This week’s `Cultural Diary’ brings you details about several other fascinating events happening in the city. Take your pick of stage plays, exhibitions or dance performance and add colour to your routine life. You can make merry and enjoy the adventures or sit back, relax and enjoy a movie of your choice. Make a little space to kick into high gear amid the busy work schedules to enjoy the exciting events happening at venues around the city. If there is an event you would like others to know, drop an email to eventcalen-dar25@gmail.com (Please be mindful to send only the essential details). Have a pleasant week.

SaraShi SamaraSiNghe

The 10th delightful concert of ‘Ridee

Reyak,’which is annualy present-ed by the Cinestar Foundation with the majoring representation of the artists of local film indus-try, will be staged eminently on December 22 at 7 pm at Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa The-atre.

This concert is annually organ-ized with the noble intention of launching the welfare and the hospitality service for the artists in the film industry and the

hospitality services will be conducted under the monetary strength of the con-cert. ‘Ridee Reyak 10’ will be decorated by

many popular Sri Lankan film stars. This will also be consisted with comedies by Tennyson Cooray, Giriraj Kaushalya and Sarath Kothelawala.

The choreography will be done by Chan-na Wijewardena.

Black by Sanjay Leela Bhansali (2005) will be screened on December 19 at 5.30pm at Indian Cultural Centre

(ICC) auditorium, 16/2, Gregory’s Road, Colombo 7. The film begins with Michelle McNally (Rani Mukerji), a blind and deaf

woman, visiting her former teacher Debraj Sahai (Amitabh Bach-chan), who now has Alzheimer’s disease, in a hospital. The film then flashbacks to the past to her childhood. Michelle was a girl who lost her eyesight and hearing after recovering from an illness at the age of two and exists in a black world where she is isolated in the darkness of her own existence, trapped by her inability to see, hear and express. She grows up becoming more and more frustrated by the black and dark world around her, making her a violent, uncontrollable eight-year old child. Her parents, Paul and Cathe-rine, are at their wits’ end trying to

control her, until one day the light shines through the end of the

tunnel. Stars: Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Shernaz

Patel,Nandana Sen

…

N a t i o n a l Lampoon’s Christmas

Vacation (2003) will be screened on December 18 at 6 pm at the American Cen-

tre, No 44, Galle Road, Colombo 3. (Running Time: 97 minutes) The Griswold family has yet anoth-

er family adventure from hell and this movie has all the clichés. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) desperately wants to

have the greatest Christmas ever and hosts his extended dys-functional and quirky family in an attempt to share the holiday

spirit. He expends considerable effort on the Christmas lighting for his house but cannot seem to get it to work. As he desperately tries to get the lights working, his wife’s (Beverly DAngelo) idiot cousin Eddy (Randy Quaid) and his bizarre family including their pet dog, Snots show up uninvited and unex-pected. Things go from bad to worse in a hurry.Clark’s secret Christmas present to the family is a swimming pool which he intends to pay for using his Christmas bonus from his employer but he is financially over extended because he had to put down a huge depos-it. When the bonus turns out not to be the financial blessing he expected, the stress becomes too

much and he goes nuts (and gives us one of the all-time classic movie monologues).

Seating is limited and is first-come, first-served.

Harry,un ami qui vous veut du

bienThe movie, Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien (2000) by Dominik

Moll will be screened on Tuesday, December 18 at 3pm and Wednesday, December 19 at 6.30pm at Alliance Française de Colombo, 11, Barnes

Place, Colombo 7. Holidays of Claire and Michel are looking pretty tough. Between their three children,excited by the infernal heat wave plaguing the city, this holiday home is in the works for five years, the couple is on the nerves. That’s when Harry suddenly disembarked in their lives, ready to do anything for the happiness of his friend Michel, whom he upset existence. The movie is most suitable for mature audience and is subtitled in English.

Black

Natio

nal L

ampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Gangaramaya Temple, Min-istry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs, The Sri Lan-ka-Russia Friendship Society together with The Russian Centre in Colombo presents

‘Buddhism in Russia’ Art & Photographic Exhibition at Gangaramaya Temple, Hun-upitiya, Colombo 2 from December 17 to 23 from 4 pm onwards.

The exhibition will offer a picture of the development of Buddhist art in 18th-20th centuries. The display represents high quality copies of paintings - thangka and nine sheets from the Atlas of Tibetan Medicine kept in the collection of the National Museum of the Buryatia Republic, and - thangka are from the collection of the Russian Ethnography Museum, (St.Peters-burg).

17Dec

Seasoned dramatist Bandula Vithanage’s ‘Romaya Gini Gani’ will be staged at Vijithamuni Soysa Cultural Centre, Bibile, on December 23 at

10.30 am and 2.30 pm in aid of Bibile

Welfare Society. Sampath Tennakone, Rathna Lalani Jayakodi, Bandula Vithan-age, Ayesha Disanayaka , Upali Bandara, Thilini Priyanvada and Ishara Wickra-masinghe are included in cast. The play is the Sinhala adaptation of ‘Caught in the Net.’

23Dec

‘Nari Burathi,’the latest hilarious drama written and directed by Sarath Kothalawa-la, will stage its final show in Colombo on Sunday (Decem-ber 23) at 3.30 pm and 6.45

pm at Namel Malini Punchi theatre, Borel-la.

