“ALI KATHAWA” (Elephant Tale)

Children and elephants have been popular topics for many folktales, novels and even films the world over. Veteran filmmaker Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne too has selected a child and a baby elephant to be the subjects of his latest film, a children’s movie ‘Ali Kathawa’ (Elephant Tale).

Revolving around a friendship between a baby elephant and a child, the story is inspired by well-known writer Letitia Botejue’s children’s story “Anusha saha Rankumaru’.

‘Ali Kathawa’ is set in a kingdom where a popular king ruled his country righteously. The subjects were happy with the way the country being ruled but the royal family was sad as they did not have a child. On the advice of the ministers in the kingdom, the queen makes a visit to a far away temple situated in a middle of a jungle. There she accidently comes across a child who plays with a baby elephant. Having seen the child, the queen decides to bring him up as her own. Though she manages to get the child, the loss of the child enrages the entire herd of elephants.

The main children’s roles are played by Kaushalya Fernando and Yehani Hansika and the others in the stellar cast includes Tharuka Wanniarachchi, Dananjaya Siriwardana, Ravindra Randeniya, Duleeka Marapana, Sarath Kothalawala, Wilson Gunaratne and Rodney Warnakula,

Cinematography is by Channa Deshapriya, editing by Tissa Surendra, art direction  Bimal Dushmantha, costume designing byThilina Hettigamage, makeup by Harsha Manjula Srilal and production management by Manohari Kariyawasam.

Music by Rohana Weerasinghe, ‘Ali Kathawa’ is produced by Gunapala Ratnasekera.