SRI LANKAN ACTORS

Saumya Liyanage - Talented Sri Lankan Actor

He recently acted in ABA Sri Lankan Film. Ruwini Jayawardana had a interview with him recently. Here is the discussion details of the interview.

With the movie being the topic of discussions and debates, masses still queuing at theatres and passing its 50th days of screening there is no doubt Aba had come a long way. The Daily News met Saumya as the movie passes a milestone since it started unspooling islandwide.

Habara stands out amongst all the characters in the movie. Some see your character as the protagonist.

Many people have made similar comments. I think it is purposely structures in the script. Habara plays the role of a narrator in the modern mould. He connects the incidents and characters in the story.

He is also a fictional character therefore the director had the freedom in building up his traits and projecting him in different scenes. His brings out a difference to the movie.

How do you grade this role in your acting career?
I have been acting for 16 years, both on screen and theatre. I prefer to choose my characters. I have portrayed diverse roles in a number of films under different directors. Habara is quite different in terms of the approach of acting style because a lot of physical movements are involved.

I believe in the theory of acting that the body is not controlled by the mind. Traditionally these two elements are separated because of the western philosophical tradition.

We still believe that the mind is controlling the body but through my presentation of Habara I try to establish a kind of notion on how an actor can use his body to depict his character. Most actors believe that acting is mainly focused on facial expressions. The truth is that though the face is a vital part of the body it is not the only object that an actor uses to communicate with the audience.

You acted opposite Dulani Anuradha, a new comer. How was the working relationship?

Though she made her debut in the film I was also new to the field a few years ago. I made my entrance to films in a foreign production, Kevin Connor's Mother Theresa. Life on set is very depressive and at times you work under a lot of pressure. I have experienced what new comers encounter so I am always supportive to them. This does not mean that the veterans should instruct or dominate them. We share our experiences.

Dulani and I share a wonderful working relationship. She is one of my students at the dance and drama faculty of the University of Visual and Performing Arts but that was not a problem for us while working together. We have a very intimate relationship on screen and this stems out of the friendship we have developed as teacher and student.

What happened to the role you were offered in Chandran Rutnam's 'The Road From Elephant Pass'?

I signed up for the movie and the film was scheduled for shooting in December 2007 but it was postponed till March. I was working on a university project so I backed out of the film. They shot the film with another actor.