Kusa Paba: Jackson plays Kusa Pooja plays Pabawathie

Jackson-Kusa
Pooja-Pabawathie

A very famous story in the 550 story’s ‘Jathaka Potha’ is’Kusa Pabawathie’.This story has been selected as the script for the new film planned to be produced. The main role of ugly looking king’s role of ‘Kusa’ is to be portrayed by the very talented and popular actor Jackson Anthony. The female lead role of the beautiful Queen is to be portrayed by Pooja Umashankar.

This film is to directed by Professor Sunil Ariyaratna while it is jointly produced by a number of producers.They are Somaratna Dissanayake,Udaya Kantha Warnasuriya,Renuka Balasuriya,Dhammika Siriwardena,Sunil T.Fernando,H.D.Premasiri,Ariyadasa Pieris,Tissa Nagodavithana,Channa Deshapriya,Janitha Marasinghe and Rasika Jinasena.

Professor Sunil Ariyaratne’s view of picking Jackson and Pooja for the lead roles are explained as follows; For the role of ‘Kusa’ there he sees no other actor other than Jackson, when taking into serious consideration the roles that he had portrayed in ‘Bawa Duka’,’Guerilla Marketing,’Agnidanaya’ his acting ability was very prominently portrayed..

 He went on to say that on seen his role in‘Guerilla Marketing’,Jayanatha Chandrasiri had commented that Jackson Is not only the finest actor in Sri Lanka ,but in whole of Asia. In that statement, he went on to say that was very precise. Only a person with enormous and wide knowledge in the field of acting could portray such a role. He also emphasized that with good looks alone one cannot make one to be a competent actor. From the day Tissa Abeysekera started writing the script of the film, it was Pooja who was lingering in his mind for the role of ‘Pabawathie’. She possessed in her the true the Indian ways and culture in abundance which was proved when she did her roles. The characters she had portrayed in films directed by Udaya Kantha,Channa and Dhammika Siriwardena were seen by him and was deeply impressed. She is truly a very talented and a very beautiful actress. She displayed her acting skills in a number of Tamil films which were seen by him. The Tamil film ‘Nankakaduwala’ ( I am God) in which she did a lead role had a successful long run at the film hall ‘Cinecity’ in Maradana, which Professor Sunil Ariyaratna together with T.Arjuna,Lucien Bulathsinhala viewed it. They all expressed their highest admiration.

We were astonished in seen her magnificent acting. In this context the need arose unanimously to select her to portray the role of ‘Pabawathie’ for this film.