Machan – Best Film In A Longtime….Very Very Longtime

The film is based on a true story about 23 young Sri Lankans who created a national handball team as a ploy to get visas to Europe.While Uberto Pasolini was shooting the movie in Sri Lanka, the most frequently spoken word that got his attention was “Machan”. A common word used among Sri Lankans when they talk to each other. As a result the director at the end decided to name the movie after it.

Director:Uberto Pasolini

Produced rasanna Vithanage

Writers:Ruwanthie De Chickera (writer)
Uberto Pasolini (writer)

KEY CAST
Stanley: DHARMAPRIYA DIAS
Manoj: GIHAN DE CHICKERA
Suresh: DHARSHAN DHARMARAJ
Vijith: NAMAL JAYASINGHE
Piyal: SUJEEWA PRIYALAL
Ruan: MAHENDRA PERERA
Naseem: DAYADEWA EDIRISINGHE

Just Go And Watch It….”Machan Pissu Hadenawa”

Lankan scientist predicts another tsunami…By Yohan Perera

A Senior Scientist attached to the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) yesterday predicted that there could be a movement in the Sumatra plate during the coming days which might result in an under sea quake.

NBRO Scientist H. G. S. Ariyaratne told the Daily Mirror that his prediction was based on the behaviour of under sea species.

He explained that several species of fish which were seen in the Sumatra seas have become widely visible in the seas around Sri Lanka. According to his personal research he had managed to find out that species senses various changes that take place in the sea-bed including changes in plates. “These species move out of the areas when they sense these changes to escape possible quakes,” Mr. Ariyaratne said.

Mr. Ariyaratne said these species which were usually seen in the seas off Sumatra were found around the Sri Lanka seas prior to the 2004 tsunami. “This phenomenon has been visible during several occasions just before under sea earth quakes according to the research I have done,” he pointed out.

He said he was able to predict under sea earth quakes four times in the recent past but stressed that some official research should be made about this development.

“It could be very useful as it could be a breakthrough on predicting an earth quake at a time like this where there is no way of predicting disasters such as earthquakes,” he added.

Tigo Maching Katha…..Ureni Noshika Where Is Your Values and ethics

I was just flipping channels on Sunday,and i caught a re-run of this program (last minutes),the guest for the show was “Upeksha Swarnamalie” and the host was “Ureni Noshika”.what happened in the end of the program  was the guest gives points to the 3 contestants via SMS. During this process the dumb blond Ms Ureni noshika says to the 3 contestants to say the “ITHIBISO Gathava”  to get the most number of points.Ureni are you trying to make fun of lord buddha?,remember Ureni your walking on thin ice. I just dont see the relevence of lord buddhas “BUDDHU GUNA” being used as a joke on this program. If this kind of thing was told in a Muslim country you will be Beheaded and resting  6 feet under at the moment. The main blame must go to the  program director for this instance,considering this program is not aired live,he could have done something about her actions.This just shows how irresponsible this so called TV stations are. I just cant fathom the idea of socially responsible TV stations using every tom dick and harry to host programmes.Ureni your under the impression that Bullshitting Can Get You To The Top,I’m sure that you are just a dumb blond that’s trying to become noticed. Remember there are values and ethics,“Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave ‘em all over everything you do.”

Once a dumb blond like you did a evaluation of her life as mentioned below,Ureni this is your life in a nutshell…….Your actions suggest that your under the impression that Bullshitting Can Get You To The Top.

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

and
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

And,
B-U-L-L- S-H-I-T
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far ass kissing will take you.
A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

Mandhira De Saram…Meditative, Serene & Powerful

Mandhira de Saram was born in London. After completing her primary education in Sri Lanka, she was awarded a music scholarship to the North London Collegiate School where she completed her secondary education. She was also a Leverhulme Scholar at the Junior Royal Academy of Music where she performed both as a violinist and pianist, also taking classes in composition and conducting. Her violin teachers have included Alla Sharova, Igor Petrushevsky, Howard Davis and Levon Chillingirian.

Mandhira graduated with first class honours from the University of Oxford in 2006 with a high first in performance and was the winner of the Worcester College Arts Prize for the highest result in an arts subject. She currently holds a full award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council in order to read for an M.Phil in Musicology and Performance, also at the Faculty of Music, Oxford. She is a regular member of several university orchestras and university based chamber ensembles, as well as working professionally as a freelance violinist around the UK. Mandhira also held an Oxford Philomusica Orchestra Award and in 2007 was invited to participate as lead violinist in the Youth Music International summer school, held in Oxford last year. She currently leads Ensemble Isis, the contemporary music group at the Oxford Faculty of Music. Recent performances solo performances include a concerto (Mozart Concerto No. 5 in A Major) with the Christ Church Festival Orchestra at the Sheldonian Theatre and duo recitals with pianist, Jakob Fichert, at the Holywell Music Rooms (Oxford) and Rosslyn Hill Chapel (London), and with Elizabeth Burgess at Woodend Barn, Banchory (Scotland), as well as a concert tour of her native country, Sri Lanka with Sri Lankan pianist, Eshantha Joseph Peiris. Her academic research centres on issues of French national identity in the early twentieth century.

http://www.mandhiradesaram.com/

Joker……Best Comic Book Movie Villain Of All Time.

