If you have seen the movie Machang by Uberto Pasolini, then you have seen actors playing these guys. Below is video footage of the REAL guys who decided to migrate to Europe illegally by pretending to be a Sri Lankan handball team. This is them really playing a match. Badly, I might add.
You have to hand it to our guys. When it comes to bullshit, I don’t think any other country in the world comes close. The pride with which they sing the national anthem in this viedo is justly deserved. Note how in the second part of this three part youtube extravaganza, they even compliment the opposing players on it having been a good match. Then, in part 3 (my favourite), they sing a Shaggy song with the gusto of the man himself. Did I say they sing a Shaggy song? Well, it’s more like pretend to sing it, cos it’s obvious none of them know the words. Also, they can’t sing for toffee either.
Here’s some movie trivia for you. Did you know that one of the actors playing one of the fake handball team members also absconded in Germany after shooting had finished. That’s right: in a bizarre twist of life imitating art imitating life, a guy playing a guy who absconded, also absconded. It was the guy playing the police cop. In real life this actor is also a goldsmith. He disappeared on the last day and never turned up to the bus, or the airport. I kid you not. Yes, the actor. Playing the guy who absconded. Yes. I am not shitting you. I got the story from some of the other actors. One of the other actors this guy was closest to had been warned in advance that he was going to hook it. He had been picked up in a car by relatives. A few months later he had made it to London from Germany without a passport and was doing rather well as a goldsmith. (The passports of all the cast and crew were with the movie production admin guy).
Amazing huh? It warms the cockles of my heart.
(Here’s the link to part 3 of the video where you get the entire group have a bajaw session and the subsequent German news reports of the incident. Crazy.)
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I really like this film. I will rate this better than the much overated slumdog millionaire!
Thanks for sharing this hilarious movie trivia ..
Slumdog was not overrated, it was pure rubbish, with no artistic merit whatsoever.
Frieda Pinto was the only even half decent thing it and that was only for her looks and nothing else.
It is such a great story! (Slumdog millionaire is just a fairy tale). Resourceful sri lankan guys, I wish they can make it well, specially if they really went to Italy where now even money transferts are being controlled in order to catch immigrants up. Yes, now illegal immigrants are considered to be criminals: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8170187.stm.
i really like that movie , slumdog is bullshit , i dont Know why they gave such a awards for bullshit… in this case “MACHAN” movie was superb and real story,
Good stuff. Keep it up.
Sri Lanka is the most beautiful country in the world. It would be perfect if we had some honest leaders!
A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment. There’s no doubt that that you should publish more about this subject matter, it might not be a taboo matter but usually folks don’t discuss these subjects. To the next! All the best!!
stupid lankans the ravana was hindu brahmin and he was not budhist…
proud of sri lanka….. no fear to anyone sri lankan lions sri lankan hearts… and thanx for machan film its the best film i ever watched…