A Long Day's Journey Into Night

It was a grueling 24-hour shoot day Sunday as the second shooting schedule for "Akasa Kusum" took off at the H2O nightclub in Union Place in central Colombo. Using the nightclub's natural ambience, director Vithanage re-created the atmosphere of a social club, complete with comfort women for the scenes involving Priya, played by award-winning actress Nimmi Harasgama. Priya's mysterious connection to former film star Sandhya Rani slowly unravels, with Harasgama playing the role with depth and emotional intensity. Also in the sequences was Bunty, played by Samanali Fonseka, Priya's best friend at the club.
Beginning at 7 a.m. with outdoor scenes involving Malani Fonseka, the crew moved indoors at midday, and stuck there till 7 a.m. Monday morning, when an exhausted but happy director and crew walked out into the crisp sunrise of a Colombo morning. Day two begins at 5 p.m. at the same venue, with a 12-hour dusk to dawn schedule on the cards. Harasgama and Fonseka, with a host of minor characters and extras return to H2O for the four scenes that will be shot tonight.