''Ahasin Polowata'' (English: ''White Flowers for the Dead'', si, අහසින් පොලොවට) is a

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government). * January 6 – ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by Dr

Lester James Peries Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries ( Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකාභිමාන්‍ය ලෙස්ටර් ජේම්ස් පීරිස්; 5 April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, a ...

and written by Tissa Abeysekara. The film stars

Tony Ranasinghe Deshabandu Ranasinghe Hettiarachchilage Ignatius Anthony Silva (31 July 1937 – 16 June 2015 as ටෝනි රණසිංහ), popularly as Tony Ranasinghe, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. He is known as the Love ...

as Sarath, an abusive husband who is haunted by his wife's death. Peries made the film as a favour to D. B. I. S. Siriwardene who was ardent that Peries direct a film based on his wife, Eileen's book. It was well received in Sri Lanka, critically and commercially, and made appearances at several foreign film festivals including the

Cairo International Film Festival The Cairo International Film Festival ( ar, مهرجان القاهرة السينمائي الدولي) is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year sin ...

where it won the Best Film from the Third World award.

Plot

Dr.Sarath (Tony Ranasinghe) domineers over his timid wife Vineetha (Sriyani Amarasena). When she is to have a Caesarean delivery of their baby, Sarath refuses to be present even though he himself is a doctor. She dies during surgery and Sarath is forced to live with the spectre of his wife hanging over him.

Cast

as Sarath * Sriyani Amarasena as Vineetha *

Vijaya Kumaratunga Kovilage Anton Vijaya Kumaranatunga ( si, කොවිලගේ ඇන්ටන් විජය කුමාරණතුංග; ta, விஜய_குமாரணதுங்க; 9 October 1945 – 16 February 1988), popularly known as Vijaya ...

as Sarath's friend, Lalith * Vasanthi Chathurani as Pushpa, Vineetha's sister * Rukmani Devi as Sarath's aunt * Thalatha Gunasekara *

Shanthi Lekha Rita Irene Koys (July 1, 1929 – May 11, 2009), better known as Shanthi Lekha, was a Sri Lankan Film actress. She played the role of mother in more films than any other actress in Sinhala cinema. Personal life Lekha was born in Kalutara K ...

* D. R. Nanayakkara *

Geetha Kumarasinghe Kumara Vidugalage Dona Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe (born 5 July 1955: si, ගීතා කුමාරසිංහ), popularly known as Geetha Kumarasinghe, is a Sri Lankan film actress and Member of a Parliament. She is the current State M ...

Eddie Junior Bulathsinhalage Hubert de Silva (12 March 1926 – 3 November 1982 as එඩී ජූනියර්) inhala, popularly known by his stage name Eddie Junior, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and theater as well as a music composer and singer. ...

* Ajith Jinadasa * Asanka Monarawila * Mapa Gunaratne * Ebert Wijesinghe * Daya Alwis

Awards

* Most outstanding film from a third world country at the 3rd International Film Festival in Cairo in 1978. * Best Actor Presidential Film Awards 1979 -

. * Best Direction Presidential Film Awards 1979 -

. * Best Editor Presidential Film Awards 1979 - Sumithra Peris. * Best Cinematographer Presidential Film Awards 1979 - Donald Karunarathna. * Best Script Writer Presidential Film Awards 1979 - Tissa Abeysekara. * Best Playback Singer Female Presidential Film Awards 1979 - Rukmani Devi ( "Doi Doi" ).

References

1978 films Films directed by Lester James Peries {{SriLanka-film-stub