Vehi Dawasak, directed and produced by Bhadraji Jayatileka, is an extraordinary story about an ordinary day’s happenings to a number of families. The story focuses on how their lives intertwine and interact with one another on a particular rainy day.

Bhadraji Jayatileka has to his credit, forty-two Sinhala books, four English books, ten serials, four short story books, nineteen translations and fourteen other fictional works.

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More from Island of Feb. 05, 2010

Bhadraji Mahinda Jayathilaka, popular author, artist and singer celebrates 40 years in writing this year. He began his writing career by publishing his own children’s story book “PUNCHI” in 1970; Apart from writing the book, he drew the cover and inside illustrations of “PUNCHI” the children’s book. So far he has written well over 90 books, and hopes to publish his 100th book before the end of 2010.

To commemorate this 40th anniversary in writing Bhadraji Fan Club has planned to launch the long children’s radio play written by Bhadraji and was produced by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) called “LIHINI GALA” (The rock of sea gulls) in book form. It will be held at the Ananda Samarakoon Studio of the SLBC on February 2 (Tuesday) from 4.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.

Incidentally the first copy of “LIHINI GALA” will be handed over to the producer of the children’s radio play Mr. Mahinda Algama. Renowned Dramatist (late) Sugathapala De Silva and Lucien Bulathsinghala had later produced his drama scripts to the radio. Altogether Bhadraji has written 40 scripts to the radio.

Source: http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/provincial-news/2570.html

Faces from the theatre scene as well as fresh talent will be brought to the fore in the project. Hemantha Prasad, Prabha Sandaseeli, Udeni Alwis, Sangeetha Thadani, Sanet Dikkumbura, Lakshan Sanju, Bhadraji Mahinda, Vishaka Jayaweera, Prasad Deshapriya and others play significant roles in Vehi Dawasa.

Set in the cool, misty climate of Nuwara Eliya, Vehi Dawasa focuses on Elisa. While the rest of the citizens are fast asleep, engulfed in the blanket of cold mist, Elisa is busy getting ready for the day.

Every second is precious to her as she has three children to feed, a stingy husband to tend to and a sick child to care for.

Theja, a young mother-to-be too is hoping to visit the doctor with Elisa for her daily check-up. With a doting husband by her side Theja’s life is quite different from Elisa’s.

A bus speeds towards Nuwara Eliya from Colombo carrying superstar Dilip and his companions. They are on their way to stage a play in the town.

Anoja, the wife of the chief doctor at the hospital is counting the minutes so that she would be able to present a bouquet of flowers to the charming Dilip and make a good impression upon him.

Being an ardent fan of his she is in a frenzy of excitement to meet and chat up with him.

However nature has other plans in store for each of them. Elisa, Theja, Anoja and Dilip find that their anticipations and dreams take a different turn as nature intervenes.

“I always wanted to make a movie. For around 60 years I held on to that dream and engaged in studies with that wish in mind.

Having become a part of the team of Sri Lanka’s first television station ITN I later worked as a consultant, producer and director for both ITN and Rupavahini.

“I wrote and directed Atharamage Nawathena (The Wayward Rest), the first teledrama to be done in a studio in Sri Lanka with three cameras and online editing.

“Later in California I wrote and directed a one-hour television drama to be produced in USA,” Jayatilaka recalled his creative roots.

He said that almost all the filming was done in Nuwara Eliya within ten days. The background music was provided by two Tamil musicians named Geeth and Vickyn. The music includes some Tamil rap music which will be included for the first time in a Sinhala movie.

Hemantha Prasad has written the screenplay, M. Safeer was the production executive, Prem Jayantha Kapuge the make up, Donald Karunaratne the cinematography while Udeni Alwis has assisted in the direction and also handled still photography.

Vehi Dawasa is expected to hit the wide screen soon and will no doubt be a whole new experience for local cinema goers.

Source – Written by Ruwini Jayawardana for Daily News Feb 08, 2010

Please visit http://web.mac.com/mangalajayakody/Kinda_Manda_La/Pictures_of_%22Ranthaliya%22.html to view additional images from Ranthaliya (Golden Bowl) – a Drama featuring Bhadraji.

Thanks!

[courtesy of the kindamanda.com website maintained by Mangala Jayakody]

This year five of his books will be published. Two of them are translations of
1. Dr Zhivago and
2. Life and Death in Shanghai
plus two children’s books
1. Planet Purple (in English with illustrations by the author) and
2. Ahasata Giya Salu (In Sinhala and Tamil with illustrations by Amritha Wickramage)
plus one new novel
1. Kulageyin Kulageyata (From Noble House to Noble House) - coming out by Sarasavi this September

Currently Bhadraji is acting in two stage plays in California
1. Mudalinayake Somarathne’s Ran Thaliya and
2.Kith Jayasena’s Musila.

Both are scheduled to be staged in August and September of 2009.

The movie titled “Yal Devi” which Bhadraji co-wrote and co-directed with Sumedha Jayasena has already been shown in the USA several times. Bhadraji plays a lead role in the movie and plans are already well underway to screen Yal Devi in Sri Lanka later this year.

Bhadraji’s song “Garden of Love” has been #1 on the SLBC English Hit Parade now for over three weeks . His English songs as well as the latest Sinhala songs such as Hiru Kirana, Madhara Mal and Galu Aadare Ganga are heard over many air waves of Sri Lanka.

Cameron Books,
2920 E Florida Avenue,
Hemet

From 10am to 2pm.

by Bhadraji Mahinda Jayathilaka.

All are invited!!

Description: The train, “YAL DEVI” (the queen of Jaffna), that used to connect the Northern & the Southern cities of Sri Lanka is no longer running her full journey after she became a victim of a bomb blast carried out by the LTTE (one of the most ruthless terrorist groups in the world fighting for a separate Tamil Homeland within Sri Lanka). The motion picture, based on a fictional love story, depicts how the ethnic conflict originated back in Sri Lanka has spilled over to those settled in Los Angeles, where the film was shot. Taking the story as a metaphor, will there be peace again in Sri Lanka for “Yal Devi” to reunite the North & the South of this beautiful island nation?

Dialogues- Sinhala, Tamil & English; With English subtitles

Here is an interview and additional details about the movie, Yal Devi, including an interview with the Director/Producer Sumedha Jayasena from Sri Lanka Foundation website.

Some images of the set created by Bhadraji for the occasion.

Bhadraji also performed at this ceremony.