Milestone movies marking golden jubilee this year

Five of Sinhala cinema’s outstanding movies will be marking their 50th year golden jubilee this year. Among them are Dr. D. B. Nihalsinghe’s ‘Welikathara’ – the country’s first cinemascope movie which was first screened on October 27, 1971. ‘Kalana Mithuro’ featuring newcomer Tissa Wijesurendra was screened on March 3, 1971 opening a new chapter for a new hero in the Sinhala cinema industry.

Neil Rupasinghe’s ‘Hathara Denama Sooraya’ which was screened on July 20, 1971, was a huge commercial hit at that time especially due to the star-studded cast comprising Gamini Fonseka, Vijaya Kumaratunga, Sriyani Amarasena, Senedheera Rupasinghe, Anthony C. Perera and others.

Lenin Moraes’ ‘Abirahasa’ – another hit movie of the seventies featuring Vijaya Kumaratunga and Swarna Kahawita will also be marking its golden jubilee this year. The film was released on August 4, 1971.
Titus Totawatte’s memorable yesteryear movie ‘Hara Lakshaya’ based on a true story also marks its 50th anniversary this year. The movie released on December 17, 1971, drew large crowds to the cinemas largely due to the film content and also the novel promotion campaign.

Text: By Ramesh Uvais

Abirahasa

Another yester-year hit movie ‘Abirahasa’ featuring Vijaya Kumaratunga and Swarna Kahawita in the lead roles will mark its golden jubilee this year.

The detective film produced by Nimal Weerakkody and directed by Lenin Moraes also had Thalatha Gunasekara, Sampath Sri Nandalochana, H. R. Jothipala, Malani Fonseka, Robin Fernando and Alexander Fernando playing the key roles.

Hara Lakshaya

‘Hara Lakshaya’ produced by Sugathadasa Marasinghe and directed by Titus Totawatte featured Joe Abeywickrema, Piyadasa Gunasekara, Robin Fernando, Senadheera Rupasinghe, G. W. Surendra, Somasiri Dehipitiya, Buddhi Wickrema, Alexander Fernando, Namel Weeramuni and others in the key roles.
The action-packed film was based on the much-publicised 1949 Turf Club robbery of Rs. 4 lakhs – the biggest heist at that time.

Kalana Mithuro

As ‘Kalana Mithuro’ produced by K. K. Jagthiyani and directed by Kingsley Rajapaksa unspooled on the silver screen for the first time, based on the popular Hindi movie ‘Dosthi’ – all eyes were on the new boy Tissa Wijesurendra.

The movie cast also had Tony Ranasinghe, Wickrema Bogoda, D. R. Nanayakkara, Neela Liyanagedara, Eddie Jayamanne, Dommie Jayawardana, Christie Leonard Perera, M. V. Balan and others.

Welikathara 

The much-acclaimed yester year movie ‘Welikathara’ directed by veteran D. B. Nihalsinghe featured Gamini Fonseka, Joe Abeywickrema, Swineetha Weerasinghe, Devika Karunaratne, Kithsiri Perera, Piyasena Ahangama, Navanandana Wijesinghe, Dayananda Gunawardana, G. W. Surendra, Chandra Kaluarachchi, Elson Divithurugama, Buddhi Wickrema and others in the key roles.

Dr. Nihalsinghe handled the cinematography, editing and direction of the movie while Somadasa Elwitigala handled the music direction and Mervyn Rodrigo the sound engineering.

The story, dialogues and screenplay was written by the late Tissa Abeysekara. Pandit W. D. Amaradeva was the playback singer while the lyrics were penned by Mahagamasekara. Seasoned cinematographer K. D. Dayananda was the still photographer and camera assistant of the project.

Hathara Denama Soorayo

Neil Rupasinghe’s ‘Hathara Denama Soorayo’ which was one of the topmost box office grossers in the early seventies, featured popular stars like Gamini, Vijaya, Malini, Sriyani and others while the film’s soundtracks were enriched with the vocals of H. R. Jothipala, Angeline Gunathilaka, Lata Walpola and M. S. Fernando. Lenin Moraes handled the cinematography while P. L. A. Somapala was the music director.