Reviving Thushara

History is about to repeat itself. Malani Fonseka and Vijaya Kumaratunga dazzled the wide screen with Yasapalitha Nanayakkara’s yesteryear movie Thushara in 1973.

Now a new couple, Saliya Sathyajith and Shalika Edirisinghe, is set to recapture the magic of the old hit with Sahan Wijesinghe’s new version of the movie. The Daily News met Wijesinghe to inquire about his attempt to revive the memories of the past to the present audience.

* Why did you decide to start your directorial debut with a remake?

Though we are advanced in technology I have always felt that the present movies lack the beauty of past hits. Movies made in the 1960s and 70s made use of the cream of the industry, from the stars in the lead roles to the music and plot.

I have watched Nanayakkara’s Thushara 26 times and I had the hope of doing a remake. However I did not plan on directing the movie. My aim had been to produce and act in the remake.

It is after more than three decades that the film is coming back to the audience. I believe that I have made the best choices in doing justice to the original version. Some people including NFC chairman, Jayantha Darmadasa, said that I have made a good job of it. It is up to the audience to decide whether my attempt if fruitful.

* Besides directing and producing the film, you portray a role as well.

Yes, I have taken on the role of the villain originally acted by Baptist Fernando. If the remake was done 10 or 15 years ago I would have taken on the lead role.

* Why did you decide on Saliya and Shalika for the lead?

I searched for actors to suit the characters for over a year and finally came upon Saliya. Saliya possessed the charisma I was searching for and I believe Shanika is quite suited to the role.

It is sad to say that most of the actors of today do not possess the power to attract the masses. I wish to invite the audience to see the film and decide for themselves whether they find the couple and the film captivating.

Around 50 per cent of the success of a film lies in its cast. The new faces in the movie cannot be compared with the old ones. However I have learnt to recognise a successful creation through experience. One of the reasons for the failure of films is they feature actors who are seen often in television.

Countries like India have a separate group of actors for television and a separate group for cinema. Filmmakers need to understand that people do not wish to see the faces that they see often on television on the wide screen.