‘Hora Uncle’ -A review A film about a caring dad who puts his neck on the line

This latest cinematic production, directed by HarshanaWickremasinghe, carries much potential to entertain children and adults alike

The plot revolves around a father who, in a dire need to raise money for his daughter’s operation, takes to stealing

The message given in the film is about lessons that can be learnt if we keep our eyes and ears open while being in society

‘Hora Uncle’ is perhaps the latest cinematic production to hit the silver screen in the island and carries much potential to entertain both children and adults alike. The plot revolves around a father who, in a dire need to raise money for his daughter’s operation, takes to stealing. Surprisingly, he befriends the children in a home he breaks into with the aim of making a quick theft. The children at home go to the extent of cooperating with the thief (played by Mahendra Perera).

The bond that the children establish with the thief in double quick time is both telling and captivating. The children even promise to raise money for the ailing child by foregoing a planned family trip. The money is raised in the end and the thief is able to cure his ailing daughter, who is paralyzed following an accident. One heart stopping incident in the film is that though all goes well, the thief is arrested by the law enforcement authorities. The other message given in the film is that no one is above the law.   

The message given in the film is about lessons that can be learnt if we keep our eyes and ears open while being in society. The lessons that we learn can come from teachers, children and sources that we least trust; here, it is through the association one has with a thief. The film also reminds parents to be alert to even the most subtle of happenings in the lives of children. The script writer of the film, Nihal Peiris, goes on to show that ‘if help comes through change, the lives of those in dire straits can be reversed’. The film ‘Hora Uncle’- which runs one hour and 35 minutes- will be remembered for all the praiseworthy qualities spoken above in this review. The Director of the film is Harshana Wickremasinghe; his first. A movie fan, a teenaged daughter, who watched the premier of the film has this to say about the film: “My dad is abroad, so it is my mother who shows us all the love and affection, cooks for us and takes us to school and tuition classes. But after watching ‘Hora Uncle’ it helped me to value what fathers do in enduring hardships for the sake of their families”.

The film offers a splendid opportunity to child actors Senulya Danthanarayana (who plays the key character of Sandali) and also Nethpriya Madubhashithaa and Dewmi Sathishka to polish their acting skills and make this venture a learning experience. The main Producer of this film Saman Alankara said that he was more than happy with the performances of the child actors roped in for the film. According to Alankara, as many as 175 child artistes were auditioned for the film, but only 35 were selected to be part of the cast. Some of the seniors starring in this cinematic production are Kumara Thiramadura, Dulani Anuradha, Janaka Kumbukage, Umayangana Wickremasinghe, Jayarathna Galagedara, Ashika Meththasinghe and Don Gai.  

Alankara, who plays the role of one of the police officers in the film, had to think beyond the scope of being an actor when expected finances for the film couldn’t be raised. He doubled in as one of the producers, raising most of the monies needed for the film by liquidating some of his hard-earned assets. Alankara and the rest of the cast were also in luck when another producer by the name of Dr. Suminda Lowe chipped in to ease financial worries. The film is mostly shown in theatres owned by the EAP film circuit; but not before being rejected by many others in the industry. At present, the film is shown in more than 36 film halls in the country. The premier of the film was shown at Savoy Wellawatte on August 8.   

The film is also spiced with many songs and dance items. The music directions for the film came from Navarathna Gamage. The theme song for the film is from Lakshman Wijesekare; apparently, this was Wijesekare’s last song before he breathed his last.  

Speaking about the film and what it can offer the cinema world and movie buffs, Alankara said that this cinematic production is a ‘must see’ for students studying drama as a subject in school for the GCE A Level Examination. “The film will help one understand that an individual must do a deep study of both films and acting if he or she wants to contribute to a cinematic production which will be remembered for a long time,” said Alankara. He added that there are so many classes that teach drama as a subject in Sri Lanka, but most teachers engaged in such ventures lack the necessary qualifications to engage in the teaching profession.   

Alankara (48) cut his teeth in cinema and drama by following workshops conducted by Parakrama Niriella, Jayalath Manorathna and Nuwan Nayanajith. He said that punctuality, hard work and dedication to whatever role he played in cinematic productions helped him come this far in the cinema industry.  

Alankara, who is a landscape designer by profession, lives with his wife Irangani Rajapaksha and daughter Kavindya in Kesbewa.