I was counting days until the release of the Dark knight here in Sri lanka,So i booked the tickets 3 weeks prior,and went to watch it with my wife on Saturday. What was so noticeable was 99% had come to watch the joker,everybody had a opinion on Heath Ledger’s death. So Rather than have everyone skip ahead, lets talk about Heath Ledger(Joker).He’s Just brilliant. Director Christopher Nolan wanted a darker,twisted Batman installment. He can thank Ledger for a lot of that.

“The Dark Knight” rides on Ledger’s performance as the Joker. So does a lot of audience hope. There has never been a situation like this, where Audiences for the biggest blockbuster are flooding in, not just hoping an actor will be good but also expecting and needing him to be absolutely amazing. He comes on screen and electrifies the movie. With his smeared lipstick and painted white face. His simplicity is fascinating, and as the movie goes on, that simplicity in itself becomes genuinely frightening. I loved the part where he bombs down the Gotham city hospital,And he walks toward us, stiff and happy and hobbling, like a toddler. I felt the movie was a little too long but never boring. At about the 2 hour mark I was ready to call The Dark Knight the best film of the year.

Yes Fm ALL-STARZ……..Making Of The Ultimate Band

Rip My Throat, Drink My Blood,

Strangle Me, Drown Me,

Give Me Vain And Give Me Pain,

Knives Running Through Me,

Oh, Master Of Wounds – Cut Me

Chase Me, Waste Me,

Leave Me In Your Arms

Cold Hands, Fingers Like Razors,

Break My Neck, Put Out My Light,

Crush My Hope, Rape My Life

Cut Me, Hurt Me, Cut Me, Hurt Me…

Cut Me, Cut Me, Cut Me, Cut Me,

Take My Life, Kill Me And Kill Me

A famous Black Metal band did a track called “Death – Pierce Me”.The above thoughts was going through my mind when i was watching Yes Fm All Starz. The bands that murdered music was Code red , Purple People and Mean green machine.

The Only All Star was Mr Aruna Siriwardena,he was the only person who was making some sense,he took no prisoners when he made comments. Some people who came to watch the show wasn’t that happy about the truth that was dished out by him,but he gave a reality check to all who attended the event. Raj Seneviratne and the other lady was sugar-coating all the shit that was dished out by the bands. The only great performance was by Naadro….and guess what they where the guest act. And “smoke on the water” was performed by mean green machine which was okay considering the other horrible performances.”Rosanna” & “Gimme Hope Joanna” was performed by “purple people”,i think that was one of the worst performances i ever heard….they just destroyed 2 classics. The female vocalist sounded like William Hung performing “She Bangs” on American idol. I expected more from Kushal.All bands had horrible song choices. So lets hope for the best when MGM records there CD in the near future.

The Difference between “Ayurveda” & “Deshiya Chikitsa”(Paramparika Sinhala Wedakama)

Ayurveda
The word Ayurveda has derived from AYU and VEDA.The origin can be traced back to more than 5000 years.The origin of ayurveda dates back to the Vedic era. Some historians say that ayurveda is a part of Atharva Veda.The systematized form of ayurveda dates back to the Rishi conference which was held in the place called Chityarata in the foot hills of Mount Himalaya and Pulasthi Muni(Ravana’s grand Father) participated for it. The great book on ayurveda Characa Samhita gives a detail description of the Rishi conference Rishis are great learned people like the great scientists of today.When diseases were more prevalent these learned scientist called all the scientists of India and neighboring countries like Sri Lanka. A list of the names of scientists who attended the conference is also given in Charaka Samhita. At this conference all the scattered knowledge was collected and 8 schools of thoughts were originated.

Deshiya Chikitsa or Paramparika Sinhala Wedakama
The Sinhala Race boast of a proud and civilised society for thousands of years,according to recent findings our “paramparika sinhala wedakama” comes well beyond ten-thousands years.Even before the King Ravana Era.Ravana is said to be one of the greatest physicians who ever existed, and even authored the book Arka Prakashaya. The Bisajjya Grantha and Nadi Shasthra mentions that King Ravana and his grandfather Pulasthi Muni had graced the world-famous medical conferences held in those ancient days in Janasthan Pura near Pakistan.He was also the inventor of the distillation process. In Sri Lankan folk tales, it is said that king Ravana treated both Rama and Lakshmana with his own hand when they were badly injured on the battlefield.

