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TV Times

‘Nil Mal Viyana’: Manel’s final bow
By Susitha R. Fernando
Manel Jayasena takes her final bow as an actress in the miniscreen Nil Mal Viyana where she plays the role of a mother with a young daughter. This is also the last opportunity that Henry Jayasena got to act with Manel. The fans of the Jayasena duo appreciate this opportunity of watching Manel with her capable acting ability when the miniplay is telecast on ITN at 8.15 pm on Sunday.

Hailing from an aristocratic background Wilfred Senanayake a lawyer by profession lives in Nuwara Eliya. His wife Samanmalee Senanayake decides separate from him legally due to his unyielding and autocratic behaviour. Seperating from him Samanmalee Senanayake leaves for England with her daughter, Ashani (Sulakkana Mihiripenna - Our Cover Girl this week) hoping to reside with a relative.

Soon Ashani is compelled to return to Sri Lanka as her mother is thinking of contracting a second marriage. Once back she decides to live on her own. She uses the palatial house inherited from her parents as a guesthouse naming it ‘Orange Blossom’. She resides there and manages the business efficiently. Her uncle Amaranath Dissanayake who is always concerned about her gives his unstinted support to the project. Meanwhile Thivanka Jayawardena (Janaka Kumbukge) a regularly visitor at the resort expresses his love to Ashani one day but Ashani rejects the offer.

Roger Seneviratne (Prageeth Meedeniya) plays the role of an owner of a flower farm and Nirosha Herath (Sudintha Irrugalbandara) is his girlfriend. Edward Gunawardena (Colvin Irrugalbandara) is her father while Manel Jayasena is her mother.

Pradeep is another character depicted in the miniplay, and he is a frequent visitor to the ‘Orange Blossom’. Initially the reason for these visits was his close relationship with Ashani’s uncle Amaranath Dissanayake who is a writer. Later he too gets interested in Ashani and expresses his desire to marry her.

Another young man Madawa Uduwanwela (Palitha Silva) is a manager of a private bank in Nuwara Eliya and he helps Ashani in her dealings with the bank. This young man Madawa has fondness for Ashani. Ashani too likes him and his company. This makes Madawa a regular visitor to ‘Orange Blossom’.

The story revolves around the visitors, their hopes and aspiration and the various conflicts and disputes that arise from these. It is Ashani and her uncle Amaranath who has to intervene and settle these numerous incidents and accidents.

Roger Seneviratne, Janaka Kumbukge, Palitha Silva, Kusum Renu, Priyantha Seneviratne, Senaka Wijesinghe, Nirosha Herath, Gamini Hettiarachchi, Roshanara Jayampathy, Pramudi Karunaratne and Edward Gunawardena play the rest of the cast.

Nilmal Viyana is entirely filmed in Nuwara Eliya and Kandy by the cinematographer Jayantha Seneviratne and music directed by Nawaratne Gamage.

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