The Sinhala Cinema known as 
Sri Lankan Cinema celebrated it's 64th anniversary today(21).Exactly 64 years ago in 21st of January of the year 1947 the first sinhalese film "Kadawuna Poronduwa"(Broken Promise) was screened.
To mark the 64th annniversary of Sinhala Cinema The National Film Corporation screening the first three Sinhalese Films of the Cinema naming the Kadawuna Poronduwa"(1947),"Ashokamala"(1947) and the "Kapati Arakshakaya"(1948) today in Colombo.
Followed is a brief description on early stages of the Sinhala Cinema
1901 marked the introduction of film to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) when a film was shown for the first time in the country at a private screening for the British governor West Ridgeway and prisoners of the
Second Boer War. It was a short film that documented the British victory in the Boer War, the burial of
Queen Victoria and the coronation of
Edward VII. More English screenings followed and attracted British settlers and Anglicized Sinhalese.
Cinema in Sri Lanka became a public affair due to the efforts of Warwick Major, an Englishman who developed "bioscope" showings. These were films screened out in open areas and makeshift tents. The first permanent theaters were built by Madan Theaters in 1903. The company showed Indian films and achieved success, prompting the development of theaters by the rival Olympia.
In 1925
Rajakeeya Wickremaya (English:
Royal Adventure) became the first film to be made in Sri Lanka. Dr.
N.M. Perera played the lead in the film which was shown in
India and
Singapore. However this film reels got burnt before they were shown in Sri Lanka. In 1933 the film
Paliganeema was screened in Colombo.
During the 1920s and 1930s films with American stars like
Charlie Chaplin,
Greta Garbo,
John Barrymore,
Rudolph Valentino, and
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. were popular in Sri Lanka.
The Shiek and
The Thief of Bagdad were especially popular. in 1932, the first sound film to be screened was shown at the Regal Cinema, titled "The Dream." By the 1930s Indian films started to surpass English films in popularity.
Bilwa Mangal set an early record for Sri Lankan box office earning.
The beginnings of cinemas spread was seen when the Indan Madan circuit establsished Elphinstone cinema in Colombo as a part of his extensive cinema chain in Asia. Empire cinema, which became the longest functioning cinema in Sri Lanka was established in 1915 and continued to function till 2003 when it was demolished to make way for a commercial building in Colombo
Inauguration (1947)
South Indian producer S. M. Nayagam played an important role in the development of the first Sri Lankan film. In 1945, Nayagam founded a company named Chitrakala Movietone and constructed a studio in
Madurai, India for the purpose of making a Sinhala film. After considering several options, he decided to build the film around the historical love story of Saliya and Asokamala and held a contest to find a suitable screenplay; the winner was budding artist Shanthi Kumar. Due to disagreements however this project fell through and Nayagam broke a deal with dramatist
B. A. W. Jayamanne to film his popular play
Kadawunu Poronduwa.[1]
Kumar
[2] determined to film his script left Nayagam's company and convinced the Ceylon Theaters group to fund his film. Faced with a more daunting task of putting together the film from scratch, the
Ashokamala project began filming in
Coimbatore about two months after the production of
Kadawunu Poronduwa had initiated. Naygam's film would win out screening at the Mylan Theater on January 21, 1947.
[3] Ashokamala was screened three months later in April 1947 at the Elphinstone Theater.
[1]
Both films were popular with audiences but derided by critics who found them to be derivative of South Indian cinema.
[2]
The deadline of the Postal Voting for forthcoming local government elections ended today as the percentage of the Postal Vote Applications dropped sharply according to the sources.
The Campaign for Free And Fair Elections(CAFFE) and The Center For Human Rights(CHR) are condemning the attack on Lanka E News Office in Malabe by saying that the latest attack in Media happened right after the Galle Literary Festival when the attention of the world focused in Sri Lanka is not only a blow to media freedom and right to information also damn the International reputation of the Country.
One of the Sri Lankan News Web Sites published News in Sinhalese and English the Lanka E News Editorial Office situated in Colombo suburbs set up fire by a group of people early this morning.The fire broke out around 2 a.m this morning was brought under control with the help of residents in the area however all the Computers fixed in the Office were destroyed and extensive damage done according to the reports.
The Ministry Of Health has appointed two teams to investigate on death of a child who was bitten by a leech and admitted to Nawalapitiya Base Hospital of the Central Province.The 5 year old child was admitted to the Hospital after a wound appeared in his skin after bitten by leech and died after administered an injection according to the Health Ministry.
