Machan - The Movie (2008)

Release Date - 12 September 2008
Genre - True Story, Comedy
Plot - The real story of the not-so real Sri Lanka National Handball Team
Awards - 3 wins & 1 nomination

Machan is a Sinhalese Movie based on the true story of the Fake Sri Lankan Handball team which was invited to Germany for a Hand Ball tournament and disappeared into Europe without a trace. As My friend Thil stated in his blog , this is indeed a movie that a brought a smile to everyone who watched it.

Movie Plot Summary

A group of desperate slum dwellers, living on the margins of society under impossible pressures,
find an invitation to a handball tournament in Bavaria to be the answer to their prayers, a one way ticket to the West and the wealth that will solve all their problems.

Manoj and Stanley console themselves after their latest visa application is rejected. For barman Manoj, the recurrent denial of his ultimate dream to live and work in the beautiful West is taking a serious toll, whilst his lifelong friend Stanley, fruit seller in the streets of Colombo, is losing his fight against overwhelming debt, looking after crazy aunts and a young brother on the way to a criminal life.

With their spirits at an all time low the chance discovery of an invitation to a handball toul'nament in Bavaria appears to them like a present from the Gods. Even if nobody knows what handball is, a bogus application to the tournament is submitted and soon a mismatched collection of friends and colleagues, creditors and policemen, join together in the unlikely Sri Lanka National Handball
Team.

With little thought to the tournament that awaits them on the other side of the world, "training
sessions" are understandably minimalist and any excess energy ploughed into internal skirmishing. As the tournament invitation arrives, handball rules and regulations are side-lined; dreams of leaving poverty behind and a better life take centre stage as they march to the German Embassy for that magical visa...

Rejected again! Who the hell mentioned Ministry letters? Why should you need permission from
your own government if you've had an invitation from another? Does this mean the end of the
dream?

There's always master forger and all-round crook Ruan of course, but you'd have to seriously be
scraping the barrel to go to him for help.

A trade off sees the reluctant last minute inclusion of a bunch of stranded foreigners. The team,
now swollen to capacity, finally gets its much agonised visa and, after painful good byes to families and friends, is on the way to the West and a bright future.

But the planned quick getaway on arrival is crushed by the welcoming organisers and a change of schedule sees them confronted by an arena full of sport fans eager to applaud the prowess of the Sri Lanka National Handball Team.

70-0. And now? Do they run before the inevitable arrest and an inglorious return home? Or should they fight on to defend personal and national pride at the cost of risking the end of their dream?

The Real Story

BBC News Wednesday, 15 September, 2004, 14:00 GMT 15:00 UK

German authorities say they are puzzled by the disappearance of the entire national handball team from Sri Lanka.
German Sports Exchange Programme organiser, Dietmer Doering, said: "We initially thought the team had got lost in nearby woods while jogging."

But he said a note had been found saying the 23-strong team had gone to France. "We now know they crossed into Italy," Mr Doering said.

"They even left their dirty laundry," he added.

Unauthorised trip

Mr Doering told Priyath Liyanage of the BBC Sinhala service the organisers were feeling extremely let down by the incident.

"This will be the last time we will be doing this. I am not planning to invite any more teams from Sri Lanka," he said.

"The entire team of 23 men, including the coach and the manager, has taken off."

The handball team was taking part in a programme in which teams from both countries visited each other for friendly games.

The sports ministry in Sri Lanka said the trip was not authorised.

Handball is a sport very rarely played in Sri Lanka and the formation of a national team was a mystery, according to the ministry spokesman.

The performance of the team had been poor throughout the tournament.

Mr Doering said that until now the exchange programme had been successful.

"Different sports teams from Sri Lanka have been taking part in the project for nearly 15 years," he said.

Source - BBC

Real Footage from The Handball Tournament Held in Germany 2004

Source - Youtube

The Cast

Dharmapriya Dias Stanley
Gihan De Chickera Manoj
Dharshan Dharmaraj Suresh
Namal Jayasinghe Vijith
Sujeewa Priyalal Piyal
Mohamed Adamaly Pakistani Doctor
Pubudu Chathuranga Spoilt Son
Christian Ebert Referee
Dayadewa Edirisinghe Naseem
Malini Fonseka Manoj's Mother
Theertham Muthiah Ganeshan Senior Policeman
Sanjaya Hettiaratchchi Piyal's Cousin
Lalith Janakantha Piyal's 2nd Cousin
Nino Jayakodi Afghani Youth
Sarath Karunaratne PK
Vajira Kodituwakku Bangala Man
Dilip Kumara Koralage Junior Policeman
Mangala Pradeep Kumara VD
Sitha Kumari Manoj's Grandmother
Ravi Kumar Neville
Hemasiri Liyanage Manoj's Father
Saumya Liyanage Angry Foreigner
Peer Martiny Cold eyed German
Stefan Mehren Immigration Officer
Ruwan Malith Peiris Indian Man
Mahendra Perera Ruan
Chathurika Pieris Shalini
Pradeepan Puwabalasingham AJ
Janaka Ranasinghe Afghani Man
Ronika Rannetthi Esther
Achim Schelhas Chirpy Host
Pitchchei Selvaraj Nesa
S. Selvsekaran Father
Jayani Senanayake Jasmine
Irangani Serasinghe Auntie Magie
Kumara Thirimadura Oaf

Behind The Screen

Director UBERTO PASOLINI
Writers RUWANTHIE DE CHICKERA & UBERTO PASOLINI
Producers PRASANNA VITHANAGE, CONCHITA AIROLDI & UBERTO PASOLINI
Co-Producer HENNING MOLFENTER
Associate Producer MIRJAM WEBER
Director of Photography STEFANO FALIVENE
Production Designer ERROL KELLY
Editor MASAHIRO HIRAKUBO
Composers STEPHEN WARBECK & LAKSHMAN JOSEPH DE SARAM
Sound Mixer ANANDAR CHANDRAHASAN
Costume Designers SANDHIYA JAYASURIYA & ROB NAVIS
Make-up Designer EBERT WIJESINGHE
Casting Director DAMAYANTHI FONSEKA

Watch the Movie Online

Download the Full Movie

http://rapidshare.com/files/172326642/machan.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/172326845/machan.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/172399336/machan.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/172409729/machan.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/172411747/machan.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/172411916/machan.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/172431040/machan.part7.rar