Ganga Addara (English : Beside the River) was a 1980 Sinhalese language film directed by Sumitra Peiris and produced by Sumathi Films. The film stars Vasanthi Chathurani and late Vijaya Kumaratunga in the lead roles. Adapted from a novel by Letitia Botejue, its script was written by veteran director Tissa Abeysekara. The music and english lyrics('Banks of the River') were composed by Nimal Mendis. It was translated into Sinhala by Augustus Vinayagaratnam and was sung by Vijaya Kumaratunga, who also made his mark as a playback singer. Ganga Addara, which was the second production of Sumathi Fims was set in Kandy, colonial Sri Lanka. Its plot is about a tragic love story between a boy and his uncle's daughter, where all the incidents take place around river Kalani, a famous river in Sri Lanka.
It bagged many awards at the prestigious Sarasaviya Awards Festival including the Best Film Award, Best Director Award, Best Music Direction Award and Best Actress Award for Vasanthi Chathurani. Even after two decades, the film, which was a box-office hit in the eighties, still remains as one of the finest Sri Lankan films ever made
Hi do you have any other books by Letitia Botejue? She was my grandmother and I am trying to locate her books. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThere was a book that i read as a kid which was a story about a boy who grew up in woods being brought up by a female tusker. If you happen to own it or know a place where i can buy a copy can you please let me know? Unfortunately i dont remember its name.
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