‘Sri Wickrema’ hits the silver screen
The classic historical cinematic narration on the life and time of the King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, the last of Sri Lanka (1798 – 1815) is now being screened at the cinemas around the country.
Akila Dhanuddara plays King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, while veteran Shriyantha Mendis portrays the character of ‘Maha Amethi’ Pilimatalauve Maha Adhigharam. ‘Sri Wickrama’ is a directorial creation of Mohan Niyaz and the film is produced by Dr. Gihan Godakanda. Chulakshi Ranathunga, Shiyam Fernando, Roshan Pilapitiya, Buddhadasa Withanaarachchi, Palitha Silva, Chanchala Warnakulasuriya, Shalika Edirisinghe, Nadaraja Shivam, Kiiz Harris, Kingsley Laws, Anura Rupasinghe,Prasanjith Abeysuriya, Gavin Anthony Lodowyke, Richard Mondy, Michale Schramm, Jagath Galappaththi and Tharu Bogoda star in this immense cinematic creation. Dhananjaya Manchanayake assisted Mohan Niyaz indirecting, while cinematography by Sajith Weerapperuma. Edited by Anura Bandara and music composed by Farhan Shan. Nilar. A. Cassim penned the songs for the film, while Dinesh Subasinghe composed music and melody.
The plot of ‘Sri Wickrama’ revolves around King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, his rise to the throne and the fall of his regime. After the demise of the king Rajadhi Rajasinghe the year 1798, young prince Kannsami was crowned as Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe with the influence of Pilimatalauve Maha Adhigharam. Pilimatalauve Maha- Adhigharam wanted to elect a king from upcountry Sinhalese Nobel, but the prevailing system did not allow him to do so. Therefore Pilimatalauve Adhikaram conspired to arrest the actual heir to the throne, Muttasami and to crown prince Kannasami as king. Kaannasami was an offspring of Pilamatalauve and Rajadhi Rajasinghe’s Queen’s sister, by an illicit affair. Pilimatalauve’s ambition was fulfilled after crowning his own son Kannasami as king.
But Pilimatalauve’s expectation to rule the upcountry by himself collapses soon, when Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe taking the side of his mother’s clan, the Nayakkar clan. Dissapoinjted Pilimatalauve approached the English governor Fedrick North, to get help to overthrow King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe from the throne. After the refusal of Fedrick North, Pilimatalauve conspires to kill the king. The attempt was unsuccessful and the king finds out Pilimatalauve’s intention and pardons him for the first time.