Gamperaliya (film)

Gamperaliya is a 1963 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Lester James Peries it was adapted from the novel Gamperaliya by Martin Wickramasinghe. The film was groundbreaking in Sinhala cinema shot entirely outside of a studio using one lamp and hand held lights for lighting. The movie exemplifies Periess use of family tensions to symbolize wider issues.

Piyal Henry Jayasena is a handsome young teacher who is hired to teach English to Nanda Punya Heendeniya, a member of a high class family. They fall in love, but cant elope because Piyal is of a lower class. Nandas parents instead push her into a marriage with Jinadasa Gamini Fonseka, who is of the same class as them. With economic downturn in Sri Lanka, both families lose their status and Jinadasa leaves to try to make a better life for himself he never achieves his goal and dies penniless. Piyal and Nanda can now finally come together. They have changed however, and the earlier idylic nature of their relationship is not recaptured.Lester James Peries admired Martin Wickramsinghes work and was inspired to attempt an adaption of Wickramasinghes novel Gamperaliya into a movie in 1964. Wickremasinghe was initially reluctant thinking it wouldnt make a good movie, but eventually agreed. Scholar Regie Siriwardene was asked to script the film. ........

Source: Wikipedia