With a host of popular artists such as Sarath Kothalawala, Kumara Thirimadura, Pubudu Chathuranga, Mihira Sirithilaka, Sarath Chandrasiri, Hemantha Iriyagama, Chinthaka Peiris, Janaka Ranasinghe and Wajira Kodithuwakku along with Premalal Liyanages’ stage settings.

Music composition and stage manage-ment will be by Wimalajith Dombagaha-watte while Harsha Malinda and Indika

Niroshana will assist in the stage management.

Costume design-ing will be by Push-pa Samanthi Kothalawala and makeup by Janaka Ranasinghe.

With Chandana Nishantha Peiris’ sounds and Upul We e r a s i n g h e s ’ stage lighting this thrilling drama will be organized by Jude Srimal.

All seats have been box planned. Tickets are now available at Namel Malini Punchi theatre, Borella.

Somaweera Senanayake’s Sinhala novel entitled ‘Ambusemiyo’ will be launched at Dayawansa Jaya-kody Bookshop, Colombo 10 on December 18 at 10 am.

Award winning novelist Senanayake is the author of ‘Raja Kale Punchi Lamai,’ ‘Mavakage Geethaya,’ ‘Yashoravaya,’ ‘Menik Nadiya Gala Basi,’ ‘Parami-tha,’ ‘Andurata Pahanak,’ ‘Saru Diviyata Bosath Maga’ and ‘Sathun Athara Bosathvaru.’

‘Ambusemiyo’ is a Dayawansa Jayakody publica-tion.

A holiday camp will be held at the Russian Centre in Colombo until December 21 from 8.30 am to 1 pm for the age group between 4-11 only on week days. The camp will include chess, singing, computer, art/handwork, kids cookery, children’s films, library reading/story telling, drama and theatre workshop and outdoor games. For further details please contact Chandi Aluvihare at Russian Centre in Colombo, No.10, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7. Tel: 011 2685429 or 011 2685440, e-mail: colombo@ruscent.com

A drama and theater workshop will be held on December 23 and 30 at the main hall in the ‘S inhala Cultural

Institute’ (Sudarshi hall in front of BMICH Colombo 7) from 3 pm to 6 pm. Entrance free.

23Dec

‘ I D O L ’ Grand Finale will be held on December 21 at 6 pm onwards at the

British School (BS) Audi-torium.

21Dec

Joy to the World 2012, an extravaganza of Christmas Carols, organized by the Archdiocese of Colombo and the Blessed Joseph Vaz Trust will be held at Nelum Pokuna, MahindaRajapaksa Theatre on December 17 at 7 pm.

This year’s show will showcase the tal-ents of some foremost choral groups in the country such as the Revelations, Voice Print, LG Singers, Soul Sounds Academy and Junior choirs, ChoroBenedicte, and Speraza. Two tenors, Dinesh Abeygunawardena and Stefan Steinwall, just returned from performing in London, will be an added attraction.

The proceeds of Joy to the World will be utilized for the Poverty Alleviation projects undertaken by the Archdiocese and the Blessed JospehVaz Trust for the year 2013.

This includes a Scholarship Programme for needy, deserving students.

17Dec

This December prepare for a magical con-coction of a majestic musical tempest. Fea-turing some of Sri Lanka’s finest home grown talent ‘Ragnarök’ (Significantly known in Norse mythology as the ‘Fate of the Gods’ or ‘Twilight of the Gods’ respec-

tively) promises an evening of eclectic and intense music ranging from Progressive Technical Metal, Thrash, Hard Rock and Blues to Pure Sri Lankan Metal in a star studded and stellar line-up guaranteed to shake things up a little bit, stir your senses and unequivocally blow you away on December 22 from 7 pm to 11 pm at the Shalika grounds.

22Dec

‘Buddhism in russia’ at gangaramaya Temple

Joy to the World 2012 at Nelum Pokuna

‘ambusemiyo’ to be launched18

Dec

‘iDOL’ grand Finale at the

BS auditorium

a holiday camp at the russian Centre21

Dec

‘Meeyo Nathuwa Ba’ (Can’t without mice), a hilari-ous play directed by Keerthi K Rathnayake will be staged on Saturday (December 22) at 6.45 pm at the YMBA theatre in Borella.

With a host of renowned artists such as Ravindra Yasas, Madini Malwatte, Mahesh Umagiliya, Ishara Wickramasinghe, Sudharshana

Bandara, Sumith Warnakula, Chamari Nisansala, Nayana Malithi, Ruvini Dilanthi, Devran Levera, Aruna Sri Kasun,Chanidu Theniya Rathnayake,Wasantha Vittach-chi and Keerthi K Rathnayake, music composition will be by Pradeep Muthuku-daarachchi and stage settings by Roshan Warnakulasooriya.

Stage management by Chandana Nishantha and Susantha Kahandawalaarachchi while costume designing by Suvineetha Perera.Makeup by Wasantha Vittachchi

and lighting by Saman Malalasekera.‘Meeyo Nathuwa Ba,’ is presented and organized by Jude Srimal. Tickets are available at Sarasavi Book Shop Nugegoda, Sadeepa Book Shop

Borella, Salaka Senkada town hall and at theatre gate.

‘meeyo Nathuwa Ba’ at YmBa

ridee rayak 1022

Dec

22Dec

ragnarök

romaya ginigani 2 in Bibile

‘Nari Burathi’ at Punchi theatre

23Dec

Drama and theatre workshop at Sinhala

Cultural institute