Unexpected incident at Mihintale film location

King's warrior-actor in police .... with a towel draped round him
 while shooting film in Mihintale

An incident where an actor had gone to the police with a travelling bag and dressed only in a towel to complain about a mishap faced by him while a film was being shot at the time he was playing the role of the king's warrior was reported on 20th November. The film was about a story related to a king which was being filmed in Mihintale.

The film concerned was a creation of a popular director and it was this actor Dixon Gerard who was chosen for the role of the king's warrior in this film. The said actor had appeared in tele-dramas and a number of films for about 2 decades. He also has about 8 stage dramas to his credit.

The role he had been assigned in this film is that of a king's warrior. After discussing the role with his director, he had arrived at Kaludiyapokuna on 17th November to Mihintale to act in the film by remaining in Mihintale. Later, having remained for 2 or 3 days, involved in those duties on November 20th he was dressed up as the king's warrior; after the make-up was done, he had been involved in an unanticipated conflict with the camera director of the film. The camera director had asked him to bring the camera equipment to the sets.

Dixon Gerard had refused to do so, saying "I can't do these things" after which the camera director had reprimanded him. The camera director had then responded saying, "This fellow is too much ... when we give him a chance .... he gets swollen-headed... wait I'll do a nice thing". Uttering those words he had approached the film director and complained about the incident saying, "There's no use of fellows like this .... if his costumes are not removed and this chap is not sent away immediately ... I'll stop working!"

The director who approved of the words of the camera director, had taken steps to send Dixon away. In this instance, none of the other comrades of his on location had given any support to Dixon and had only watched him throwing aside his clothes, laughing at him in the process.

Ultimately Dixon had come to the police from the shooting location only with his underpants and a towel draped round his body. What was in his hand was the travelling bag which he brought with him to Mihintale. Dixon who was a resident of Bulathkohupitiya has had not enough time even to dress and to get into a bus with suitable attire.

After lodging the complaint, he had changed his dress and had left the police station, back home.

The police said that they were conducting investigations on the matter.

Photos --   Athula Bandara