Veteran film director Udayakantha Warnasuriya is one of the few Sinhala film directors worthy of discussions. He has so far directed about 24 films and of them, many are his own scripts and productions. A majority were blockbusters that filmgoers have treasured in their hearts. The films Mahamera Usata, Gini Avi Saha Gini Keli, Bahu Baarya, Rajya Sevaya Pinasai, Bahubuthayo, and Yakada Pihatu are a few of them.
Udayakantha differs from other film directors with his knack of selecting themes and stories that attract a large audience. Usually, he writes scripts of his films. His many films make us laugh, cry, think and rethink as these films talk about inherent political and social aspects of society and its weak points.
Good laugh at ourselves
His latest film, ‘President Super Star’ makes us laugh at ourselves. The film; like an action film packed with fights, violence, and suspense; keeps the audience glued to the story since it shows us our follies in political affairs one after the other. The film just reflects what is in store in our hearts untold and what we have accomplished in the past to make our motherland developed but failed miserably because we have entrusted our future to gangs of hypocrites from time to time.
President Super Star does not contain topnotch cinematography. The film unfolds on a reality TV show stage and includes all the gimmicks and extravaganza that such shows need. On this stage, Udayakantha brilliantly weaves his tale with the largest number of actors and actress that perhaps the largest number of stars that a Sinhala film includes so far in the history of the Sinhala film industry.
Fence for cheap jokes
It stars all the famous Sinhala film comedians and character performers except one or two including Tennyson Cooray. The film does not make us laugh with cheap jokes but by depicting the events in the past masterly that kick our groins absently flowing out smiles all over our faces like flash floods.
President Super Star is a reality show that a famous TV channel presents. Thousands of applicants presented for the show and 12 were selected to the final rounds. In the final, only three contenders (Sriyantha Mendis, (Dasaraja) Mahendra Perera (Wijitha) and Isuru Lokuhettiarachchi (Kelum) remain and of them, two seem honest and one reflects the real political culture in the island today.
Mise-en-scènes
Up until the final round and to the end, the film shows us a stream of mise-en-scènes that go as interludes of the show of each day. These interludes contain political events, overt and covert, that happened in the past of the country, and are still happening. Meanwhile, the contenders show their oral talents in which they elaborate the unfortunate, sad and drastic situation we are in today and what steps we have to take to rescue the country and its people from this political and economic trap.
The film engrosses us with contenders’ speeches and sub episodes.
They are magnets of political farce. The film brings in Idi Amin, Mandela, JR and even historic Licchavi kings to the front. Udayakantha exits the sets only for a limited number of scenes. Several of them show traits of final contenders and their family life. These scenes, out from the main set, help us understand the finalists’ emotional traits and their attitudes.
The norm
In the final, Dasaraja emerges as the Super Star with his cunningness and sublime, yet crafty oral tactics.
The audience, no doubt, thinks that it is the norm of the country as well.
A majority of them, no doubt, never change. They bring in back the same old system and people to control them.
The mise-en-scènes of the film sometimes remind us stage dramas. Two-stage dramas, one may recall by looking these mise-en-scenes may be Madura Javanika and Ananda Javanika. However, Udayakantha, being a seasoned film director, averts stagnation and usual stigmas and keeps the audience vibrant and roused until the end.
All the performers star their parts up to their best. Even though they act a tiny part, this is the case for many actors in the film; they convert it to a grand scene. Therefore, they are entitled to kudos for their brilliant acts. Isuru, Sriyantha and Mahendra exhibit their mettle in their roles.
The Stage Director of the film must be admired. So are the music and dialogues and digital effects.
President Super Star may not be an advanced film with expert cinematography. But it, in its simple, hilarious ways, makes the audience happy and contented at the end. It also shows the obvious talents of its director in film-making and scriptwriting.
Who knows, it may help make bigger changes as well in the near future!
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