at ‘Fuoco con Grazia’
The choir of Methodist College Colombo, is known internationally for winning a Gold Diploma and a Silver medal at the 1st International Hoi An Choir competition in 2011 and again at the 1st Xinghai International choir competition in Guanzhou China in November 2012 where it was the first ever Sri Lankan choir to win a [...]
HFC all set for purrfect evening with ‘You’ve got it Pussycat’
Who can resist a talking cat? Yes everyone knows the story of Puss in Boots. But this is no ordinary cat; this is a hat-wearing, handbag-toting sophisticated Single Lady cat! If curiosity is getting the better of you, keep a date with the English Union of Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya as they present “You’ve got [...]
Reimagining the republic
There’s nothing like a national politico-religious festival to autopsy the national moral fibre, nature, or temperament, to say nothing of characterising the nation’s worldview. Scratch an island-wide fête, feast, or fiesta, and you’ll find you’ve drawn national blood, skin, and nerve endings. Every widely celebrated extravaganza has its own flavour and odour. A lively year-end [...]
Nothing to do but relish nature in the raw
“This is pretty challenging,” I said as the van bounced from pothole to pothole in the rain up the government road through the valley of Vellai-oya Estate to reach Cabanas St Heliers. “There’s more challenges to come,’ said Peter, the manager of the Cabanas who was guiding us there. I peered through the rain at [...]
Savour every nook and corner of Negombo
Fancy a day away from the city but not too far? Negombo just a 45 minute drive away from the capital along the Colombo-Negombo Road (38 kilometres from Colombo) offers a colourfully diverse experience with its breathtaking stretches of beach and lagoon, fishing villages and sites of archaeological importance dating back to the Portuguese and [...]
The duo who click musically
Two celebrated musicians, violinist Stefan Milenkovich and pianist Rohan de Silva will perform this month, on May 28 and 29 at the Lionel Wendt Memorial Theatre in their third collaboration in concert in this country, and again, in support of the charitable work of the Sunera Foundation. One is not forgiven for arriving at a [...]
A colourful reception
A colourful reception was arranged on board the Pakistan Navy ship SHAMSHEER which visited Colombo from May 13 to 15. Delicious Pakistani cuisine cooked on board by well trained Pakistan Navy Chefs was enjoyed by the large gathering of guests which included ministers, diplomats, senior naval officers, Government officials and members of the Pakistani community [...]
A mega launch
Mega Lifesciences, after launching Pynocare- the first oral solution for pigmentation- last year has followed up with Vitavite, a product which has a triple action benefit, fairness, healthy skin and a spot free complexion. Launched last week at Hilton, Colombo the event was attended by many well known personalities in the beauty culture industry. -T.M.
Local talent put together A-list show in the Maldives
Lankan fans might already have read about international pop star Nicole Scherzinger’s recent performance for the launch of the Sun Siyam resort in the Maldives. But, the most fascinating aspect of this story, especially if you are Sri Lankan, is the fact that the entirety of this event was put together by a local company [...]
Mumbai’s Adfactors PR comes to Sri Lanka
Having recognised the vital role that communications play in the economic resurgence of a country like Sri Lanka, a Mumbai-based multi-specialty Public Relations consultancy firm, Adfactors PR, launched its Sri Lanka’s office recently to expand its operations in Asia. The newly set up Colombo office, Adfactors Public Relations Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, will offer corporate and [...]
People and events
Berlin Buddhist temple celebrates Vesak A Vesak celebration and almsgiving was held on May 11 at the Buddhist Temple in Berlin organised on behalf of the German Dharmaduta Society, Colombo, by the vice-president of the society Tissa Weeraratna, with the cooperation of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Berlin. Ven. Santharakkhita Thera of the Buddhist temple [...]
