Novel
කැලෑ හඳ
Not translated into English
W. A. Silva · 1933
Synopsis
Misilin has given up village life to settle in Colombo, where she earns her living; her daughter Malani is born there, and it is the city that shapes her outlook. The novel follows the love that arises between the young woman and Jayapala, running it through the social and political changes the island was undergoing at the time.
Context
The book was published in 1933. Twenty years later, B. A. W. Jayamanne made a musical film from it, released on 27 May 1953, with Rukmani Devi and Stanley Perera. The film changes the starting premise, Malani becoming a villager who has come to town for the Vel festival, in love with a rich man who passes himself off as a man of modest means. Shot in a studio, it was received in mixed fashion, some critics judging it poor and preferring the book.
Who it is for
A popular novel in Sinhala, with no French or English translation; it can be approached through its 1953 film adaptation.
Prizes and reception
The first Sinhala novel to be adapted for the screen; counted among the classics of its author, one of the first Sinhala novelists with large print runs.
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