Conclusion

Deshiya Chikitsa or paramparika sinhala wedakama was the earliest system of medicine that existed in Sri Lanka before the advent of Ayurveda.It was handed down from generation to generation and in the course of time Deshiya Chikitsa became fused with Ayurveda.Historical records show that there has been an exchange of information on Ayurveda & Deshiya Chikitsa(paramparika sinhala wedakama) between India and Sri Lanka long before its formal introduction.The “Sarartha Sangrahaya” which was composed by King Buddhadasa containd a detailed account of the preparation of drugs, diagnosis, treatment of diseases,surgery.King Buddhadasa was a famed Ayurveda physician and surgeon.

Sugathapala De Silva….The Architect Of The Modern Sinhala Theatre

Sugathapala De Silva (August 8, 1928 – October 28, 2002) is an acclaimed Sri Lankan dramatist and novelist.

De Silva was born in Nawalapitiya, Sri Lanka, on August 8, 1928, the son of a small trader. He grew up there, among Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim traders. His childhood experiences would later influence him to write the novels “Ikbithi Siyalloma Sathutin Jeevathvuha” and “Esewenam Minisune Me Asaw”.

De Silva came to Colombo, Sri Lanka in the 1960s, and became engaged in the political and cultural movement, taking place there at that time. Nicknamed the “lovable dictator”, he formed the drama group “Apey Kattiya” there, and started to translate and adapt plays by Tennessee Williams and Pirandello, like Cat On a Hot Tin Roof and Six Characters in Search of an Author, to wide acclaim. He followed these plays with original ones, like Thattu Geval and Boarding Karayo which captured the mood of the new city-bred middle classes of the time. Among his other creations are Eka Walle Pol, Harima Badu Hayak, Mutu Kumari, Esala Sanda and Marasad.

De Silva’s best play is considered by many to be Dunna Dunu Gamuwe, which was written just after the 1971 insurrection in Sri Lanka. Although centered on a trade union struggle, it had an admixture of politics and art expertly mixed with technique and aided by some superb acting by the late U. Ariyawimal and Wilson Jayasiri was the precursor of the serious political theatre which followed at the end of the decade.

De Silva worked for long time at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation as a producer, and in the late 1960s was in charge of the weekly radio play, and the weekly short story programs on the station, which were the first “stamping grounds” of writers and dramatists who are today well-known in their own right.

De Silva was bed-ridden since 1997, and after being admitted to a hospital, died on October 28, 2002.

Aba(The Story Of Prince Pandukabaya)…What’s the name of the passenger liner that sank on 14 April 1912?

Yesterday i went to watch aba with my family,i was excited since there was so much of hype about it.since its the single highest amount spent on a Sinhalese movie.I once read that the movie was 10 years in the making and the budget is more than Rs 500 lacks,and a cast of over 570.A Amount of 100 lacks was spent on the castle alone.but its sad to say there was no wow factor for me,since all the famous names in sinhala cinema was in this project.what i felt was Jackson Anthony was by far a better actor than a director,because this was just below average.i can remember the performance Jackson Anthony gave on the film “Sooriya Arana”for his role as Sediris,witch was directed by Somaratne Dissanayake. And the next thing that did not match up was the caractor of Habara(saumya liyanage),since he was one of the chief protagonists(other being Gumbakabootha) of the political conspiracy,he was portrayed a bit too ridiculously at times .you tend to think will chittaraja(bimal jayakody) & kalawela(Vasantha Moragoda) handover the future of the Yaksha tribe and the great hela dynasty to a character witch was portrayed at times in the film.his combat skills was prominent but he acted a bit thickheaded at times. Nadeeka Guruge(Music Director) had let us down with the drum beats used in the film,it was too simple.since Sri lanka has so much of complex drum beats even from the Ravana era(5000 years ago).What i felt was there would be a Sequel to this movie(considering it had a sudden finish).All in all i think the bar was set too much high,and the expectations of a great film was not met. This film was just a another Titanic(same goes to the film Titanic).

Naadro…Rhythmic Power And Invention

Naadro is a Percussion Band well known in Sri lanka performing with Srilankan Drums, Indian Drums, African and Latin Percussions.Within a short period they have become very popular in this field.Rakitha is the founder of NAADRO and leader of the group.Then band consist of(According to the above Pic) gayan manokumara, Pabalu Wijegoonawardane, rakitha ruwan, ranga nuwantha, Nalinda Dilupama Peiris, uthpala eroshan.

They are having the album launch and maiden concert(REVELLING RHYTHEMS) on the 12 th of Aug.With Special guest appearances by renowed Flamenco Guitarists Roni Benise from USA & Flutist RK Bikramjit Singh from INDIA.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Time:7:30pm – 9:30pm
Location:@ B M I C H