In January up to now 527 Dengue Cases are reported throughout the island according to the Epidemiology Unit.Out of this number 202 Dengue Patients were reported from Colombo District while 72 reported from from Gampaha and 41 from Jaffna District.
A large number of nomination lists presented for the forthcoming local government elections were rejected today which includes the nomination lists of the governing United Peoples Freedom Front(UPFA) and the main opposition United National Party(UNP).
The Health Ministry has decided to charge a fixed treatment fee of Rs.2000 from Accident Victims with Liquor Influence who got admitted to Government Hospitals with effect from February.This is an initial step taken under the charging treatment fees from patients admitted to government hospitals suffering from non infectious diseases caused by Alcohol according to the Ministry.
The Government has decided to reduced the import duty imposed on Milk Powder to Rs.28 from Rs.50 per Killo Gramme with Immediate effect.This decision has taken to stablise the market prices and the retail prices will remained as unchanged according to the Internal Trade Ministry.
Supreme Court today ruled that the Court Martial is also a part of the legal system according to the 89(d) section of the Sri Lankan Constitution.The decision of five member Supreme Court Judge panal regarding the validity of Court Martial was revealed in Appeals Court in Colombo this noon.
The Movement of Postal work in Central Mail Exchange is getting slower due to the OT(Over time) Strike of the Postal Workers the Post Master General M.K.B Dissanayake has said today.
The Finance Ministry has announced a Rs.15 reduction of the custom duty on Petrol for Rs.5 per litre in order to maintain the current market prices,
Finance Ministry has announced today that the Sri Lankan Garment Industry revanue in 2015 has projected as 4 billion US Dollers as the Industry recorded a rapid growth in 2010.
In a bid to discourage Tobacco Cultivation Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has said today that Government will request all farmers in the Country to refrain from cultivating Tobacco and instead grow more fruits and vegetables to increase these food crops.
The newly opened Indian Consulate in Jaffna in the Northern Sri Lanka began issuing of visas yesterday (17) and planning to issue 50 to 100 visas per day for the applicants.To improve their services to the public the Consulate is planning to bring software and man power from India soon.
Galle Chief Magistrate today issued a warrant to arrest Opposition Parliamentarian and former Sri Lankan Cricket Captain Arjuna Ranathunga for failing to appear before the court on trial against him.
The Indian Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasanth Naik arrived Sri Lanka today for a short tour and visited the flooded areas of Batticloe and few areas in Eastern and North Western provinces by a helicopter.He also distributed some food and essential items amongst the affected people in these areas.
"WISHING THE HINDU READERS OF MY BLOG A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS THAI PONGAL NEW YEAR"
27 people died and over one million people were affected due to the worst ever floods from decades hit in most parts of the Island due to the heavy showers according to the Disaster Management Center.Disaster Management Center also said that there are 47 injuries and 12 people also missing due to the flood situation.
During last year 34,105 dengue patients were reported through out the island and there were 246 deaths according to the Epidemiology Unit.Out of the total number of dengue patients reported the highest number of 858 patients were reported from Jaffna District followed by 608 patients from Gampaha in the Western Province and 584 patients from Colombo .
The UNICEF and the Epidemiology Unit in Sri Lanka jointly planning to launch an island wide public awareness campaign on the National Immunization Programme begins from 24th of January.
The death toll due to the floods occurred as a result of the heavy showers prevails in the island now reached to 18 and there are 47 injured persons so far according to the National Disaster Management Center.According the Center the number of displaced persons reported up to now is nearly 970,000 .
As heavy showers continues in most parts of the island today as well The National Building Research Organization(NBRO) today issued warnings of Land Slide to Ten Districts .The ten districts received the land slide warnings including the districts of Matale,Badulla and Kandy in the Hill Country.
According to the Meteorology Department heavy showers prevails in the most parts of the country since yesterday will continue further .Around 750,000 people displaced island wide mostly in the Batticloe and Ampara areas of Eastern Province due to the floods caused by heavy showers
14 people were buried under the rubble and 7 of them rescued due to a Huge Earth Slip taken place in Gatambe of the hill capital Kandy District this morning.Another 4 bodies buried under the rubble were recovered by this eve and 3 are still missing according to the Police..The rescued persons were admitted to the Kandy General Hospital for treatment.
