‘Bora Diya Pokuna’ finally on the track
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After years of delay, young filmmaker Satyajith Maitipe’s debut film ‘Bora Diya Pokuna’- ‘Scent of the Lotus Pond’ is finally to be released from February 14. The film had to overcome many hurdles including previous Censor Boards or Public Performance Boards.
Produced by the National Film Corporation under the project of financing amateur film directors, Satyajith’s film represented Sri Lanka in a number of international film festivals including the competitive section of the 33rd International Rotterdam Film festival in the Netherlands.
The film deals with love in an urban setting where the youth working in the garment industry meet with those in the forces. The film evaluates the socio-political aspects, the sexuality in marriage and love that affects humanity in the context of the Buddhist philosophy.
Maitipe entered cinema after winning the Sumathi award for Best Telefilm in 2000 and special Jury award at Sri Lankan Critic Award-2000 for his tele direction ‘Smarana Samapthi’. Satyajith who also wrote the screenplay for the film states that he was influenced by the many characters in the Jathaka stories that he got to know as a child. ‘Vakkali Puththa’ who was enamoured by the Buddha and wanted to commit suicide, Ambapali the renounced courtesan in Waishshali in old India (Dambadiva) and many others who meeting the Buddha and listening to his discourses were converted from the complex sexuality that kept them in bondage.
The cast of ‘Bora Diya Pokuna includes Kaushalya Fernando, Dilani Abeywardena and two first timers Daminda de Silva and Gayan Lakshman. The cast boasts of many veteran actors and actresses including Irangani Serasinghe, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, Veena Jayakody, Priyanka Samaraweera, Chandani Seneviratne, Chandra Kaluarachchi, Leoni Kothalawela, Rohitha Karunaratne and Pramudi Karunaratne.
The filming is done by Palitha Perera and Ravindra Guruge is the editor and the music director is Pradeep Ratnayake. The art director is Suneth Nandalal and G. Shivagurunadan while Ashoka Ariyaratne and Thilina Weerasinghe assisted in production.
