Rookada Panchi (Little Miss Puppet), currently on theatres, is a musical family entertainer. It is a Sinhala movie with English subtitles. The movie is produced by veteran lyricist Kularatne Ariyawansa and directed by Kalpana Ariyawansa and Vindana Ariyawansa. Lyrics and music of the movie are by Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe. The main characters of the movie are played by Kushenya Fonseka (Rangi), Lakshika Deshan (Sasa), Jackson Anthony (Uncle Louis), Niroshan Wijesinghe (Rangi’s father), Dilhani Ekanayake (Rangi’s mother), Dhananjaya Siriwardena (Uncle), Umali Thilakarathne (Auntie), and Dayadeva Edirisinghe (Walter). The story revolves around a young girl – Rangi – who is worried about her mother’s sudden illness. She and her brother find comfort at a beach carnival’s puppet show run by a mysterious ringmaster – Uncle Louis – while they were away from their home with their Uncle and Auntie. The two main characters played by Kushenya and Lakshitha are phenomenal, especially the excellence Kushenya portrays in handling puppets and the brotherly love extended to her by Lakshitha as Sasa. Lakshika and Kushenya shared their experiences of Little Miss Puppet with Little Stars during the premiere of the show held at Regal Cinema. Kushenya Kushenya Sayumi Fonseka is a Grade Nine student of Buddhist Ladies’ College, Colombo and is passionate about becoming a dancer. Little Miss Puppet is her second movie experience. Kushenya, tell us about yourself. I am a student of Buddhist Ladies’ College and I am currently studying in Grade Nine. I changed schools in Grade Six, from St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Kelaniya. I am an only child and I live in Kelaniya. I play badminton. My favourite subject in school is dancing and I love to learn different styles and movements in dancing. What is your favourite style of dancing? I have been studying different styles of dance under the supervision of veteran artiste Channa Wijewardena since I was seven years old. My favourite style is the Kandyan dancing. How did you become an actress? I have been in television commercials when I was very young. Then, I received an opportunity to play the daughter’s role in the movie Dakala Purudu Kenek (The Strange Familiar). I was invited to audition for Little Miss Puppet as one of the directors saw my photos on social media posted by my Aunt Samanalee Fonseka. Those pictures were captured by my grandfather.   How did you feel when you were told about your character in Little Miss Puppet? I felt really happy. I’ve loved puppets from a very young age, and I loved the character when I heard about the story. Rangi is a very strong girl. I learnt a lot of new things acting in the movie. How was your commitment to the movie, being the main character? It wasn’t tiring. I loved the experience. It was fun to work with Uncle Kalpana and Uncle Vindana. They weren’t ordering us around as most adults do. They were like children, playing with us and laughing without teaching us what do to make the character look better. Uncle Jackson Anthony also helped us a lot, teaching us a lot of things on puppets. How did you learn to work with puppets? As I said, Uncle Jackson taught me a lot about puppets. We watched many videos of Darci Lynne on America’s Got Talent. Watching Darcy’s videos helped me a lot. Watching Sesame Street was also very helpful. Do you like to watch movies? Yes, a lot! My favourite movies are Frozen, Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon, and Woody Woodpecker. My favourite character among them is Elsa of Frozen. She is the strongest girl I have come across in a story. How was your experience working with Sasa, your brother in the movie? It was super easy to work with him. He was sweet and by the end of filming, we felt like we were real brother and sister. We were even getting into small fights by the end of filming (chuckles!). Whom do you want to thank? I want to extend a very big thank you to my mother, father, and my Aunt Samanalee Fonseka. I also want to thank Uncles Kalpana and Vindana Ariyawansa for the immense support they have given me. And then to my family and friends in and outside the film set.   Lakshika Lakshika Deshan Herath plays Sasa in Little Miss Puppet. He studies in Grade Five and attends Parakrama Primary School, Rambukkana. He is getting ready to sit for the Grade Five Scholarship exam this year. Tell us more about yourself, Lakshika. I am currently working very hard on improving myself to sit for the scholarship exam. I dream to get admission to a better school. I have a younger brother and an older brother. We live in Rambukkana. Apart from my interest in acting, I am also interested in karate, volleyball, singing, and music. During the Covid-19 break, I also wrote a book titled Lovak Handava Loka Balavatha Vu Corona Virus. I sent this to the “Ratak Watina Pothak” competition organised by the Department of Education. I have participated and won many karate competitions including district and zonal-level ones – I have two gold medals. How were you selected for the role of Sasa? Some time back, I took part in a talent competition organised by one of the largest media networks in the country and I became one of the 12 finalists. I was imitating many famous characters like “Korale Mahaththaya”, “Jasaya”, “Ehelepola Nilame” and a bookworm. Mr. Jackson Anthony had noticed my talent in this programme and has proposed me for auditions for Sasa. Then I got through the auditions and was selected for the character. Where did you learn to imitate these characters? I didn’t go for any classes, if that is what you mean. I learnt all these by watching television and reading about them. How did you feel about the character Sasa? I was surprised to hear from him. I felt as if Sasa is me. How was your experience with Rangi, your sister in the set? She was extremely lovable. She helped me to adapt to the character well. We became the best of friends at the end. Didn’t you feel scared to play one of the main characters in a movie? No, not at all. Director Uncles Kalapna and Vindana Ariyawansa help me a lot to adapt to the character. They didn’t impose any rules; they instructed me to be free and do as I like. I was very happy to be a part of this team. Do you plan to study acting further? I like to study drama. But now I am dreaming of studying science in a big new school. Who are your supporters? I want to thank my family. They were with me always. I want to thank Mr. Jackson Anthony. Without him, I would have never received this opportunity. I also want to thank Mr. Kalpana and Mr. Vindana Ariyawansa for the opportunity they gave me and for readily supporting me.