Interview With Sri Lankan Great Actor - Saumya Liyanage

How is shooting in Boodee Keerthisena's Nimnayaka Hudakalawa (Solitude in a valley) coming along?

There are still two more scenes to be shot to conclude. The editing process is underway. My character in this film is a completely different leap from Aba. Nimnayaka Hudakalawa is a psychological thriller based on the sub conscience of the character. Though Boodee is well versed in cinema he kept on mentioning that the film provided an entirely new experience to him.

Boodee decided on me for the lead after seeing me in Vijitha Gunaratne's Vala Patala.

Tell us about your role in the Sri Lanka-Germany-Italy co-production Machan.

I acted a small part in Uberto Pasolini's movie which was screened at the 65th Venice Film Festival. We travelled around the island looking for suitable locations and actors. I enjoyed acting in the movie and did not mind the scope of the role.

You have made a name for yourself as an excellent character actor.

(Smiling)I see acting as a science You need some academic training and it is a lifetime process. The theatre is my laboratory. The spirit of acting generates from the theatre and I use a lot of techniques I experimented on stage.

I am working on two theatre productions, Aapahu Harenna Behe (No Return) produced by Rajitha Dissanayake and a collection of short plays titled Sihina Rangahala. 'No Return' will go on boards the Lumbini theatre on September 29 at 4 p.m. and is targeted at the undergraduates of the University of Visual and Performing Arts.

What do you look for in your characters?

I am not a professional actor so when I receive a script I go through it thoroughly. There may be a lot of personal and ideological reasons to choosing a character but at the moment my choices are results of my preference. It should be a text which could develop a discussion among masses.

Would you also turn director in the near future?

Most people have questioned about that but I still have so many things to experience in acting. Directing is an entirely different element from acting. I hope to take up the matter and start off with a theater direction with my father. Hopefully we will be able to engage in the project next year.

Is there any hope for Aksharaya (Letter of Fire)?

That is a very pathetic situation. We have made appeals which have fallen on deaf ears. Handagama had gone back to France to edit the movie into a different version but DVDs of the movie had already leaked out. The movie will be released in Europe soon.

What are your hopes for Aba as the movie passes its 50th day on screen? Will you be a part of the cast to its sequel?

We have achieved our goals and I wish to thank everyone who contributed to the production. We enjoyed making the movie. I will definitely be a part of the sequel if a different version of Habara will be presented to me.

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.

Saumya Liyanage - talkative personality in Sri Lankan Arts

Saumya Liyanage is the most talkative personality in present Sri Lankan art culture. He is a great actor and teacher in arts. He is a award wining Sri Lankan actor. His father also a great artist in same field, named Hemasiri Liyanage.