Lankan teledrama to go global
‘Ahanna Kenek Nehe’ or ‘Can You Hear Me’, newest teledrama series by multiawarded director Sunil Costa is the first ever attempt to take Sri Lankan teledrama to international audience via social media. The winner of the Best Teledrama and Most Popular teledrama award for his last teleplay, ‘Sudu Andagena Kalu Avidin’, Costa has teamed up with National Rupavahini to take Sri Lankan teledrama international by uploading the series with English subtitles. Comprised of three seasons, the first season was started to be telecast at 9 pm from Monday to Thursday on October 5 on Rupavahini.
Screenplay written and directed by Sunil Costa the teleplay is produced by actor Chinthaka Kulathunga. Costa’s last teleplay ‘Sudu Andagena Kalu Avidin’ was adjudged the Most popular teledrama receiving 1.2 million votes at the 24th Sumathi Tele Awards. The teleplay was awarded the Best Teledrama along with the Best actor, the Best Up and coming actress, the Best Camera and the Best Art director at the recently concluded 16th Raigam tele Awards.
‘Can You Hear Me’ features Dilhani Ekanayake, Niroshan Wijesinghe, Umayanga Wickramasinghe, Veena Jayakody, Michelle Dilhara, Roger Seneviratne, Shalini Tharaka, Lakhsman Mendis, Gihan Fernando, Ananda Kumra Unnahe, Chinthana Kulathunga, Priyankara Rathnayake, Sampath Jayaweera, Ajith Lokuge and Malee Jayaweera in main roles.
The drama narrates around number characters representing different social strata. Featuring people whom we would come across in our daily lives, they are shown with their black and white qualities. We realise that some of these qualities are within us as well.
Hailing from an aristocratic background Ian Madugalle is one of the characters featured in ‘Can you Hear me’. The son of Dunstan Madugalle, from the respected Magugalle dynasty, the young Madugalle has met with an accident and he is paralysed and he is wheelchairbound. Ian was a talented sportsman and his girlfriend was Thilini. Following the accident the girl too leaves him.
Coming from a rural backdrop Ashan works as a food deliverer. One of his girlfriends is Sumali, who works at Madugalle’s bungalow and attend to Ian. But she is not a trustworthy as she steals anything that comes across her way.
Suri, who runs a bakery business in the city is unmarried. The businessman has passed his middle age and he has an affair with Kanthi, the bakery manager. Suri has got Kanthi married to Sumangala, an innocent person who also works under him. Mahimi comes to Suri in search of a job. Her father is a retired soldier. Got caught to a crossfire during the war one of his legs is amputated. There is no news from her mother who has gone to the Middle East for a job. Two younger siblings of Mahimi are still schooling.
These are a variety of characters who are neither black nor white and they are just representatives of our own surrounding.
Behind the screen, director of photography is Sisikirana Paranavithana, editor is Shan Alwis,
music direction is by award winning musician Dinesh Subasinghe, art director is Ajantha Alahakoon, make up by Wasantha Purnawansa and production manager is Malith Peiris
To the music of Dinesh Subasinghe and lyrics penned by writer, TV and radio producer and journalist Nuwan Jude Liyanage, playback songs are sung by Upekha de Silva and Chandramala Fernando.