JEDDAH — “Asai Man Piyabanna,” a feature film from Sri Lanka, was screened at the residence of the Consul General of Sri Lanka Adam Bawa Uthumalebbe as part of 7th Asian Film Festival 2014, organized by the Asian Consuls General Club (ACGC) here. The Sri Lankan film, basically a love story of a boy called Praveen and a village girl Ranmali, captures the audience attention with its mesmerizing landscapes. Praveen, who visits a village with his family in search of a land to build a hotel, meets Ranmali there and falls in love with her. The lovers face strong opposition from Praveen's family, which eventually leaves the village without selecting a plot for their hotel. Ranmali becomes a leading performer and has received a proposal from the owner of a studio where she performs. Ranmali has to then decide between her Praveen, whose love still prevails in her heart, and studio owner. Who she decides to wed is the climax of the film. Directed by Udayakantha Warnasuriya, the 136-minutes film stars Roshan Ranawana and Pooja Umashankar. Earlier a short documentry film titled “Wonders of Asia” displayed rich heritage and tourist sites of Sri Lanka. Prominent Sri Lankan community members and movie lovers were in attendance. Visitors also had the opportunity to relish traditional Sri Lankan cuisine. Uthumalebbe said: “Sri Lanka is a paradise island in the world, a beautiful country like a pearl in the ocean. It's a tourist hub. Everybody who visits there likes it. It's a very nice place with nice people.” He added: “There are 20 million people and 20 million smiles will welcome you if you visit there.” The one-month film festival will conclude on March 31 with the screening of Indonesian film.
